You are probably wondering what in the world this magical, all powerful thing is that shifted my mindset. Everywhere we look we are surrounded by inspirational quotes and messages leading us to be more inspired than we were before. Find these messages on home decor, social media pages, mugs, podcasts and a plethora of other things.
For me, there are so many of these uplifting messages thrown at me that it can actually do more harm than good. Some of these are messages challenging me to "be a better person", "to lift others up" or "change the world with a smile". Before you come at me and say that I should not be bashing these uplifting quotes, bare with me a little longer. I take it in and think yeah, that's great advice, but, later on my brain won't remember half the words from that quote and I am left uninspired.
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So what did I do? I dialed in. I thought about what it really means to be "living" and what it means to wake up another day to get another chance. You might think the mindset I have is inspired by an uplifting message, but in all honesty, it's quite the opposite. I think that's why it works, because it challenges me to see the fragility of human life.
Day to day, we live in situations that at any moment could end or altar our life. All it takes is a second for something to happen and boom, that's the end. We often put ourselves in the arms of danger and don't think twice about it. Whether that's driving to work, running in the evening, flying in a plane, tubing on a lake, or simply walking down the street, something can happen. That car crashes, the runner is kidnapped, the plane goes down, the tuber drowns, and the walker gets hit by a car. All of these situations are terrible, and no one wants to think about these events actually happening, but this is where the mindset shift comes into play.
I began to view my daily life and the daily life of others around me with a scarcity mindset.
One could even say that I began to view my life like a video game with the goal to stay alive and stay away from the threat. I see my day to day tasks as different challenges in a video game. For example, driving from my house to work. I want to keep enough space, be a defensive driver, and go slow. I also need to be alert and be on the watch for whats happening around me so I can make the appropriate action. When I make it to work, I recognize that I am grateful I made it safely and also have gratitude that no freak thing happened out of the blue.
The more I started to treat life as something that could be ripped away from me in any instant, the more I started to treat my decisions in life with greater weight.
That message you want to write to an old friend that you keep saying you'll get to, write it. That person that you feel a deep connection with but are scared to jump in with, jump in. That sports team you want to go see play, go see them play. That trip you have been meaning to take, start looking at flights.
There are so many things we say we will do, but we never get to until it's too late. Life is about being bold and savoring the day around you. Building deeper connections, traveling more, or continuing to listen to your heart. No one is you and no one will ever be you. At the beginning and at the end it is only you, so how you chose to live this fragile, miraculous life is your beautiful story to write.
