“Oh no!” my two-year old niece, Mia, wailed as her bowl of Cheerios crashed to the floor. As milk splattered in every direction, her whining increased. “Oh no, oh no” she repeated frantically as she scrambled off the sofa and picked them up. I noticed there was still some cereal left in the bowl. “Look baby!” I said trying to re-focus her attention. She acknowledged me by whining more. “Your problem,” I told her “is that you’re looking at what you’ve lost, not what you still have left!”
As the words fell from my lips, I quickly realized that Mia wasn’t the only one with a focus problem. For days, I had been stuck in an indefinable draining funk. Consumed by what I “lacked,” I was blinded to the resources already within my reach that I could leverage to change things in my life and business. That was my wake up call.
Last week, we talked about having the best plan for your life. But anyone who has ever crafted a plan knows —more often than not—things don’t go the way we scripted them. Therefore, every fail-proof plan must include a strategy for handling disappointments and setbacks. The attitude and perspective we adopt when life falls short, will determine whether or not we simply survive or thrive!
We can thrive in life when we move from scarcity to abundance in our thinking—and in our response to life’s challenges. This abundance doesn’t pertain to the accumulation of material possessions. Rather, it refers to living and thinking about life from a place of engaged intentionality. True abundance is a mental mindset that focuses on possibility and potential. It is a state of being present and connected to your real power and ability.
The difference between thriving and surviving is found in our ability to:
1. Let Go of What We’ve Lost: Despite her hunger, my niece was oblivious to the remaining Cheerios. But, they were exactly what she needed. Too often, we don’t enjoy relationships—or needed resources—because we refuse contentment. Instead, we idealize and idolize the people and situations that appear to be beyond our grasp.
The things we’ve lost are behind us. In order to thrive, we must understand that the sole purpose of the past is to provide information. It is incapable of doing anything else. The transformation we desire in our present—and future—is not possible when we live fixated on the past. Transformation occurs when we take stock of the potential for change present in today and act!
2. Love What’s Left: If we are ever going to push past a mentality of living that keeps us stuck and struggling, we must embrace the things that lie within our control and sphere of influence. If we spend our time running after what we’ve lost, we will neglect what we have—failing to experience the transformation that is possible as we build for the future. Tomorrow is a seed buried within today’s actions, decisions and relationships—we must nurture the seeds currently in our hands.
Have you been so focused on what you’ve lost that you’ve overlooked what you have left? This week take stock of your resources and get ready to build for your future. What’s in your hand?
Affirm out loud, “I am pregnant with potential. Everything I want for my future is present with me today and I have the wisdom to see it!” My ESSENCE family bonus ends 5PM EST on 10/18/13. Register NOW for FREE for “THRIVE! Ideas Journaling Teleseminar” here.
Recently named the “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” by eWomenNetwork, Felicia T. Scott is a Certified Empowerment Coach™ who empowers her clients to turn their Worth into Wealth as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO the WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 on her website.