Think differently. Think positively. Focus on goals, not challenges.

This week I went out on a limb. I had signed myself up a while back to attend a seminar called Innovating with Impact. It had sounded very interesting at the time but come Monday I was contemplating whether to go or not. This week was an especially busy one with our first midterm and multiple assignments due, so I was thinking this may not be worth my time. But I decided I’d still go, at the least just to hear something different.

And I’m glad I did! It was a really refreshing and eye-opening experience. The speaker went through several points and had us do a couple of activities that really made me consider the possibilities that are out there when you “think differently, think positively and focus on goals, not challenges”. One simple activity he had us do was make a to-do list for the week and a to-do list for the next 2-3 years. You should give it a try. You’ll probably find, as I did, that it is much easier to come up with the weekly list. He then had us consider children who love to tell you about their big dreams of becoming an astronaut or veterinarian, yet have no clue what they are going to be doing the next day. It’s interesting how our focus takes a 180 degree shift as we grow older, from a place of dreams and big ideas to planning each day as they come. Now I don’t think there is anything wrong with being organized. However, before that we need a clear purpose, a direction to head in, that’ll give our daily schedules and tasks meaning rather than being simply a reaction to circumstance.

I realized it is so easy to get tunnel-vision, focusing only on the tasks and challenges at hand. It actually made me really look at my current studies. There is no doubt that I have been learning new things but there’s a rhythm to all the coursework that seems to leave no room for creativity. And what is the point of being professionally trained individuals if we do not have the ability to break the mold and go towards a greater way of life?

When before I was going into the new week feeling tired and uninspired, I now felt I had a focus for myself. How could I think differently and positively about my daily circumstances? How could I go beyond the schedule of each day to make meaningful goals for the future? I wasn’t sure how to concretely implement this but I figured the best thing was to hold onto it in my mind and remind myself throughout the day. In small ways I had positive experiences with it throughout my week. Being able to recognize opportunities. Remembering to just be happy and glad to be alive. It was still a busy week, like I said, but I managed to squeeze more out of my time when I made the effort to not just focus on the challenges.

The best experience I had with thinking differently happened just yesterday while I was working on this blog. I usually try my best to begin my blog a week in advance to be able to post something every two weeks. That’s the commitment I made. I had had a topic I wanted to share in mind but when it came to writing it down I wasn’t connecting to it anymore. The ideas didn’t seem to be fitting together and it was feeling really forced. It started to stress me out. I had other important things I wanted to do this weekend so I didn’t want to spend a long time working on this blog, but I also wanted to post something. If I made an excuse now not do it then it would make it very easy to do that in the future. That’s a really important part of doing this blog for me, getting better at being able to make time for what is important to me amongst all that is urgent.

I got up and found something to clean in my house. I needed to change my environment, clear my mind. As I begin to occupy myself with something else, I thought about the situation I was in and if perhaps there was a different way of looking at it. And as I took a step back from the “problem” I began to see the limitations of my thinking. I had been seeing this particular post as just a task I needed to get done so I could check it off my list. That, of course, wasn’t inspiring. I began to see the bigger picture: my original purpose for wanting to do this blog, and once I was back in that place I could see all the possibilities that lay ahead. This past innovation seminar and the impact it had had on my week came to mind. That was something I wanted to share about, and it got me excited just thinking about it again. From then my mood and productivity improved considerably.

Looking back I could see that it was really such a small matter and that the solution was quite simple. But in the moment I was allowing this little thing to be an obstacle for me to move forward. Often times I think the things that block us are like that. They’re really small and unimportant in reality but when we let it completely fill our minds then it can seem like the biggest deal. It’s like how a wall standing in your way can seem huge and  insurmountable when you’ve got your face pressed right against it. Take a few steps back though and you might be able to see there’s a ladder you can use, or even a door. Of course the way forward won’t always be that obvious and it will always be different for every person but the one thing that is guaranteed is that there is a way forward. Sometimes we just got to look at it in a different way. Also, talking to someone about it can help a lot. From my experience sharing my struggle with someone, especially older than me, really helped to put things into perspective and provide clarity.

The last thing I wanted to share from that seminar was the reminder that we can train our minds. Being able to have a more positive and creative outlook on life isn’t only the inherent trait of a few lucky people. Although it may come more naturally for some, it is in fact a skill that anyone can learn. Being more positive and hopeful is a result of holding on to the moments or stories that uplift us. Making a habit of writing down the things that made you happy or inspired or grateful is a great way to rise above the dull or difficult times. I can testify to this personally. Last year I made it a habit to write down three things, even small, that I was grateful for each day from the day before. Over time, even though my circumstances had changed very little, I felt happier and could share that joy more readily with others. Another helpful thing is having a higher goal and purpose. It can be like a lighthouse, illuminating the path in the midst of the storm that can be our busy lives.

It is our birthright to be creators and innovators in this world. Really. Doors of possibilities can be opened for this world and for ourselves to move forward when we realize that that is who we were meant to be. People who aren’t just alive, but who are truly living and creating the life they love.