We Are All Sanitation Workers!

We Are All Sanitation Workers!

Sweeping

Moss Jackson, PhD
Psychologist and Success Coach

All of us are living through difficult times! I have never witnessed such a nasty and disrespectful presidential election as the one we are now going through. I remember a time when politicians could disagree but still keep a perspective focused on their client: The American Citizen. People could disagree but eventually reach common ground or an acceptable consensus.

At the same time, we are also surrounded by global wars and financial concerns. Many of us do not hear a voice of hope and vision. Perhaps we have all been hypnotized into believing the voices of despair, fear and paranoia. If you hear bullshit long enough you will start to believe it, even if it fabricated to serve the personal interests of those who work so hard to make us feel bad, scared, and isolated.

Of course, then there is also all the personal bullshit we wake up to everyday: family and marital frustrations, financial concerns, work we do like, lack of appreciation, losing track of what we should be grateful for, and all the petty annoyances that dig under our skin. Life can sometimes throw us curve balls, but life is not our enemy. As my friend Doug might say, “The weather is not the problem, it’s how you dress and equip yourself with the tools you need to handle bad weather!” Perhaps the key question is whether or not we are developing the skills to manage the stuff that life throws our way. Are we becoming more emotionally intelligent, thoughtful and resilient? Are we teaching our children and students how to stand up to difficulties as life navigators and not victims?

I guess what I am trying to say is that shit happens, and sometimes we have to pick up a shovel and scoop the poop in order to clear it off the streets of our minds. In a way, we are just sanitation workers whose job it is to clean our minds of garbage thoughts, create a great purpose to guide our lives, and take actions that support the extraordinary lives we all deserve to live.

I believe we all deserve to live extraordinary lives of success, safety, and happiness. But this belief is not sufficient to make this vision into a reality. Hope and wishes are weak catalysts for change and life enhancement. However, there are strategies we can use to sweep up the shit of our lives, to stop being so invested in who is right or wrong, and to take more responsibility for the well-being of ourselves and everyone else we relate to on a day to day basis.

Here are some tools and strategies we might consider to enhance the success and well-being we all deserve:

1. Create a Vision to live into, something that you look forward to and can actively work toward. For example, my personal vision is to live until at least age 125, become an international bestseller, get my film script made into a movie, and clinically validate my therapeutic model of redesigning the brain for radical life extension. It may take me a while to reach these dreams, but I work towards them every day!

2. Find a Purpose that guides your choices and defines your life. Creativity and contributing to others have become powerful purposes for me, and they motivate me to get out of bed and get going every day.

3. Take some Action, however small, each day toward your vision or life purpose. If you improve just one percent each day in some specific area, you will reap over a 300% ROI in 365 days!

4. Create some close and intimate Relationships for yourself. Humans seem to thrive in close relationships and flounder as loners. We all need someone to confide in and someone with whom we can share our experiences. We need to contribute to others and affirm their personal value, especially when they go through difficult times.

5. Stop taking things Personally. No one is waking up thinking about how to make your life difficult. They have enough difficulty getting past their own troubles. Get a backbone and learn to Teflon yourself against criticisms. Shit happens to everyone and you are not immune. Just be hard on the problem and drop all the personal drama you and others make up when things do not work out the way we expect or desire.

6.  Be Grateful every day for what is working in your life, for example, your ability to take a deep breath, the loved ones close to you, the fact you have a job, any generous action you have taken to help another person. It is the small things that define the quality of our lives, so learn to recognize and appreciate them!

7.  Laugh every day! Don’t wait until things get better; find the humor in your life, and do it now!

8.  Learn to be a Life Navigator, not a victim. You are not the victim of your circumstances. Be a sanitation worker and clean up whatever is in your way and get on with your life vision and purpose.

If you want to learn more about Life Navigation and living a great life, check out my website, books and coaching on navigatingforsuccess.com.