I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins (affiliate link) – I know his constantly up, overpowering personality can be off-putting to some, but listening to one of his talks or watching his videos never fails to motivate and inspire me, and his work has helped me to make some real, positive changes in my life.
One of the things he talks about is the power of questions. The theory is – if you ask yourself a crappy question, you’ll get a crappy answer.
“Why do I always screw up?”
Because you are a screw up!
A better question to ask yourself would be:
“How can I do better next time?”
How about a little more preparation, maybe some follow through… hey, how about asking someone who has done this before?
Using Gratitude
Tony – along with just about every personal development teacher out there – recommends using gratitude to keep yourself focused on the good in your life, rather than getting mired in what you percieve to be not going as well as you want it to.
Here’s the problem I’ve had with gratitude… what if you don’t feel frickin’ grateful? There’s just too much “bad” going on, it’s overshadowing the good, and nothing you look at is filled with roses and rainbows and pink unicorns?
Some will tell you “Just act as if! Start saying you are grateful for things, and you’ll start to get the feelings.”
That does work… sometimes. And sometimes, like with affirmations, you just know you are lying to yourself… so now you’re an ungrateful liar as well! Thanks, gurus!
The Most Powerful Question
So for about the past week or so, I’ve been using the following question that I first got from Tony’s “Ultimate Edge” program:
“What could I be grateful for if I really wanted to be?“
Hmmm…
Well, I suppose I could be grateful for my job. It may not be my ultimate dream, but it sure is a good vehicle for financing my goals. And I suppose I could be grateful for my car – it does run. Hey, I didn’t notice that tree before – that sure looks nice over there. It’s pretty amazing that me and it are exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide right now.
All that… and now I’m grateful for not lying to myself!
(Hey… is that a pink unicorn over there?)
What could you be grateful for, if you really wanted to be?
[full disclosure: I do have a material connection/affiliate relationship to the Anthony Robbins Companies]
Similar Posts:
- Gratitude Lists
- Never Perfect
- Pointers To Resources For Your Better Life #7
- Wisdom of Gratitude
- What’s Right With You?