One of the most exciting aspects of personal growth is that we can unlock vast potential by changing how we think.
I can’t easily make myself smarter, physically gifted, or better looking—but changing my mind’s inner dialogue is well within my grasp, and that alone can lead to amazing positive changes in my life.
In my freshman year of high school, the thought of running a mile was like imagining myself not eating for an entire day. While I knew it was possible, it sounded grossly uncomfortable and was not something I’d choose to do.
A year later, though, I found myself on the cross-country team running miles each day. After another year, I was jogging up to 10 miles at a time, and running had become an integral part of my identity.
If that’s not a lesson in the power of our minds to hold us back or propel us forward, I don’t know what is.
Sure, I probably never had the talent to be an Olympic runner—that kind of outcome requires a truly special gift. But most of us aren’t aiming for elite-level performance in our lives. We’re trying to be happy and satisfied and kind—and most of all we want to see progress in the areas that matter to us.
5 Scripts for Cultivating Positive Change
‘I Can Do Hard Things’
Believing you can stick with a difficult task and that it won’t be overwhelming is a powerful psychological advantage. Some people think they can do hard things, but they don’t really have any evidence in mind, and so they’re only believing in a generality.‘I’ll Get Started Today’
For much of my life, I’ve been the “I’ll get started tomorrow” kind of guy. Though just a beat away from “I’ll get started today,” it’s enough to send you down a path of never-ending tomorrows. In my experience, tomorrow never arrives, because when you say tomorrow, you can always push it back just one more tomorrow.‘I Don’t Have to Be Perfect’
Often times when I feel stuck in life, it’s because I’m endlessly looping options in my mind. These choices almost always are relatively minor and indistinguishable without more information—yet my desire for a perfect plan keeps me from making a firm decision.‘I’ll Focus on What I Can Control’
We can slow ourselves down by wasting time and energy on aspects of life outside our influence. Sure, these are often important pieces that will impact our future, but since we can’t actually change anything, we’re far better off focusing on the areas where our efforts can make a difference.‘I Can Strike Up a Conversation With Anyone’
One of my more controversial opinions is that shy people should try to be more outgoing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being introverted, it’s just that so many of life’s greatest pleasures are wrapped up in relationships. Those relationships are far more accessible to people willing to put themselves out there.The best group to start with is the people you’re already familiar with but haven’t talked to much—neighbors, coworkers, and extended relatives who are in your orbit, but not quite friends yet. Realizing you can talk to anyone is a superpower I believe anyone can cultivate. At first, it might feel a little awkward, but that will quickly fade away with practice.