Not so long ago I took a contract assignment helping a company move from one system to another. It was quite a change. The current system wasn't working terribly well. A series of work arounds had been developed, which inevitably relied on a few highly technical and capable people knowing from experience what to do.

OK so you think a new system would have been welcomed right? Well not really. Not when you dived deep into the workings of the business and talked to people on the ground. Those who had to interact and deal with real customers either face-to-face or by phone were disengaged with the upcoming new system. They felt left out of the process and, in some cases, were outright negative. Perversely some I suspect were hoping it all turned to custard.

Looking back on it I think one of the most important roles I made for myself was to just be positive. I said over and over again "it will work and it will be great". And I didn't just say it, I truely believed that was the case. Helped by a video I had seen called "The Secret" (maybe a future blog on this) I thought of nothing else but the new system working and working well. 

And so things changed. Not overnight but slowly and surely. Negativity became less common place. The buzz of activity, discussion and planning increased as staff turned from being largely disinterested to getting actively involved. And you know what . . . ? It was a whole lot of fun. And yes the system worked.

I actively seek to make the first thing I think or say something nice. Its so much more fun and rewarding - and it makes whoever you are talking to feel good about themselves. Some may say that you risk being overly positive which in turn may exacerbate problems that otherwise could be dealt with straight away. I just don't buy that argument. We have choices - we can fix (or eliminate) what's wrong or we can encourage (or grow) what's right. And the latter surely is a happier place for us all to end up . . .

I invite you to stop and think before you open your mouth to anyone today - and come out with something nice as the first thing you say. 

Someone called Thich Nhat Hanh said this and i think its pretty cool.

Mindfulness is very "in" at the moment. There are quotes and articles everywhere. There was even an piece in the newspaper about a school somewhere in New Zealand that is modelling its curriculum on mindfulness. 

Like anything, concepts like mindfulness can get hijacked. Learned people provide their own opinions and somehow what is actually a jolly simple and straight forward concept ends up being a spiritual buzzword. So what is mindfulness?

To me, mindfulness is about enjoying the journey. Kissing the earth with your feet is thinking about the act of walking and being. Not the act of getting somewhere. Very different . . . I am going to do practice this more starting from tomorrow. Driving into work is going to be a beautiful experience . . . !

Believe it or not, Jamie takes a week out every month to reflect on stuff. Well that was at the time of writing his book. His ethos is that this helps him grow, both spiritually and financially. By taking regular time off he can evaluate where he is going in life and therefore help to keep him on track to achieve his goals. 

I' not sure whether this is an extreme example. But I love the philosophy. Years ago I planned a time out weekend. Just for me. Off I went to stay in a country cottage about an hour from where I live. I developed a strict regimen of thinking, exercising, planning my life. meditation etc etc. And I absolutely adored it. I came back on a high. My mission statement was refreshed (refer to earlier post) and I had developed a plan of action for the next few weeks. I felt centred and calm. And I vowed to make this a regular event.

Well rather than chastise myself for not following through with my vow, instead I am already planning my next time out event. Just for me. To reflect, think, dream and plan. I like what Edward de Bono says about needing to break out of established patterns to fuel our creativity. It only requires a determination and will to make it happen.