Good Things are Always Happening

Isn't it amazing how much space we give to negativity in our heads? Too often, I allow negative thoughts or worries to take up more headspace than they deserve. Wondering why I do this, I recently read a book by Jon Acuff titled "Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking," which helped me change my outlook. You might be wondering if I Googled "books on overthinking," but actually, I found the book by proximity. I've read several Jon Acuff books and enjoyed them all. One book he wrote, titled "Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done," is a book that I've gifted to several friends. I've even used it as the basis for a strategic planning template that I've been using for a few years now. I like his writing style and sense of humor, so when I was looking for my next book, I started there.

I won't give away too much of either book, but I highly recommend both. One nugget I took from "Soundtracks" was to call out when good things happen. For two weeks, every time something happened that could have gone worse, I would say out loud, "Good things are always happening to me." For example, the rain stopped before I got out of the car on vacation... good things are always happening. We got a new account... good things are always happening. I'm physically okay after hitting a deer... good things are always happening. I said it so much that my wife, who didn't know why I was saying it, became incredibly annoyed with hearing it so often. In hindsight, it may have been a good idea to give her a heads-up about why I was doing it because she was much more understanding after I did. What I learned is that I had many more things going right than going wrong. I also learned that reminding myself of how much was going well consistently improved my overall mood and optimism. My headspace became a math equation. If you subtract a negative, it makes a positive difference.

That leads me to this week's challenge. Let's make every place we go an amazing space where people radiate positivity by always talking about the good things that are happening to them. Be intentional about focusing on the positives in your life and say them out loud so that others can feel good alongside you. I truly believe that if you bring joy, you'll be one of the good things that are always happening.

I’m thankful that you were willing to go to work today, that you took the time to read this, and for being a part of what makes Ag Partners the world’s greatest cooperative! 

Have an amazing day!