No, not trying to be mean. I once shared with an audience the story about the “Pig of Happiness” by Edward Monkton. This is a short story written and illustrated as a gift card, but the story line is profound.
It is about a pig who decides to stop being like all other pigs. He chooses to become happy. When all the others around him are fussing about the weather, their conditions, and life in general, he decides to be “happy” instead. He goes about spreading this light among all the barnyard animals. Pretty soon a funny thing happens. The whole barnyard gets happy. Things make a huge turnaround.
As simple as this story is, it reflects a serious lesson for all of us. Regardless of circumstance, there is a choice you can make daily. Do you choose to be happy or not? Circumstance and bank account should never impact true, real happiness. We CAN be happy regardless of the situation. Are you a happy pig?
So much of my coaching involves resetting mindsets. These are attitudes and opinions that can take root in a person’s soul. You can guess that most are negative. There is a tendency to focus on the bad things that have happened rather than the good that does occur.
I stay amazed at how hard it is for people to embrace the goodness and blessings in their life; the little victories that happen all the time. Rather they choose to highlight the bad things.
What About Problems?
The problem is not the problem. It is about the way we choose to look at the problem. Stuff happens, right? It happens to all of us. Things don’t go as we hoped, yet we store the experience of the moment in one of two ways.
Either we learn from the situation, taking away valuable lessons. This is a choice for growth and a big reason to be happy. You learned something!
Or we log it as a “Yep, you see. Bad things always happen to me.” What a sad choice this one is.
Snowball Effect
Momentum is a powerful force. Think of the large flywheel on a machine. It takes a lot to get it turning, but once it is in motion, it takes even more to stop it. The same is true in business and in life.
When your momentum begins moving in the right direction, you become an unstoppable force in your own sphere of influence. People can’t get enough of you.
Unfortunately, the same holds true of negative momentum. Keep thinking bad thoughts and the clouds get darker and darker.
Brain science experts tell us that our brain will hard wire itself based on the various synapse that fire together. A synapse is the gap between two nerves. Repetitive thought patterns make the synapse connect in a hardwired sort of way. Once they hard wire, it is very difficult to change our mindset because the hard wire path is the default setting of that part of the brain.
Attraction
Oh and by the way, once you make your own decision for happiness, did you know it attracts others? Try it out for a while and see what you find.
Happy pigs make big changes in the world. Smiling is contagious. Genuine happiness can be a beautiful addition to an otherwise dismal world.
What do you want to choose today. Are you a happy pig?
If you would like to talk about your thoughts on this important mental attitude, join me on a free introductory call.
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