Work

It's not often that I mention my job, but it is a big portion of my life and I think it is worth mentioning. I work for a great organization (IACA) in Blackfoot, Wade and I also borrower money from them for our cattle and hay operation. IACA is a very open minded company when it comes to employees, their families and education. I am always willing to go to a training or learn something new, which more times than not has got me a new project or "title." This week I was able to attend a seminar in Pocatello and it was really good, I only thought I was going to fall asleep once and it was only for about 3 or 4 minutes, so it doesn't really count! The whole seminar was based on communication, which I do a lot of both at work and at home, so it was very interesting to me. I would be willing to say that I had several "ah-haaaa" moments on some pretty basic stuff that is a little embarrassing, so that's right, I am going to talk about them!

1. The instructor asked, "Do some people make you mad?" The whole room says, "yes, all the time, etc." He says, "No they don't, you are in control of you. You are the one that decided to get mad." Ah-haaa #1 - Um so as much as it pains me to admit that this was a "moment" for me, IT REALLY WAS! So true if you stop to think about it. I am not saying that we should smile and let everyone run us over like a dog, but that we should be questioning ourselves more and deciding if getting mad is really the best thing to do, does it help the situation or does it just make YOU feel better at that moment? Does it do any good to yell?
2. In a recent study, part of a basketball team practiced free throws everyday for 30 minutes, the other part visualized a perfect swish everyday for 5 minutes and the other part did nothing. At the end the players that practiced shot 24% better, the players that visualized shot 23% better and the players that did nothing shot slightly worse. What is the moral to all of this? Ah-haaa #2 - VISUALIZING is so powerful, our minds are so amazing! Think about it.
3. Saying stuff out loud is extremely powerful too. For example, if you are a smoker. Say to yourself repeatedly during the day, "I do not smoke, I am not a smoker, I do not like to smoke." This will aid in breaking your smoking habit. Ahaaaaa #3 - For myself and my current situation I would say several things, but for example, "I do not like sweets, I do not eat sweets." Simple right? You may sound crazy, but if it works and makes the transition easier, who really cares?
4. To go along with #3 it actually takes 30 - 40 days of a repeated behavior to "reprogram or change" your mind and actions. Ahaaaa #4 - In short, if you want to kick a bad habit or start a good habit, you have to do it everyday for 30 - 40 days in order to get it to stick in your mind/body. That is why most recovery programs are 30 or more days. If you skip day 19, you start over the next day with #1, it has to be consecutive days.
5. Last but not least, did you know your body can store 4 times more negative energy than positive energy? Ahaaa #5 - no wonder it's so hard to stay cheerful everyday. The chips are stacked against you. Who cares, I like a good challenge.

Making ourselves happy is a mental challenge. All the negativity we hear every hour, every day it is so easy to fall into the trap. What if every one of us made the commitment to not say or do anything negative for 1 hour per day? I don't know about anyone else, but I could stand to be less negative. And I could stand to hear less negativity from others. Negativity is like a dark cloud that forms and shadows our lives, it dampens our spirits and darkens our days. Life is too short.

I started Facebook a few short months ago and just last weekend saw for the first time a negative comment that was directed at my family and truly meant to hurt us. First thing I felt was shame on that person for being that childish. The second thing I thought was, what a jerk. The third thing I did was comment back, "Oh ******, really. Sad." I thought that made me feel better, but in fact I had only stooped to his childish level and became negative all at the same time. I have not been on Facebook since. It in a way hurt my feelings, what a baby huh? Before the Facebook posting we had a disagreement with this gentlemen that posted on Facebook. And I was really upset for a couple days and felt bad that we wouldn't be close to him and his family. Then I received word that a wonderful family that we know had lost their 5 year old granddaughter and after I quit hysterically sobbing I realized, I have my kids, my husband, my parents, my in-laws, my brother (sister-in-law), grandparents, nieces and nephews right here in Blackfoot, I am so blessed, so lucky, what does it really matter that one guy is mad at us?

It doesn't.

"I've see a great many worries in my time... and some of them even happened." - Mark Twain