Hi there, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I'm grateful that you have chosen to take a few minutes out of your busy day to build your mental fitness.

The power of ideas, and I mean your personal ideas.

Your personal philosophy and beliefs about life, are the lenses by which you see and interpret your life. Imagine going to a football game with a 1000 other people. 500 of them are going to leave that stadium elated, and joyful, the other 500 will leave deflated, angry, and sad.

Why? What is the difference? Is it the event... is it the circumstance?

The objects or circumstances of our lives are not the cause of our happiness or unhappiness... the way we feel about those objects or circumstances - what your mind thinks about those events or circumstances - is the cause of your happiness or unhappiness

In other words, happiness or unhappiness is an inner response, to external events or circumstances. I know I just kind of jumped head first into this profound philosophical discussion... I mean I didn't even prep you for what was about to go down, but here we are, talking about the deep things... the meaningful things of life.

I'm telling you this because I believe that the quotes that I'll share here today, and that I'll share throughout the next few weeks, are potentially transformational. Meaning that I believe they have the power to enlighten your lenses, and to improve your inner response, to the external events of your life.

I believe that the ultimate outcome of these ideas that I will share with you, will fill you with increased perspective, hope, optimism, motivation, and energy for you to continue onward and upward regardless of your past, current, and future challenges. I know I'm talking big, and I hope I can back it up. You ready? Let's go!

Quote #1

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. -Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl stated that in his incredible book "Man's Search For Meaning." This is one of the key concepts in all of psychology, and honestly in life. This is meant to be an empowering and motivating realization about our relationship to life and the events of our life.

This quote is concerned with our ability to influence and impact our life.

There are other quotes that are similar to this one that I love as well.

It is your decisions, not your conditions that determine your destiny. -Tony Robbins

And

The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. -Russel Nelson

I realize that some of these quotes may feel like an insult to some of you. They are not meant to be that. These ideas are not meant to trap, or offend, or critique your current circumstance, instead they are mean to give you hope that there is something that you can do, something that you can try, a perspective that you can begin to consider, that you can indeed change how things feel to you... the impact that events have on you, by simply changing the way you perceive those events.

By doing that, you'll begin a positive domino effect in your life, that will help you to feel more hopeful, optimistic, and resilient in the face of pain, tragedy, and trauma. Faith, hope, and optimism are powerful tools and important assets to help you build our mental and emotional fitness and endurance. So pay attention to that space... the space between what happens to you, and what you do... that space, is your ability to choose... to craft, to decide what things mean to you.

Remember that you are a meaning making machine... don't ever believe that you aren't. The next two quotes that I'll share with you, will help you, to give an empowering meaning to the circumstances of your life.

Quote #2

Every moment prepares you for the very next moment -Nelson Mendela

Let me frame this quote by briefly telling you a story. Nelson Mendela, who I'm sure you're familiar with who he is, and his pretty remarkable story. In a quick summary, Nelson mandela was a revolutionary in south Africa, who wanted to abolish apartheid, which was a system of racism. He also wanted to regain independence from the Britsh Empire who at that time was occupying south africa.

Because of his actions, he was iimprisioned for 27 years in a hard labor camp in south africa. When Nelson was released he became President of South Africa. Later on, Nelson was interviewed by a reporter who asked him "how did you handle the injustice, how did you handle the suffering?" To that Nelson responded "what suffering? It was preparation!"

Look, Nelson Mandela is not a perfect person, and regardless of whether you agree with his actions or political leanings, that statement is powerful, and speaks to his ability to own that space... that space that sits between what happens to you, and how you respond. In this case, Nelson Mendela owned that space, and called it preparation for something bigger and better, and that changed everything.

There are a couple of other quotes that speak to our ability to label the events of our lives in powerful and enriching ways. One of those, and it is one of my favorites is this

All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good

And another one that I shared in a previous text with you is the idea that

Whatever is happening to you, is the best possible thing that could happen to you.

Now once again, i want to be cognizant and sensitive to people's circumstances. I know that many of you who are listening to this may be questioning the validity of these quotes, or may even be hurt or offended by these quotes. My friend, I'm not attempting to change your mind or certainly minimizing the hurt, trauma, or tragedies that you have been an eyewitness of, or victimized by, but I am suggesting that you give these ideas a chance.

My hope is that you will believe that within every experience are the seeds of growth, understanding, wisdom, and enlightenment. I realize that this is a bold and courageous doctrine, to believe that in the end, all circumstances provide us with valuable experience that can be synthesized for our good and advantage. Let it marinate inside your mind for a moment, and see if there isn't truth to it. Thank you.

Quote #3

Your brain and body will learn to do anything and everything you consistently ask them to do. -Iuri Melo

The better we understand our relationship to our brain and body, the better we will be able to utilize it for our benefit. The first thing you must know is that your brain is amoral. That simply means that your brain is not interested in creating good or bad habits... your brain is just interested in creating habits and patterns. In fact this is all that your brain will do from the moment you are born, to the day you die.

It is always creating patterns.

Our job, as conscious and deliberate beings, is to guide our brain to make good habits and life enhancing patterns. The quicker you realize your job as the architect, the more in control you will feel, and the more empowered you will feel to recognize ineffective and unhelpful patterns, and engage your body and brain to create better, more hopeful, empowering, and effective personal and relationship habits.

I realize the biology of things... things that come naturally to us... predispositions to having shorter tempers, or tendencies to act in certain ways. I also recognize that many people, at no fault of their own, are victimized or traumatized by others and circumstances.

I hope you feel my heart and know that I mean no harm here, but that I'm simply letting you know that even though many things may have happened in your life, that you can have an impact, you can influence your biology, your trauma, the events of your life, and teach your brain and body to respond in better and more effective ways.

Whether it's at work, with your spouse, with your children, on the road, or by yourself, with patience, let's train that brain and body of yours to do things that are helpful, that promote trust, kindness, and goodness.

My friend, my simple hope today was to help you move toward a realization that we cannot just be victims of our circumstances or of other people's behaviors. We cannot throw away the power we have to influence and impact the circumstances of our lives.

As you expand that space, between the circumstances of your life, and your response to those circumstances, and as you populate that space with a powerful psychology, then you will be able to more easily control your responses and actions.

What are some of your favorite quotes? Thanks for joining me today, and I hope that these ideas are liberating and empowering to you.

Have a stellar week.