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DEVELOP A THEME FOR THE DAY

A number of years ago I experimented with this strategy and found that whenever I would do it, I would inevitably have a pretty good day. What’s more, it’s really easy and it only takes a few seconds.

The idea here is to spend a few moments each morning deciding on a theme for the day. The simple act of declaring the goal seems to plant a mental seed and have the suggestive power to make it happen, at least to some degree. If you try it, I think you’ll be quite surprised at the results. What seems to happen is that you will notice yourself being more patient (or whatever other theme you have going). You’ll also notice those times when you’re not being so patient. Having a theme brings the issue to your consciousness.

For example, the last time I had “patience” as my theme for the day, the telephone repair person was over an hour late, and I was getting really bothered. Then, all of a sudden, I caught myself and remembered my theme. The result was that instead of getting too uptight and stressed, I was able to nip my emotions in the bud. I calmly called the phone company and asked them to hurry up. The person on the phone sensed that I wasn’t being too demanding or unreasonable and was able to get someone out to help me fairly quickly.

Other possible themes might include kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness, listening, humor, eye contact, forgiveness, friendliness, understanding, optimism, concentration, perspective, and lightheartedness. You can choose anything that you feel might make your day a little better. Try each of these and many others. See which ones make a difference. You can get on a rotation or simply make them up as you go.

Sixteen-year-old Maraca decided to have a one-day theme of gratitude. He said it was the strangest thing. The simple act of deciding to make gratitude a part of his day made his day among the best he had ever had. He said he noticed more things about his life to be grateful for than at any other time. He even thanked a girl for coming to his rescue in class when he was asked a question. He’d never realized that simply being appreciative to someone could lead to a nice discussion over lunch and a possible new girlfriend. Who knows what gifts may present themselves?