Kicking Your Own Butt: The Art of the Instant Attitude Shift

(From the book “Kick Your Own Butt”)
Our attitudes EITHER hold us back OR propel us forward. Which is it for you — right now? Tough question. “Kick your own butt” by taking personal responsibility for answering that question with total honesty.
Is your attitude one of self-defeat, victim mentality, subservience, or minority hopelessness? Or are you living a different attitude — of winning, of survival, of victory? Are you looking at yourself as the persecuted minority, or as the powerful new majority?
To change your attitude, start by understanding that we all have a story that we tell ourselves about what has happened up to this moment. How we view our own story can instantly change our whole perception of our life and ourselves.
For years I lived the ???poor-me-my-dad-abandoned-me-when-I-was-young” story. Then one day I stopped and asked myself what my life would be like if he was around. Would I be who I am today?
Once I answered that question honestly, I realized: ???I love who I am ??? without my story I wouldn???t be me!??? The story had a totally different meaning than I had understood. I literally rewrote the story on paper, with the new meaning, and my attitude instantly shifted.
* Write your own ???story??? — the one that makes you angry, depressed, or frustrated. The one that says ???if only.??? The one that you???ve nurtured an used as an excuse not to take action to look for opportunity in the present situation.
* Maybe you don???t have a college degree, aren???t rich, aren???t tall and thin. What is YOUR excuse story? Write it down.
* Or talk it into a tape recorder.
* Now read it over (or listen to it) and identify all the ???victim??? or ???poor me language.??? Then CHANGE the language to ???winner??? language.
* Make the story about how you overcame the odds to succeed in reaching this moment — instead of how something held you back.
The point is to REWRITE your personal story, so it???s about your survival and your willingness to embrace what???s actually happening RIGHT NOW. Then repeat the new story to yourself … each and every day!