I have always liked positive quotes, uplifting poems, and anything written that motivated me. I’d jot down things that I heard on post-it notes and stick them on my refrigerator, the dashboard of my car, on the headboard of my bed, or the mirror in my bathroom. I’ve read anything I could get my hands on from authors like Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Dr. Wayne Dyer, or Tony Robbins. I’ve read hundreds of books, listened to countless hours of cassette tapes, CD’s, and downloaded audio programs, and have attended seminars all over the country.
Most people put this kind of information under the category of motivational material. Others call it self-help. I think the description that I prefer most, and the one that I think describes this genre of information the best, is personal growth. You can call it what you want… self-help, motivational, personal growth, or whatever… but the key is to know that the information you subject yourself to matters. What you read, hear, and see is what shapes your moods, your beliefs, and ultimately who and what you become.
Every day… all day… you are being influenced by your environment. And we can’t control for every factor when it comes to what we read, hear, and see. We inevitably spend time with others that dump negativity on us, read articles that lead us down darker paths, and hear news stories that leave us feeling fearful, angry, or just plain bad. While we have a great deal of control over the materials we read, the information we listen to, and the people we surround ourselves with, we are bombarded with negative and destructive information that comes in from sources that we cannot control, from people we cannot avoid, and in ways we don’t always realize.
So, what do we do? Do we let ourselves get overwhelmed with that negativity? Do we let our emotions sway like a thin branch in the wind? Do we let that garbage influence who we are and what we believe? Absolutely not! One of my favorite quotes, and one that I think is among the most powerful, is from Jim Rohn… “Every day, stand guard at the door of your mind.”
It is important to think about those words. It may be the best piece of advice you ever get. As humans, we have a unique ability to take information that comes to us, and decide what to do with it. We have a split second when we can allow what we see, read, or hear to either enter our mind, or we can simply dismiss it. And the better we get at dismissing the useless, manipulative, and damaging information… and absorbing the uplifting, positive, self-improving information… the better men and women we become, and the better, more meaningful and impactful lives we will live.
I’ve often wondered if we have gotten a little carried away with positive quotes and messages, as you will now see them on framed pictures throughout homes, on desk calendars, magnets, and screen savers, and even t-shirts. You’ll see phrases like Be kind… Never stop believing… You got this… Never quit… and Choose happy. You’ll even see single words, such as Hope… Smile… Family… and Grateful. I now not only believe it to be okay, and not goofy, but absolutely essential. We need all the help we can get. In this day and age, as we get bombarded with information in record amounts, at record speeds, we MUST be as careful as ever in regards to what information we allow into our minds… and what we block out.
It is critical for us to avoid the fake and damaging news, the censored and manipulative social media, and the people that we know bring us down. We need to unsubscribe to the stuff that provokes negativity, fear, anger, and division. It is also critical for us choose books, articles, and news that elevates us, empowers us, and makes us better. We need to spend our precious and limited time with people that bring us joy, make us feel good, and enrich our lives. We must control the information that we expose ourselves to as much as possible, and properly manage the information that comes in that is out of our control. We MUST stand guard at the door of our minds! And we MUST do that every day!
