Carol explains why you should make a plan for yourself and commit to it - www.livingnow.com

Remember, a lot of what you perceive as going on actually isn’t. So, be a quality shopper, stop making excuses, and you’ll change your perspective of the world.

Are you the kind of person who sees the glass half full or half empty? Do you experience life as a challenge to be endured or as an opportunity to grow? Let’s say you go to a party with a couple of friends. The next morning you call one of them who proceeds to tell you how awful it was, that the music was terrible, the caterers got it all wrong, and the people were dull. You then call another friend who also accompanied you to the party and they tell you how much they enjoyed it and they even ask for the number of the caterers so they can use them at a future event! Is one of your friends lying? Well actually, they are both right.

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung said that whatever you perceive in other people, situations, or events is simply a projection of yourself. That means that there is never a problem with a person, situation, or event; it’s simply your perception. Your perception is coloured by your values, beliefs, culture, upbringing, language, memories, and experiences.

Be a quality shopper

It’s easy to miss something you are not looking for and it’s an unfortunate fact that we often pay attention to what’s wrong rather than what’s right. For instance, maybe you get noticed when you are late for work and nobody seems to care about all the times you’ve stayed late.

So what are you looking for that’s right in the world around you? Are you noticing and appreciating the positive behaviour of those you spend time with?

I’d like to encourage you to be a quality shopper. After all, when you go to the supermarket do you look for the fruit and vegetables that are discoloured, over-ripe, and going off? Of course not, you pick the fruit and vegetables that are ripe, juicy, and tasty. So be a quality shopper in life and look for the best!

Your world is your mirror

The late Steven Covey said, “We do not see the world as the world is, we see the world as we are.” So just for a moment, consider what your life looks like right now – Are you happy? Is it the way you want it?

Your outer world acts as a beautiful mirror to what you choose to think, and your outer world is a good indicator that you may need to change your thoughts.

Wendy is an experienced coach and shared that one of her clients (let’s call him Peter in the interest of confidentiality), had a challenging relationship with his father. Peter felt that his father was arrogant and controlling, so much so that Peter did not even want his own children to get to know their grandfather. Wendy simply reminded him that what he perceived and saw in his father was simply a reflection of himself. Peter was shocked to realise that he was behaving just like his father. By not allowing his sons to get to know their grandfather he was being arrogant and controlling. It was a huge wake-up call for Peter.

When you push your problems away from yourself onto other people,   events, and situations, you are also pushing away the solutions. It’s just another form of making excuses. So stop making excuses, stop projecting it outside yourself. Bring the problem back inside, and there you can tackle it and change it.

Remember, a great deal of what you perceive as going on out there in the world actually isn’t. You have the ability to change your perspective of your world as well as the people and situations in it.