Sometime’s nothing is wrong, exactly.
On the surface, everything is okay. We’ve navigated the latest crisis, averted disaster in our business, our kids are squared away and things are, well, normal.
We’re not in the middle of some trauma, drama, tragedy, or other massive thing. It’s a quiet time.
And yet, sometimes we feel a growing restlessness, an uncertainty that we’re not sure what we should be doing. Or worse, we get lulled into thinking that it’s always going to be this way.
Here are three observations for what to do during these “normal” times:
Be aware that massive things do happen to essentially everyone at some point. As Chris Voss has written, when the pressure is on we do not rise to the occasion, but rather we fall to our highest level of preparation. So, using normal times to develop a plan for what to do when things change is wise, because the time to practice is before the game starts. Having a plan in place is not pessimism; it’s wisdom. See my book Hope Is the First Dose for a plan for what to do when life gets hard.
Practice gratitude that you’re in a quiet time, and remember that in previous hardships, you likely prayed for such a time as this. Gratitude helps us reframe our experience from boredom to blessing. This little bit of self-brain surgery will dramatically change your mood and help you see every moment that you’re not struggling in some way as a gift.
Just because things are quiet for you does not mean they are quiet for everyone. If you’ve found peace and made progress by learning the power of self-brain surgery, look to pass on those tools to others who may be dealing with something right now. Remember that helping other people rewire their brains reinforces your own resilience, teaches you to hardwire those skills more deeply into your life, and creates community that will be helpful to you the next time your massive things comes along.
This month is All-In August! Go check out the podcast if you haven’t gotten started. Here’s the link:
We’re going all in on believing that we have the tools to change our minds and change our lives. Living from a mind-down perspective changes everything, and it helps us harness the transforming changes to our lives that the Bible promises in Romans 12.
The neuroscience is on your side, my friend. When things feel normal or like there’s not a lot of momentum in your life, just take a minute to be grateful, make a plan, and look for someone else to help. Your brain will become more resilient and you’ll feel more hopeful, and you’ll shine the light of hope to others who need it.
And the good news is, you can start today.
I’d love to hear from you if you’re finding this series helpful; drop a voicemail or reply to this email and let me know!
By the way, if you think these lessons are valuable, please consider sharing this with friends. If you share with three or more people and they sign up, you can get free access to my paid subscriber content!
Are you with us? Reply to this post and say, “I’m all in,” or leave a voicemail and tell us.
Lisa and I are praying for you.
Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope),
Lee
Psalm 71:14 ("As for me, I will always have hope.")
From the banks of the North Platte river on Moon River Ranch in Nebraska, USA
Don’t forget that you can get the recent podcast archive with transcripts of all recent episodes by clicking the button below.
I am all in. You mentioned the book Pollyanna your podcast last week. I just read it, I am “glad” now, thanks to you.
Fantastic read today! Thank you!!