Day 6: Hard to hardened…

As referenced in blogs past, the BTL Band Zooms together each Friday morning.  It’s treasured time for us to belong and become.  And when one of us misses, the missing is mutual. 

Within those weekly practices of deep listening and deeply connecting, is seems that Day 6 may well be THE most often referred to entry of the entire BBTL book.  This is because, I believe, Day 6 is the most relatable — for the Band AND for every reader of the book.  And while the Band would like to imagine folks have kicked off the new year by enthusiastically reading and feverishly writing through Days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, I’m quite certain there was a universal chorus of, “Amen, brother!” among those reading Day 6 this morning.  Because life is hard!  For everyone.

But if life is hard for everyone, why doesn’t it look hard for everyone?  If everyone’s got their own cross, their own baggage, their own trials and tribulations, why do some make it look easy?  Or at least easier.

Well, I can’t say it any better than Chet says it, so here’s what Chet says  believes  knows:  “Choose what is hard now and life gets easier.  Choose what is easy now and life will, eventually, get harder.”  Fact.

I have learned this lesson the hard way more than once (which is to say I haven’t really learned it.  Or, at least, I haven’t always applied it).  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as ol’ Ben Franklin once put it.  Ben was right.  

So, what’s the recipe for “choosing what is hard now”?   What’s the key to learning AND consistently applying this lesson?  Moving your mindset.  As Chet puts it, moving your mindset from  “life is hard to I am hardened.”  And believe you me, this mindset makeover is an absolute must.  Because your mindset, my friend, sets everything in motion, for better or for worse.  

You see, our mindset dictates our thoughts and our thoughts dictate our response.  And while we can’t always control circumstances, we can always control our response.  But only if we have chosen to do the hard work necessary to first control our mindset – our personal assumptions and beliefs about the world around us.  And if we are uncertain, unclear or unsettled about our beliefs, we will most certainly be unprepared to respond well in our moments of truth –  i.e. life gets hard.

My advice?  Get clear.  Now.  

Take control of your mindset.  Grab a pen and get busy writing about what you believe – what you really believe – about the world;  about life;  about who you are;  and about the principles you value most.  Do this now.  Choose to build your CORE and, in doing so, to move your mindset from “life is hard”  to “I am hardened.”  Do this now.  Remember, an ounce of prevention…