Keeping a positive attitude was growing more challenging each day. The people of the world were being told to stay home and there was no telling how long it would last. Ambulance sirens could be heard several times a day and the daily news cycles were as grim as they could be. I’d recently been learning about the power of focus and I knew how important it would be to apply them now.

For years I’ve known that happiness is a choice. It’s just a matter of what you choose to observe, and what you choose to think about it. It’s a matter of focus. I could choose to observe they way that people were coming together to face this new challenge. I could choose to observe that beautiful weather we were having. The sky was very blue and it was warm enough to get out and walk every day. It was tough not to observe the ambulance sirens. They were very loud but instead of focusing on the fact that someone needed the ambulance, I could appreciate that such a service even exists. “I’m appreciative that people can get the care that they need.” Repeating that every time I heard an ambulance dramatically changed my outlook.

Everyone knew a recession was about to occur. I still remember the last one and how long it took me to feel financially secure. With no idea what would happen with my job I was beginning to think about survival. It sucked. I’m not a fan of the word “survive.” To me that word means to live in fear of loss. Living that way does not work for me. I deserve better. We all deserve better. It was a beautiful day so I went for a walk, and on that walk I decided that I’m not going to survive, I’m going to thrive!

I was beginning to remember stories I’d heard of people who actually made money in the last recession. I was remembering stories of people who began new careers, even as unemployment was climbing. I remembered hearing how the recession was a great time to invest in the stock market / invest in a new venture / invest in anything. It made sense. We were at the bottom and the only place to go was up. 

The biggest lesson I’d learned from these downturn wonder people was that anyone can succeed at anytime, as long as they have the mindset. The success mindset basically requires a person to feel successful before they have the money, the property, the fame, etc. The success mindset, for me, meant ignoring the negativity of today, and focusing on the prosperity of tomorrow. 

Focus was key. I knew I needed less focus on the things I could not control, and all of the focus on the things that were in my control. For a while that meant limiting exposure to the news and to social media. There’s of course value in staying informed but what I learned was that staying informed really didn’t take more than about 5-10 minutes a day. I decided that my focus would be mostly on my own wellbeing, taking care of my home, and dreaming about my desired future. 

The future in my dreams is pretty awesome. It’s filled with confidence, happiness, and some really nice things. My dreams are going to come true. I know because I’m not the first person to dare to dream big and I won’t be the last. Also, there’s actually a formula for making a dream come true. Intention > Inspiration > Action > Results > Learning > Repeat = Dream Come True!

To make my dream come true I needed to describe it in detail. What would my life be like and how would it make me happy? 

Next came inspiration, which is the driver of action. With inspiration, motivation isn’t forced, it’s a given. Inspiration also leads to the appropriate action. You know the action is right because the thought of the action is accompanied by a great feeling of clarity and excitement. They way to find inspiration is to get away from negativity. Mute it all out temporarily. This allows pressure and distraction to subside. Focus is very important and needs to be only on what is happening presently in your quiet space. What does the air smell like? What are you sitting on and how does it feel? Take deep breaths and exhale. Listen to your breathing. It’s basically a process of mindful meditation. The point is to relax, find peace, and be happy. In this state of mind, you can find inspiration. 

Inspiration leads to action. You just know that what you’re doing is right and you are excited about doing it. The action isn’t forced, it’s a given.

Action produces results that are either desired or not desired. If the results are desired, continue to fine tune the action. If the results are not desired, find out why and act in a different way. 

Repeat this process without end. That is the formula for making a dream come true. It’s how I’m making my dream come true, and how I’ll help others do the same…

—continued next week—

-Mike Humphreys