Hey, it's Rachel—
I just had an epiphany.
We all know about habits.
But I always thought they were things we do- you know, actions...
...like brushing our teeth or making our bed.
But then I realized that we can have habitual thinking.
It works like this:
Trigger>Thought>Emotion>Action
Often my habitual thinking isn't very productive.
It looks like this:
Trigger> Negative Thought> Negative Emotion> Unproductive Action
Here's a specific example:
I look at the Redfin App and see expensive homes> Think, "I'll never be able to afford a new house!" > Feel sad > Stress eat
While emotions are hard to control, we can (sometimes) control the triggers, but we can always control the thoughts (not easy, but possible with practice).
So I can delete the Redfin app, but since triggers are often outside of our control (and this would rob me of the practice of dealing with negative thoughts), and I am still looking for a house, that wouldn't be very productive.
So, in this case, I need to work on my thoughts by reframing them.
Here's what I can do instead:
Look at the Redfin App and see expensive homes> Think, "I'm so grateful I already own a home" > Feel grateful > Move on with my life
So next time you deal with a thought that doesn't serve you, remember the mind, like a muscle, can be trained and strengthened.
Every thought we choose paves the way for the life we experience.
Our habitual thinking can either anchor us down or set us free.
Just as we cultivate positive habits in our actions, we can cultivate positive habits in our minds.
It's not always the world around us but the world within us that determines our reality.
The next time you encounter a trigger, remember: you hold the power to shape your thoughts and craft the story of your life.
So, be the author of your own narrative, and let it be one of hope, resilience, (a passive income that makes your dream house affordable), and endless possibilities.
In today's email:
I had just returned from a beautiful tropical vacation.
When my co-workers asked how it went, I couldn’t help but highlight what went wrong.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but notice what I was doing.
Despite having a great time, I highlighted what went wrong instead of what went right.
It's counterintuitive, isn't it?
​Continue reading...​
"I have spent a good many years since—too many, I think—being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction and poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that’s all. I’m not editorializing, just trying to give you the facts as I see them."
Stephen King from "On Writing"
Q: I always worry about what people will think when I think about going after my goals or putting myself out there. What should I do?
A: You are not alone. Did you know there are over 300,000 Google searches a month on "imposter syndrome"? It's ironic because we have the ability to get in front of tons of people via social media, but to do this, we have to get over our fears and worries. As Stephen King's quote above shows, no one is immune. But we can all work on strategies to get over this fear and worry and move on with our life in a productive way. Here's how:
Remember, it's natural to feel apprehensive about putting yourself out there. Courage isn't about eliminating fear all together, but acting in the face of it. So go be courageous and watch your confidence grow over time.
Do you have a burning question that you need an answer to related to passive income, personal finance, or positive psychology? If yes, hit reply and send me an email with your question. If you're lucky, I'll answer it in this section of the next newsletter.
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