For a long time, it felt like everything was happening to me.
- Schedule changes.
- Unexpected bills.
- Things breaking around the house.
- Stress at work.
- Bad news on TV.
- Negative posts on social media.
Every time I turned around, it seemed like there was another problem waiting for me.
The more I focused on those things, the more frustrated I became. Before long, I found myself expecting something to go wrong.
They’re just life
But lately I’ve started looking at things differently.
A lot of those things aren’t actually happening to me.
They’re just life.
- Everyone deals with schedule changes.
- Everyone gets surprise bills.
- Everyone faces setbacks, disappointments, and bad days.
The difference is how we choose to respond to them.
As Beth and I continue our midlife reset, we’re trying to take a more positive approach to life. We’re both tired of having a glass-half-empty attitude. We want to focus on what is going right instead of constantly dwelling on what isn’t.
That doesn’t mean we’re pretending life is perfect.
It isn’t.
- We’re still working on our health.
- We’re still working on our finances.
- We’re still learning how to balance opposite schedules and make time for each other.
But we’re choosing to believe things can get better instead of assuming they won’t.
Protecting the mindset
One of the biggest changes I’m making is being more selective about who and what I allow into my life.
I’m cutting out as much negativity as possible.
That doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else. It simply means I’m trying to protect the mindset I’m working so hard to build.
Negative people have a way of draining your energy. Constant complaining becomes contagious. Before long, you start seeing the world through the same negative lens.
I don’t want that anymore.
I want to surround myself with people who are trying to improve their lives. People who encourage others. People who believe change is possible.
Because I truly believe positivity is the foundation for everything else I’m trying to accomplish.
- If I can improve my mindset, it becomes easier to stay on track with my eating.
- It becomes easier to exercise.
- It becomes easier to make better financial decisions.
- It becomes easier to be a better husband, son, friend, and coworker.
This feels like the first real step in restarting my life in my late 40s.
Two questions I’m practicing
When negative thoughts show up—and they still do—I’m trying to catch them before they take over.
Instead of asking, “Why me?”
I’m trying to ask, “What can I learn from this?”
Instead of saying, “I can’t.”
I’m trying to say, “I can figure it out.”
Will I get it right every day?
Probably not.
But if I can be a little more positive today than I was yesterday, that’s progress.
And right now, progress is exactly what this reset is all about.