10 Powerful Ideas to Post in Your Mind

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As many of you know, I’m always trying to expand my mind and learn from others. Over the years, I’ve encountered several key thoughts that I try to live by. I’m not always successful in living by them, and it’s definitely not always easy. But I think the following 10 Powerful Ideas to Post in Your Mind are worth pursuing.

What do you think? Are there two or three that especially resonate with you? Do you have additional strategies to help you down your path toward success? I’d love to start a conversation in the comments about the notion of self-awareness.

What are our limitations, and how can we overcome them to reach our full potential?

10 Powerful Ideas

1. There is no perfect life, perfect day, perfect performance, perfect vacation — these are myths that exist only in the mind. I will savor perfect moments as they come and realize they coexist with the messy, complex, and painful. Life is full of wonder and I will enjoy all that I can!

2. When I have a concern, I will do what is in my power and then let go of the rest, allowing myself a peaceful heart.

3. When my thoughts return again and again to upsetting events, images, conversations, or fears I can put up a stop sign in my mind. I choose where my mind goes and will replace paralyzing obsessing with ideas that comfort, inspire, and empower.

4. On a subconscious level, I expect all traffic lights to be short, grocery lines to go fast, children to be obedient and respectful all the time, holidays to go perfectly, friends to know just what to say, and the rain to always wait till after sundown….and then I am disappointed 100 times a day! Ask–What was I expecting? It’s a paradox; expect less and I’ll enjoy more.

5. The absolute truth is that there is always good along with the bad. We get tunnel vision so often and only see the failures, the frustrating, the disappointing…but reality is always brighter than that. There are weeds, yes, but there are also flowers! Don’t be fooled—see the whole picture and tell the truth.

6. I am not responsible for everything and I have limited control over things besides myself, especially others’ choices. I will bless and lift and help all that I can and realize that any influence I’m privileged to have is a gift.

7. Am I going to care about this in a year? Most things we get upset about can be categorized as inconveniences, challenges, or difficult moments. They are, literally, not the end of the world, and they will pass. Change mindset from panic to problem-solving and underreact.

8. If I make a mistake and someone discovers I am human, great—they’ll probably like me better for it! We assume everyone is thinking the worst, when people mostly aren’t thinking of us at all, they are busy worrying about their own lives. I am doing the best I can with my unique life. I will give myself the compassion and approval I need and throw away the chains of trying to please everyone else.

9. Carrying around future problems only exhausts and overwhelms me. I can trust my future self to handle things as they come. I have survived 100% of my challenges so far and I will keep doing it, one problem at a time.

10. Anxiety is simply the other side of the coin of a mind with great gifts. What if I took my ability to overthink, worry, and imagine the worst and used it instead to dream, plan, and create great things? I choose to focus my mental energies outward instead of destroying my own peace. I will use my superpowers for good.

Catching Up with Kevin: Reflecting & Looking Ahead (July 2021)

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Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk about a variety of topics that have been on my mind lately. This exercise of reflecting and looking ahead is something I like to do regularly.

If you subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you likely saw the following video. However, if you haven’t yet seen it, I invite you to watch it.

In it, I share my thoughts on several topics, including…

????  World Service Week 2021

World Service Week 2021 - Thank YouIt’s always inspiring to me when I watch how people are willing to give of their time to serve others. World Service Week is always an inspiration to me. It’s gratifying to look at the pictures, see smiles on everyone’s faces, and realize how good they feel because they know they’re doing something that helps somebody else in need.

I don’t think there’s anything more important than we can do in our life than to help others in need.

????  Active Nutrition & Let’s Go Podcast

With the launch of Active Nutrition, there’s really a strategic reason why we did this. It’s because of our vision of being The Healthiest Family on Earth. Active Nutrition lends itself to the whole notion of lifestyle. That’s why we have the podcast. And truly being healthy is the body, mind, and spirit.

Those things are really what true health is all about. Active Nutrition is one step closer to us creating The Healthiest Family on Earth.

????  Adapting to a Post-Pandemic Life

As I return back to whatever normal is post-pandemic, I think the important part for me is what did I learn? I’m trying to not go back to everything I did before. But rather, to do things differently, to approach things differently from that perspective.

One thing I learned is the importance of face-to-face interaction. Over the last several months, we communicated primarily virtually. Sure, it would be easier for me just to do Zoom calls versus getting on an airplane and traveling around the world. But there’s nothing, I believe, that replaces face-to-face and in-person interaction.

????  Living Life to the Fullest

Recently, I witnessed my youngest grandson take his first steps. It’s an interesting thing to look at a little child like this who’s so full of life and so happy and joyful. He brings so much love into our family.

It’s remarkable to watch him take his first steps and to remember what life’s all about. Between birth and death, it’s the middle part that’s so important. I think it’s important to take stock. To take time to think about the past, while also looking ahead. For me personally, how can I better myself and what can I do to make this little child’s life better?

Thank you for following along here, and I appreciate all the kind words and the interaction on my social sites.

National ‘Give Something Away Day’ Strengthens Relationships

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The following is excerpted from a news release sent on July 15, which is also “Give Something Away Day.”

Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “You make a living out of what you get. You make a life out of what you give.” Many people enter relationships for what they think they can get instead of what they can give. If we were to focus more on giving than getting, the return would be enormous.

Coming out of the pandemic is an excellent time to simplify our lives and to share with others who might not be as fortunate. I see no downside to giving something away to make a difference in the lives of others.

National Give Something Away Day

Giving Feels Good

Polling a group of 30,000 American households showed that givers were happier than non-givers, according to a Social Capital Community benchmark survey.

There’s no question that when you buy a homeless person a meal, donate clothing or give away something, you feel uplifted, and that’s what this is about — lifting others up, including yourself.

When my four children were smaller, my wife and I would find someone to serve on Christmas Eve. Some years we served food at a homeless shelter; other years we selected a needy family and bought gifts for the children.

People matter more than things. We all work hard to achieve success, to arrive at some pinnacle of achievement — to have the perfect house, perfect family, perfect body. In the process, we fill our lives with stuff. Most people have more food, faster cars, fancier clothes, better health, higher incomes, bigger houses, and more conveniences than their ancestors had a hundred years ago.

Yet according to the World Database of Happiness, we are not any happier than previous generations. Studies show once we have enough income to comfortably meet basic needs, additional wealth has little impact on our happiness. We are really searching for inner peace, yet many of us don’t know how to find it.

Give Something Away Day

This year, I urge you to give something away and find harmony, happiness, and peace.

Because I believe relationships are the most important things we have, I urge others to even give a little more time to those relationships that matter most. For me, that’s with my family, friends, and colleagues. Without a doubt, time with them will be some of the most treasured experiences.

Proceeds from All the Right Reasons benefit The USANA Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides food and nutrition to help ensure impoverished children and families reach their fullest potential. The book is available here.

Lessons From Music to Achieve Harmony at Work

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Living a life in harmony is critical to overall well-being. In honor of World Music Day, which took place on June 21, I shared three steps in which music can bring balance and harmony to teams reuniting at the workplace.

To run an effective workplace, companies need teams that work in harmony. With disharmony and discord, productivity stalls, and progress is hampered. That can cripple growth for the entire organization.

Lessons from music, however, can instantly remind workers about the value of harmonious efforts.

As I write in my book, All the Right Reasons, in music, harmony happens when notes blend in a way that is pleasing to the ear. When notes are out of harmony, their dissonant sounds are hard to listen to. Think of the last time you heard someone sing out of key or heard a jumble of incongruent notes. It’s horrible.

You’ve heard me say before that music is medicine for my soul. It’s such a powerful and important part of my life. It is for many others, as well. World Music Day, which got its start in Paris in 1982, celebrates music’s power to bring people together, transcend borders, and break barriers.

3 Steps to Harmony

With three simple steps, music can lift moods and unify teams.

  1. First, if you’re feeling down, play a song that brings happy memories, which may be something from high school or college.
  2. Next, sing your favorite songs out loud no matter who’s listening.
  3. Finally, get with your team to sing a song together.

There’s nothing like live music to lift spirits, and when you are part of making music, it can boost your positive temperament even more. When you’re doing that with team members, I’ve seen it help people find common ground and form instant bonds.

Achieving Harmony Takes Work

Harmony in music doesn’t happen without hours of practice and each individual musician’s commitment to getting the music right. The same commitment is required in the workplace.

Whether someone plays in a band, sings in a choir, or performs in an orchestra, nothing is quite as exhilarating as achieving perfect harmony with fellow musicians.

A life in harmony means a consistent and honest arrangement of your values and a solid commitment to living those values day in and day out.

Throughout the pandemic, most workers have been operating remotely. So coming back into an office setting might be a bit clumsy at first. Working toward harmony, which means understanding others, sharing your positivity, and making a difference for the better, will be one of the quickest paths to restoring productivity levels teams achieved before the pandemic.

 

A version of the above article was distributed as a news release on World Music Day 2021 with the headline World Music Day Calls for Harmony. All proceeds from All the Right Reasons are directed to feed two million meals to hungry children. Available on Amazon, the book provides 40 meals for every single purchase.