Bowen BookAnd STOP talking about what you don’t want.

It takes discipline.  We are used to whining about stuff.  When I checked in for my last flight, the United Airlines rep said, “Show the TSA agent the sticker I put on your boarding pass.”  Hmm.  Maybe I was chosen for extra screening.  A little whine started to bubble up, and I…let it go.  Ahhhh.  “Thanks.  That makes me feel special,” I said instead.

In line at TSA, the woman behind me noticed the sticker and started to wind up, “Oh, you got one, too?  We are treated like cattle anyway, and now we have one more blah blah blahhahaa….”  I ignore her.  Until she said, “Right…?” asking me to pile on.

“I don’t complain about stuff.  I’m not going to play with you.”  Just like that.  And I instantly thought I might have shut her down a little too hard.

Instead, she said, “Really?  You don’t complain?”

“I don’t.  It’s a time saver.”  We both started chuckling.  It was a nice moment, made even sweeter when we discovered that the sticker meant we had been chosen to fast track the TSA process.  As frequent flyers, we now don’t have to take off jackets or shoes to go through security.  A lottery win for sure!

#7 Business Makeover Lesson:  Speak of what you want.  Don’t speak of what you don’t want.  Intention and aligned action. It takes practice and discipline.  Try it and notice the moments when you create what you want.  Notice when you complain about something the next thing you know…you step in it.  Don’t give energy to inevitable negative thoughts.  When you speak them, you empower those thoughts.  Let good thoughts flow through and celebrate the good things, as they inevitably line up.

PS…Reverend Bowen got me started on a “Complaint Free” path.  Could you eliminate complaining, gossip, and sarcasm for 21 days?    And my friend Deborah Pegues can help you

PPS…Ready for the rest of my Top 10 Business Makeover Tips?  Stay tuned!