How to Change the World By Changing Your Mind

If you watch the news, you’re probably aware that the media is now predicting armageddon. It’s all doom and gloom. And while they’re saying goodbye to the world as we know it, you and I are both busy building a better world.*

So let me just set the record straight.
Things aren’t good.
THEY…ARE…GREAT!

What would happen if the media just stopped for a moment of sheer wonder that they’re broadcasting to the world via satellite.

News Anchor: “In the latest news….(break)…you know I just have to stop for a moment to thank those brilliant minds who made it possible for me to broadcast right now into space. Thank you. I mean it. It’s awe-inspiring. Ok, back to how bad things are…”

I mean think about it…if you had a time machine and brought someone from 1820 into the present day, they would call most of what we have today “sorcery.”

Some examples…

• 200 years ago, to get cool, you had to find shade.
• Today, you get cold with a push of a button.
• 200 years ago, fresh water was scarce.
• Today, you pee in fresh water.
• 200 years ago, mail was carried on horseback over mountains.
• Today, you sent instant mail with a “mouse.”
• 200 years ago, pandemics were treated with leeches.
• Today, we have social media and millions of arm-chair epidemiologists.

OK, I guess we still have leeches.
But everything else has improved.**

Anyway, the point is simple: what you focus on grows.
If you focus on the negative, you’ll get more of it.
If you focus on being broke, you’ll end up broke.
If you focus on being sick, you’ll end up sick.

So why not spend your valuable time focusing on changing the world?

Which brings me to today’s topic…

How to Change the World By Changing Your Mind

The fastest way to make more money, help more people, and take more time off is to get your mind right. I mean it. I know far too many good people who sabotage their life and business through bad thinking.

It’s not that hard to change the way you think. It just takes a few good strategies and some discipline. That’s why in this week’s Flight Brief I am going to share a few ideas on how to covertly re-code your mental software for success.

Turns out your mind is just like a computer. It runs on a code and, under normal circumstances, you can just re-write some code to make a few changes. The problem is that “normal circumstances” doesn’t exactly describe your life, right, ~Contact.FirstName~?

So often you have to change the approach to match the mission. That means being creative and using some “back door” hacks. Let me give you a few examples.

The “I Feel Amazing” Back Door Hack

Let’s say you’re having “one of those days.” You know the kind. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, the sky is dark, and everyone on the way to work is an idiot.

Now you know as well as I do that your day is on you. But your mind just won’t adjust and it’s getting even more frustrating.

This is the perfect opportunity for the back door “I Feel Amazing” Hack.

This is easier done than said, so humor me here.

Right now, right where you are, try this.

1. Stand. (I mean it. Stand up. Right now. I know you’re still sitting there reading this. Just get up and do this. You’ll thank me.)
2. Hold your two fists in the air like Rocky Balboa did after he knocked out Clubber Lang — or like you would if your team just won the championship.
3. Smile as big as you can smile.
4. Scream “I Feel Amazing!” three times at the top of your lungs.

If you’re reading this on a plane or in a public area, I get it. I was thinking about letting you wait until later, but no, just go ahead and do it right now. Stand there smiling like a champion screaming I Feel Amazing. Do it. The exercise probably works better in public anyway.

Whether you do it public or in private, you’ll notice the moment you finish your third I Feel Amazing and put your hands down, two things will immediately and simultaneously happen:

1. You will chuckle.
2. You will actually feel amazing.

And that, my friends, is the power of the body to “back door” hack the brain.

I don’t know why it works but it does. And “I Feel Amazing!” isn’t the only hack. The number is limited only by your imagination.

The “Rock Your Energy” Back Door Hack

Let’s say you need some energy. Try a side door hack I call “Rock Your Energy.” Just put on some heavy music like Led Zeppelin (Stairway to Heaven will do). Then really get into it and play air guitar around your room for ten minutes. If you prefer to be a vocalist, try the Rolling Stones and pretend you’re Mick Jagger. I don’t know why I thought of two artists from 50 years ago. So if you want something more modern, pick Katy Perry, Drake, Ed Sheeran or whoever. In less than ten minutes, you’ll be full of good, useful energy and you’ll take yourself less seriously.

“The Gorilla” Back Door Hack

Here’s another one called “The Gorilla.” Let’s say your mind keeps coming back to a conversation you had last week and it’s still bothering you. Stand and start banging your chest like a silverback Gorilla while screaming, My thoughts are mine. (Gorilla bang your chest) And I am going to think what I want. (Gorilla bang) As for that other thought — Go away now! (One final double Gorilla bang) Then grunt and eat a banana.**

“The Gratitude” Back Door Hack

Here is another hack that works wonders. I call this the “Gratitude Hack.” For 21 straight days, do this one thing: spend just a few minutes of every day being thankful for something. It goes like this. The very moment you wake up, in that very second, with your head still on your pillow and your dreams slowly fading away, speak out loud and say “Thank you.” And then start naming a few things…

• Thank you for a good night’s sleep.
• Thank you for my healthy body.
• Thank you for the meals I had yesterday.
• Thank you for my family.
• Thank you for Ed Rush for he is both handsome and wise.****
• Thank for the opportunities I have before me today.

I did this little exercise a year ago and it still sticks. I knew it was really working when, in the dream I had just before I woke up, I was saying “Thank you.”

The Present Minded Meal Back Door Hack

Another hack is one I call “The Present Minded Meal.” For 21-Days, your only job is to be 100% present during meals. It works like this:

1. Take a bite of food.
2. Put your fork down and rest your hands.
3. Now focus 100% of your attention to what’s going on in your mouth.

• Chew slowly.
• Taste every bite.
• Notice the differences in texture and taste.
• Focus.

1. When you’re completely done with that bite, pick up your fork or sandwich and do it again.
2. Repeat until you are full.

This works so well because the exercise spreads into other areas of your life. The opposite emotions to happiness and joy are fear and anxiety. If you are the kind of person who spends a lot of time thinking about the past, you’ll dwell on fear. If you’re the kind of person who obsesses over the future, you’ll tend to be anxious.

But, if you are the kind of person who can simply focus on the present, you’ll experience neither fear nor anxiety.

You’ll be happy.

Ok, that’s a place to start. Seriously, try a few of these out. If you don’t feel comfortable, do what I do and make your kids do it first. Haha.

Here are a few more hacks that will make your day brighter….

The Compliment Hack

I don’t know why this works so well, but it does. Just give someone a compliment on something they do well. For example, I have been banking at the same bank for 13 years. I know pretty much everyone there. The other day I was depositing some checks and just said, “You know, SouLee, you’ve been here since I started with you back in 2007 and I just wanted to say thank you. You always have a positive attitude and that’s really important these days.”

She got this big smile on her face and you know what, I felt better too. It’s funny what happens when you go out of your way to make someone’s day.

Now I can’t believe I have to say this, but I do. Your compliment should be nice. It should be thoughtful. It should be kind. But it should never, ever, ever be creepy. I’m only saying this because some dude out there is reading this and will use it as an excuse for telling someone she has a nice rear end or something. Don’t do that.

Just remember that your compliment is for them and not for you and you’ll never steer wrong.

The “Smile” Hack

Here is the last thing. SMILE.

Do it right now. I am serious. As I am writing this, I’m taking my own advice and now I look all happy. Now I feel all happy too.

Try it. Just smile for about 5 seconds. Throw in a chuckle or two.

You feel better don’t you?

The great news is you didn’t need 3 years of counseling to feel better. You just needed you. So pass this around and spread the word. Soon we’ll be the news.

Out.

Ed

P.S. I covered some of the content in this Weekly Flight Brief in my book The 21-Day Miracle. If you haven’t read it, now is the time. If you have, why not go back in for round #2.

P.P.S. BTW — I did an entire show on this topic. Check out out here.

* That’s some serious alliteration there.

** One thing from the olden days that hasn’t improved. Back then, dudes (and dudettes) knew how to chop down trees and (literally) “make” a house. They also knew how to use the rest of the tree to (literally) “make” a bed. Other than that, everything is better now.

*** Banana is optional, but recommended.

**** And humble.