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Positive In/Positive Out....PIPO....How I Changed My Life

Updated on August 17, 2012
The most positive person I know
The most positive person I know | Source

I woke up this morning positive that I would have a good day. It is now 3:04 PDT and nothing has derailed me from that goal. Atticus, our one-year old mutt, tried his best by chewing up the lawn chair cushion, but onward I trudged. I lost half of an article I was working on when I didn’t save it properly, but onward I trudged. I was not hired for a writing gig I wanted badly, but onward I trudged.

While doing all of that trudging I gave support to several writer friends that I have. I smiled while I watered the garden, elated that the California Poppies that Bev and I planted have finally bloomed. I stopped all activity to watch a hawk gracefully soar overhead, and I delighted in the sounds of neighborhood children laughing while they ran through the lawn sprinkler.

It has been a marvelous day!

Re-wind to six years ago.

THIS BOY LEARNS LESSONS THE HARD WAY

By 2006 I had pretty much given up on myself. Harsh words but true words nonetheless. I considered myself a failure! I considered myself a sorry excuse for a human being! Oh, I could talk the talk, but backing up my words was beyond me.

You see, I had no direction. I looked back over the landscape of my life and saw only missed opportunities. How much time had I wasted over the years? How much money had I blown? How much love had I turned away and how much happiness had I forfeited?

Those thoughts dominated each and every day and as a consequence, anything I said had a negative spin to it. I was a walking, talking billboard of doom and quite frankly, I hated myself.

Today I call that stinkin’ thinkin’ GIGO! Garbage In, Garbage Out! I was a self-fulfilling prophecy each and every day. I did not expect life to be good or to hold any promise, and I reflected that in everything that I did and said.

In other words, my thought process dictated my actions, for I believe there is a definite correlation between our outlook on life and our actions. If all I think is negative then all I will receive is negative.

Don't Worry Be Happy

THE SHINING LIGHT OF HOPE

I would love to tell you that there was a personal burning bush, that I saw a sign from above and it steered me in a direction of salvation. The truth, however, is that my negativity almost cost me my life. Sitting in a hotel room in Anchorage, Alaska, drinking vodka to blot out my internal suffering, I almost drank myself to death.

The only thing that saved me was a slight glimmer of hope still burning inside of me. I did not want to die! I did not want my legacy to be one of hopelessness and weakness. I did not want to be remembered as a man who gave up on life. I wanted to live!

AND SO A NEW JOURNEY BEGAN

Once I had eliminated alcohol from my personal baggage, I came to realize the importance that our thoughts have on our actions. It became obvious to me that I needed to change my way of thinking; if I didn’t, I would return to those dark days and there was a very real chance I would not return.

Thus, I embarked on a new journey, a journey of positive thoughts and actions. I called it PIPO! Positive In, Positive Out! I would become my thoughts, and my thoughts would become a positive force in my life.

Is it easy to do? What do you think? If you have been carrying around negativity for years, the answer is no, it is not easy. This process requires a complete re-wiring of your brain. Make no mistake about it, this is a conscious decision and it requires constant vigil. It is so easy to slip back into the old stinkin’ thinkin’. Life gives us every opportunity to find negatives.

The creditors are calling; the husband is not understanding; the kids are driving you nuts; all are reasons to slip back into the “poor me” syndrome. You looked in the mirror and noticed you had gained weight; great reason to be down on yourself and consider yourself a loser. You made simple mistakes at work and feel like such a fool. You dropped a dish and can’t believe you are so clumsy!

Livin' large and lovin' life
Livin' large and lovin' life | Source

STEPS I TOOK

First step I took was to surround myself with positive people; conversely, I eliminated negative people from my life. Was that easy to do? No, because in two instances it meant saying goodbye to good friends. However, it was necessary for my happiness and thus it had to be done.

The second step I took was to list the gifts in my life. These I called my reasons for happiness. I had my son; I had my good health. I had great friends who loved me and I had talents that could be used to rebuild my life. When I finished my list even I had to admit I had a treasure chest of positive things in my life.

The third step was one of conscious determination. I consciously set out to be positive. I took a walk one day, and I remembered all the good that had happened during my lifetime. I thought back to an earlier time when I was younger and happier and I plugged into those vibes and memories. If I was happy once then I could be happy again.

I came to realize that happiness is an inside job! If my happiness was dependent on any outside influence then it was transitory on the best of days. I had to be happy at the very core of my being because that was one influence that was only dependent on me. In other words, I controlled my destiny with regards to happiness.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

Six years later, the proof is in the proverbial pudding. I love life! I am surrounded by positive people who nourish me on a daily basis. Amazingly, or perhaps not so, I have become a positive influence on others. Who would have ever believed it possible?

I am a walking, talking ambassador for positive thinking, and today I can’t imagine living my life any other way. Today positive thoughts enter my brain and today positive words leave my mouth and positive actions are undertaken daily.

I have no wealth if wealth is only measured in dollars and cents. My wealth is measured by the smile on my face. My wealth is measured by the smiles on the faces of my loved ones. My wealth is measured by the feeling of contentment inside of me.

Positive In…..Positive Out! I wish all of you a PIPO life from this moment on!

2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)

Do you consider yourself a positive person?

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