Daily Inspiration: “Say no to standing still”

“Say no to standing still” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Note: Posting will be slow this week, as I’m in Hawaii for an event this Friday. The 5-hour time change makes a difference!

The future is about momentum,

About moving forward, not back.

About not getting stuck in today, but going towards tomorrow.

Start doubling down on your path forward by saying ‘NO’ to those who will hold you back – battling back against their attitudes, beliefs, and reticence is one of the most important things you can do!

Part of the art in doing that is understanding where their negativity comes from – with the flip side being that you can use this to place a solid foundation beneath your positivity. Consider this – many people have a built-in ‘negativity bias‘ – the fact is, it’s an evolutionary trait that has helped humans survive by being more alert to potential threats and dangers. We are hard-wired to think of the downside, not the upside. Understand that fact, and you’ll have extra motivation to double down on a better outlook!

There are other factors at work; people are wired for negativity – and hence, standing still – because of simple fear driven by past negative circumstances (job losses or layoffs), their own social or mental health situation, or the simple matter of being too influenced to the downside by those who drag them down. Hello, social media! It’s very much the case that as soon as someone descends into a negativity bubble, it’s very difficult for them to get out. Don’t let them drag you down while it’s happening!

All of this means that while you are trying to move forward, the forces of negativity are encouraging you to stand still – and learning to say NO is critical.

Say NO to inaction.

Say YES to momentum.

Say YES to chasing new ideas.

Say YES to achieving new things.

Say YES to the ability to make decisions.

Say YES to moving forward, not backward!

Say YES to constantly reinforcing your momentum through momentum.

Say YES – not NO.