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How does your garden grow?

One question I’ve been asked many times during more than a decade working with Andy and the team is ‘how do you maintain a positive 2%er attitude?’

So often, after delivering a keynote or ‘Being Brilliant’ workshop, delegates tell me it was fab, inspirational, uplifting, a much needed mental reboot and a host of other plaudits that boost my Ready Brek glow! Be assured, I’m not blowing my trumpet here (well perhaps a short blast).

For many, the tough challenge comes after the initial blossom fades and the euphoric ‘I’m going to be a 2%er from now on’ feeling subsides. The ‘weeds’ of busyness, ongoing problems at work and elsewhere, mediocrity and negative attitudes grow again rather quickly and can easily choke our new shoots of positivity, sometimes on the same day!

Good gardeners know the importance of weed control. This to me is where that super ‘weed killer’, mindfulness helps. Take a moment toward the end of each day to breathe deeply and take a tour of your mental ‘garden’. What weeds of negative thinking took hold of your attitude today? Root them out before they become established.

How? By sowing seeds of realistic optimism. Ask yourself; what, honestly, can I really be grateful for today? Focus on this for a while. There are usually several things that will suddenly come to the forefront of your mind. This mindfulness habit teaches us to tune in to the positive ‘plants’ and their beauty while not ignoring the weeds of negativity.

What about ‘fertlilizer’? One of the best that delivers immediate results is daily random acts of kindness. Developing the habit of doing things for others, especially when they’re not expecting it, helps both them and us feel great and guarantees a bumper crop of positive emotions all around.

Happy weeding!

Tony S