Scott’s Thoughts: Minding Your Momentum


“I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”

 Frances Willard, (September 28, 1839 – February 17, 1898), American educator, temperance reformer, and women’s suffragist

Man reading by a lake.Life is not easy. Nor would we want it to be. Arguably, it is the salt of struggle that enables the sweetness of success. But there are times when we “over-salt” our lives with needless friction, making moments in life a lot harder than they need to be.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share three ways you can prevent a certain amount of self-sabotage in your life:

1. Dial back your catastrophic thinking. Do you have a tendency to absorb life’s little inconveniences and imagine them becoming enormous disasters? Is every cough potentially lung cancer? Every noise your car makes the sign of a major repair? Don’t amplify your anxiety by preparing for the apocalypse every single day. Take things as they come and respond within reason.

2. Spare yourself a constant comparison. Ever felt good about your brand new Honda until you saw your neighbor driving the BMW M3? Keep your eye on your own happiness and you’ll find you have a lot more of it every day. Aim to beat your personal best and be satisfied with the progress.

3. Don’t imagine intent. Never assume ill will when something isn’t going as well as you expected it to go. An unreturned phone call doesn’t mean someone is ignoring you. If you’re offended by something, consider first that the offense may be unintentional. When you ascribe intention you make assumptions which can coil around and bite you.

Look for these bad habits, grow your awareness of them, and by avoiding them over time you will find yourself sailing much more smoothly. Don’t forget the friction and you’ll make momentum instead.

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