I remember the first time someone told me to take my rose-coloured glasses off.
I was 17. It was an ex-boyfriend. And he said it in front of a whole classroom of people.
Most embarrassing? I had NO idea what that even meant. But I could tell it was meant to be an insult.
For anyone else who doesn’t know, wearing rose-coloured glasses means you have an optimistic perception of something, a positive opinion or you see something in a positive way. Sometimes it means you think of something better than it really is.
So yes – based on that definition, I was wearing rose-coloured glasses. That day, and many others.
I've always been an optimist. And the funny thing is, it has actually served me incredibly well.
When others told me it was impossible to start a leadership conference WHILE in University, I thought it would be the perfect time. And the Vancouver Island Leadership Conference(VILC) is now in its 10th year (YAASSS!!!).
When others were sh*t-talking Fort McMurray, I saw the opportunity to continue falling in love (awww), build my career quickly, and save a nest egg.
When others complained about the housing prices in Vancouver, we held our vision in our mind and heart - and found our dream condo downtown. And we've found ways to make it more affordable and feel more at home than we ever have.
It’s not just my anecdotal stories you should listen to either. Studies show optimists are happier (obviously). They also live longer, and are generally more successful. And, if you want to know more on this, watch Shawn Achor’s TedTalk and pick up his fantastic book “The Happiness Advantage” here.
I recently found this brilliant Winston Churchill quote and thought it summed up a secret to success beautifully:
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.
Now, there are days I still need to take this advice and be more of an optimist.
Sometimes, I worry the coaching space has become too crowded.
I am not sure how I'm going to work with a baby around (I just figured out how to work with a Netflix subscription - and at least Netflix times out to make sure you're still watching... so I've heard.....).
But I know that when there are challenges, looking for the opportunity is the key to success.
So excuse me while I put those rose-coloured glasses back on... and keep rocking the life I've created.
And you should do the same.
Here are some ways, this week, you can put those rose-coloured glasses on too:
- Start your day by listing 5 things that make your life wonderful in some way today.
- Carve out 15 minutes a day to get some sunshine. That vitamin D makes a huge difference in boosting your mood (and it’s such a great feeling!)
- Reframe rejection as a sign you’re making progress. Thank the person, yourself, or the Universe for the opportunity and congratulate yourself for putting yourself out there and trying!
- Replace the words “have to” with “get to”: This week, instead of saying you “have to get groceries”, try “get to go grocery shopping”. This little reframe empowers youbecause it reminds you that you’re in charge of what you do – and that you have the health and ability to take care of yourself (and maybe even feed a family of mouths!)
- Make someone else smile. Do something nice for someone each day this week. Maybe it’s just taking an extra 30 seconds to tell a colleague you like their new haircut. Share a joke you think a friend would find funny. Smile at a stranger (it’s contagious!). Making someone else happy will make YOU happier.
- Check in to a moment when you feel jealous or envious of someone. Ask yourself what it is you are jealous of? Get curious and use it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself.
- What is it that you really want?
- What is the jealousy telling you about what you really want?
- How can you learn from that person to get it too?
I think you’ll agree with me that the world looks pretty darn ah-mazing through these rose-colored glasses too!
Stylishly yours,
Lisa
PS. Today, at 3:00pm PST/ 4:00 pm MST, I’m hopping onto Facebook Live to chat about a topic that can be REALLY hard to be optimistic about – money!
It seems no matter how much of it people have, we never feel it’s enough.
Today, I’m going to talk about how money can help you create the life you want because money gets a bad reputation sometimes.
Money is a "dirty" word... and an even dirtier topic.
But I want to smash that.
Join my special guest expert, Allyson Mantey, Entrepreneur & Health Coach (and amazing friend), as we talk about one of the most taboo topics out there - MONEY!
Maybe your initial gut reaction is that money is greedy, evil, or just plain complicated.
But the truth is, it can help you live the life you want – if you use it to empower yourself.
Allyson and I are going to be sharing a little of our journey, how money has helped us, and the things we wish we knew sooner.
Join us LIVE on Facebook TODAY, Tuesday, September 26th at 3:00pm PST/ 4:00 PM MST HERE.
Check out this honest chat because we're going to open up about how money has allowed us to travel, start businesses, work with people we love (#byebyeboss), quit our jobs and SO much more!
See you there!