The attributes you see and admire in other people are always available to you. They are ever present, waiting for you, whenever you decide to activate and deploy them for your benefit, and for the benefit of others.
- Attitude: The ability to choose an optimistic, empowered attitude is available to you right now. The fact that you are capable of producing this state sometimes is evidence that it is available to you at all times. If I told you that you just won the Powerball, you would immediately find yourself in this state, regardless of any other external events. You can choose that state now.
- Beliefs: The ability to change your beliefs is ever present. You can change your mind about something anytime you want to. At some point in time, you shed your childish beliefs. You still hold beliefs that no longer serve you, and some that never really did. You can change those beliefs as soon as you become aware of them and bravely embrace something new.
- Meaning: At any time, you can change the frame you use to define what something means. You can switch from a negative frame to a positive frame. You might frame up the circumstances of your birth as negative, using that as an explanation for why things are the way they are now. Someone else believes that story is their origin story and they use it to explain why they are successful now.
- Focus: You have the ability to give your full and undivided attention to someone or something. The ability to block out the infinite distractions that vie for your limited time and attention is wholly within your control. Whenever you decide that something is important enough to do it with impeccable care, you can focus and make it so.
- Act: You can do something. What you do may or may not work, but you can always take some action. Most everything is outside of your control, but you have the ability to control yourself and your actions. That’s all you have, and that is enough.
- Not Act: The ability to not act is ever present too. Much of what captures your attention isn’t worth your attention. You don’t have to respond physically or emotionally to any external stimulus. You can do nothing.
- Compassion: You can exercise compassion. The ability to assume others are acting out of good intentions is a super power when it comes to maintaining a positive, optimistic outlook. You can forgive, and you can help those who need help.
None of these choices is forbidden you. You were born with access to all of them. All that is left for you to do is to decide.