Can you change your future by changing your mood? Will today be different if you are? Can you being different make a difference for others? Yes, yes, yes.
Every day I waken with an array of choices. The one I try make before my feet hit the floor is ” Will I choose to be hopeful or dismal today?” I have never chosen dismal so I begin each morning with hope and I undertake to do things that foster hope throughout the day. I admit that there are times when my persistence to positive is challenged and my resolve falters but that doesn’t mean that I can’t restart again tomorrow.
I can scientifically assert that my day is different when I opt for hope because I haven’t intentionally picked dismay so there isn’t a double blind test but my intuition knows that the path would be different if I was gloomy and pessimistic. My intentions and motivation would be altered if I didn’t have a Kickstart of Aspiration o begin my morning. My mood inspires others (for a moment or for the day) to smile, laugh, lift their chin, cheer a friend and act expecting better simply because of the encounter.

I strive to thrive in the hope and some days I rest my head fully embedded in expectation and celebration. Some days I make it through my emails and begin to feel the tide slipping away. If I practice mindfulness I can make a different choice – not to allow others the power to alter my disposition. I own how I react and can use that power to expect and anticipate joy from the next conversation. I am a realist and don’t always succeed and don’t let the positivist turn to passivity or view everything through rose glasses but in the moment I can catch myself and seek to address issues, concerns and complaints in a better way.

B

Black lives matter and it matters that we reiterate that truism because there seems to be an epidemic of thought and deed that is trying to convince us otherwise. From rampant terrorism in Africa to political candidates and their supporters bragging about their bigotry to unequal justice being meted out, the thesis being proposed is that they don’t matter.
This week’s tragedies could be a tipping point or a turning point depending on how we see the world. The violence and vitriol mongers could tip the story toward more outrage, more revenge, more hatred and drag society into a deep pit of fear and reprisal. More deaths could occur across the continent and move to other jurisdictions. A powder keg of vile disregard could be ignited and burn up countries and cultures. The demonstrations would always have an edge of riot and unlawfulness and violence would beget violence.

I prefer to hope that this is a turning point. A moment where we unite, regardless of color, creed or politics, and say ” Enough, we won’t stand for this anymore.” If we are going to have protests in the street, let’s all join in and raise our voices and our banners. Across North America, UK and through Europe let’s link arms with brothers and sisters of every age and colour demanding that ‘authorities’ make black lives matter a rallying call for citizens and public servants. Let’s weed out ‘leaders’ who are buttering their own toast with hateful rhetoric. Let’s make it known that elections are coming and then act to remove bigots, racists and fearmongers regardless of their political stripe.

Let’s have conversations in our kitchens, on our lawns, while walking the dog, attending a service with neighbours, family, friends and strangers about how we want the world to be and commit to making it so by our individual and community actions.

Let’s leverage our consumer power and support businesses and corporations that openly demonstrate their position of equality and stop supporting businesses that offer support to those who would divide us. Let’s use this week as a positive turning point and turn up the heat, in very civil disobedience.

B

Intentional action builds culture and culture trumps rules every time. If the changes you want in your world aren’t happening, you need to ask “am I acting as if they will, working as if I can move the needle, and am I in the right place with the right people?”
It is easier, quicker and more fun creating a positive culture of work, support, community rather than trying to change a toxic environment. Once the air stinks, no appoint of Febreeze will remove it unless the source of the odour is removed. If you are in a unhealthy or abusive arrangement a work, home or play it is likely that you will need to find an exit strategy to free yourself.
If you feel the air going bad, you can speak up and act out to build a world that works for everyone, including you. The time to build is before it turns sour and then realize that there needs to be constant vigilance in keeping the naysayers and scarcity soothsayers at bay by being honest, transparent, vocal and brave.
There is nothing organic about culture or relationships or community. We need to work hard every day to ensure that ‘happily ever after’ is a reality. That means listening when someone else is speaking, hearing what they are really saying, responding to their statement (not what you want the topic to be), allowing time, seeking clarification, being helpful, being honest, and being brave ( I repeat this here because bravery is in short supply in our world).

There will be tension – that is what gets us past the mediocre. There will be disagreement – that is what challenges and creates teaching moments. There will be insincerity – we are all fallible and insecure. There will be fun – that is bi-product of community that shares. There will be trials – how would we know the victories without some tests. There will be mistakes – awesome. There will not be a silver bullet, magic elixir, Android app that will make the work easy or convenient. If you are ‘in’, be ‘in’ for the long haul. Long isn’t for ever and the changing world we face ensures that everything likely as a much shorter best before date than we originally considered. Don’t take offense or wring your hands when things change and culture shifts or community dissolves. Celebrate the opportunity you have today to be the best communicator, career, challenger, and collaborator you can be – today.  But don’t beat yourself up too badly when you realize that on some (for me many) days you weren’t the best. Tomorrow is a fresh start. Learn from yesterday. Make any amends you need to make early in the fresh start. Rebuild relationships and recommit to understanding and respecting the culture you are swimming in. Step back of necessary and realize that you get to choose/create the atmosphere that you are inhaling and that it can make you wiser, nicer, and better or it can poison you and bring out your ego that wants to control, criticize, and crash the work you are doing.
Perseverance; the ability to commit and execute day after day isn’t easy but know that it is worthwhile. At the end of the day, at the end of our days, or maybe when we live through a great shift, the only thing that will have value is the community and reciprocity it brings. All material objects will wear out, lose value, or cause more grief than glee. Only in the way that we share our gifts in relationship, our concern in compassion and our joy in jubilation will stand the test of time.

Make Today Remarkable, by being intentional,
B