Don’t know about you, but there are millions of people who wake up and go to bed each day thinking they are “bad.”
I suck.
I’m terrible.
I’m no good.
I can’t.
I’m horrible at … (fill in the blank).
Yesterday a young man from India reached out to me, claiming that he is a “total failure” when it comes to communication and relationships.
Being a “total failure” is impossible because everyone has at least ONE moment in time wherein he or she communicated effectively.
And that ONE instance is where we begin to turn bad into good.
We find the spark of goodness, the speck of a memory, the single moment or instance in time when you did something you can be grateful for.
It’s helpful to understand that even those who are really good at what they do, those who are professionals, go through moments in time wherein they think they are bad at what they do – or bad as a person.
One of the greatest hitters of all times in the sport of baseball, Tony Gwynn, used to get so down on himself that he found the best cure was to crank the music in his SUV, roll down the windows and scream…
“I SUCK”
as loudly as he could.
Now, this advice goes against the grain of modern day positive thinkers may say, but it’s absolutely the best thing Tony Gwynn could do to get himself out of a slump.
Don’t sit around moping and whining about how poorly you’re doing – SHOUT IT OUT.
But turn the music up first.
Why?
Because the music takes you out of the limbic brain – and the shouting on top of it gets the crud out of your system.
Shouting it out makes room for good to replace the bad.
Shouting is just one way that bad people can get good things to start happening.
Understand, you’re not shouting at others. This involves you and you alone – along with the loud music.
Do this a few times for about five seconds and you’ll understand.
Now, for those of you who have Theatre of the Mind – you may recall the story of Nick Nurse – and how he wrote to tell me he’d be coaching in the NBA before I turned 50.
Well, guess what?
Nick Nurse is now the head coach of the Toronto Raptors in the NBA.
Both of us hail from the same home town of Carroll, Iowa.
Both of us are living proof as well, that good things happen to baaaaaad people.
Congratulations Nick. You’re the best.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
