| Organizing your life toolkit and acquiring new tools | | | | your subconscious will cause your eyes to see |
| should be an ongoing project. This article will get | | | | the parking spots that are taken. If you change |
| you started! | | | | your approach and think positive thoughts, such |
| You probably have a toolkit, or a junk drawer, | | | | as, "I'm sure I'll find parking easily enough. Many |
| that contains tools that you use to perform tasks | | | | have gone before me and they have found |
| such as cutting paper, tightening screws, gluing | | | | parking", your subconscious will cause your eyes |
| things together ... Have you ever tried to cut | | | | to see the opportunities, such as, a parking |
| paper without scissors? Tighten a screw with | | | | garage or a car that is just leaving a suitable |
| your finger nail? Get something to stick together | | | | parking spot. |
| without glue? You probably have - and wished | | | | Therefore, if you have positive thoughts, you are |
| that you had (or found) the appropriate tool. | | | | more likely to discover positive things. If you have |
| And yet, you probably perform life tasks without | | | | fearful thoughts you are more likely to find that |
| giving any thought to using appropriate life tools - | | | | which you were afraid of. As Henry Ford said - |
| the tools that enable you to more effectively | | | | "whether you think that you can, or that you |
| perform tasks related to the demands and | | | | can't, you are usually right". So, your thoughts are |
| challenges of everyday life. | | | | a powerful tool that impacts your behaviour and |
| It's time to check the contents of your life toolkit | | | | your behaviour creates your circumstances. |
| to determine if you have forgotten, or are | | | | Positive thinking is an essential tool for your |
| missing, some vital tools! | | | | toolkit. |
| Visualize opening up your life toolkit and dumping | | | | Let's move on to the other toolkit compartments. |
| out the contents. Next, visualize organizing the | | | | Likely, the greatest external factor influencing you |
| layout of the toolkit into 4 compartments. | | | | is other people. They have their own thoughts, |
| 1) Label the first compartment "ME" - this is | | | | perceptions, expectations, strengths, and |
| where you will keep the tools you use to enhance | | | | weaknesses. They are a constant source of |
| your abilities and diffuse your obstacles. | | | | demands and challenges that you need to deal |
| 2) Give the second compartment the label | | | | with effectively. Therefore, you need tools for |
| "OTHERS" - this is for tools to improve your | | | | the compartment marked "OTHERS". You should |
| interactions with others. | | | | include tools such as giving others the benefit of a |
| 3) For the third compartment, give it the label | | | | doubt, understanding 'venting/solving' interactions, |
| "MAXIMIZE" - this will contain tools designed to | | | | understanding insecurity and its effects, |
| help you get the most out of what life has to | | | | understanding and identifying mirroring, and |
| offer. | | | | techniques to facilitate effective communications. |
| 4) On the fourth compartment, put the label | | | | The world is full of possibilities - so is your life. In |
| "TROUBLESHOOT" - you'll need these tools for | | | | the compartment marked "MAXIMIZE" you'll want |
| when things go wrong. | | | | to include tools such as appreciation, fun, courage, |
| Now, start putting your tools back in the kit, into | | | | being true to yourself, and ways to find your own |
| the most appropriate compartment. A particular | | | | meaning of life and happiness. |
| tool may suit more than one compartment - it | | | | The world is not perfect. You're not perfect. Your |
| doesn't really matter which compartment that | | | | family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and |
| you file it under as long as you can find it when | | | | strangers are not perfect. Things may not go |
| you need it. | | | | according to plan. People may disappoint you. So, |
| Organizing your life toolkit and acquiring new tools | | | | as the Latin Proverb says, "if the wind will not |
| should be an ongoing project. The objective of | | | | serve, take to the oars". In the compartment |
| this article is to get you started! | | | | marked "TROUBLESHOOT" you'll want to include |
| In the compartment marked "ME" include tools | | | | tools to deal with things like depression, |
| such as positive thoughts, understanding how | | | | disappointments, perception distortions, "poor me" |
| personal filters influence how you evaluate and | | | | attitudes, negativity, anger, grief, nightmares, and |
| process information, techniques to control | | | | unsolvable problems. |
| unproductive worry and to manage stress, and | | | | This exercise of organizing useful life tools will help |
| techniques for practical problem solving. | | | | you to remember to use appropriate life tools to |
| It is not possible to discuss all of the tools that | | | | perform various life tasks and enable you to |
| can go into your toolkit compartments in the | | | | better deal with the demands and challenges of |
| context of an article. However, to illustrate how | | | | everyday life. |
| using appropriate life tools can benefit you, let's | | | | There are far more tools that you can add to |
| look more closely at a particular tool. The tool of | | | | each compartment than what I have briefly |
| positive thinking is a good one. | | | | introduced here. If you want more information |
| You have often heard that you need to have | | | | about the tools mentioned in this article or |
| positive thoughts. Do you know why? It is | | | | additional tools to add to your toolkit, purchase |
| important to understand why in order to | | | | the book titled "Your Own Devices": A Life Manual. |
| effectively utilize it as a tool. Here's why. | | | | This book is interesting, informative, and easy to |
| Thoughts which receive your attention, whether | | | | read. It provides short summaries on the more |
| they are good or bad, go into your subconscious | | | | common and important life tools and their uses. |
| as ideas. Your subconscious then looks for | | | | The book can easily be purchased at most major |
| opportunities to manifest these ideas as events in | | | | online bookstores (e.g. Amazon) or directly from |
| the real world. For example, let's say that you are | | | | us at |
| driving to a busy part of town and it will be | | | | Your life toolkit is an extremely valuable asset. |
| necessary to park the car. If you approach the | | | | Keeping it well stocked and organized, so that you |
| situation with negative thoughts, such as, "I hate | | | | can use the appropriate tool to perform life tasks, |
| parking in this part of town. I'll never find a spot", | | | | will facilitate success and happiness in your life. |