Almost Lost My Cool

I just packed up to fly out to SoCal for a week of deep FWH work —

I'm pumped!

But, as I zippered my bag, I remembered how I almost lost my cool in the airport during my last trip there.

It all started when I chose a seat at my departure gate.

I'll explain.

I "met" a young guy who suffered from a chronic illness.

His illness prevented him from enjoying every aspect of life…

And it even made everyone around him switch seats.

Sounds terrible, right?

Sure is, but it's not what you think. His chronic illness was:

Complaining

Severe, chronic complaining. He had a bad case.

While I sat next to him, he complained to someone (a saint) over the phone (on speaker) for 20 minutes straight.

He covered everything from

"My feet hurt so bad, I want to cut them off"

To "I don't know if I'll make it to you, this travel might kill me first"

Mild discomfort all the way to impending death.

Woah.

(But, Joey, aren't you complaining about this complainer?

No, you need the painful details for the payoff. Please stick with me!)

While most people around him let their blood boil, I stayed cool and listened.

Not because I like to suffer (which I do), but because it was an opportunity to play my favorite game.

I call it the "reframe game".

It's my key to mental toughness, and I play it every day with myself.

This time, I had an opponent, which made it more interesting.

Here's how it's played —

When you're in a negative situation, shift your perspective and find one positive aspect in it. Simply put — look for the good.

My game with him went like this:

Him (out loud): "My feet hurt so bad, I want to cut them off"

Me (in my mind): "You HAVE feet, you can walk, you've even got on brand new Air Maxes"

Him: "I'm so bored, I want to poke my eyes out"

Me: "You can use the glowing rectangle in your palm to read about any topic known to man and build your skills… instantly"

Him: "I don't know if I'll make it to you, this travel might kill me first"

Me: "You're speaking to someone on the phone who cares for you, listens to you, and is eager to see you"

Get it?

My "reframe game" — known as reframing — isn't some woo-woo, positivity stuff.

See, when you change your perspective, it spurs a change in your behavior…

And, in turn, a change in your life's direction.

Several recent studies found it reduces depression, increases happiness, and enhances social relationships.

That's powerful stuff.

Know that I lose my game as much as I win it daily.

It's hard.

As The Few, we "do hard things", but sometimes we focus too much on doing physically hard things.

In actuality, the hardest things you do precede your physical activity…

You do them mentally, like reframing your negative circumstances into positive opportunities.

This builds your mental toughness, which sets the stage for how you show up and show out in the physical.

Your mental toughness is your power source, and it produces the most life-changing results for you.

So give my game a shot and play it with yourself today.

I'm confident you'll be happier and tougher after you do.

Talk soon,

Joey