Don Loyd
I love sales. I love the interaction with people and the game of salesmanship – the art of educating a prospect and meeting needs.
You do, too. Or you would be in another line of work.
All too often, however, we lose sight of the real goal. Many of us think that success is reaching a new sales volume or gaining more recognition.
I’ve observed that most people, including sales people, just want to be happy. They are eager to discover an inner calmness and enjoy the freedom that comes from controlling their negative worrying. They want to find peace while in the middle of a storm.
They want to be able to sleep at night. They want peace of mind.
To make any progress in this arena you have to first describe what peace of mind is. Here’s my suggestion: Peace of mind is really an inner calmness resulting in a feeling of inner tranquility. When that is achieved, you discover a freedom that comes as worries collapse and stress is relieved.
I’ll share with you seven steps I use to find peace of mind. Perhaps my experience will assist you in your quest to find that illusive peace.
1. The choices you make, and the actions you take, are the basis for much of your stress and strain. Take personal responsibility for your choices and learn from situations that surround you. Recognize that stress, strain, fear, and all that goes with those, is a normal, human experience – but they are controllable if you execute power over them.
2. Believe that you can create a new confidence by changing your mindset. Your job is to fashion a habit of controlling your thought processes by using positive affirmations in your self-talk. Fortunately, this is in your control.
3. Honestly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and accept what you cannot change. When you face circumstances out of your control, just do the best you can and move forward. You might want to create a mastermind group to help fill in the areas in which you are weak and supply positive support.
4. It’s not always possible to change the inconveniences and irritations we face very day. If you aren’t careful, they will keep you stirred up and stressed out. If it’s within your power to change them, do so. But if you cannot change them, learn how to willingly accept those as part of living and move forward.
5. Stay away from negative people and negative conversations. They will only amplify your stress and feeling of vulnerability. Surround yourself with positive minded people.
6. When someone does or says something awful to you, quickly deal with the incident as positively as possible and let it go. Since you can only think of one thing at a time, remember if you spend time holding a grudge, that person to whom your bitterness is focused is controlling you. Learn lessons from events, but bring to an end ruminating the past and focus on the present and future.
7. Don’t take everything personally. Most of the things said by others are spoken without thought. When someone spouts off, or acts indifferently, they are saying more about themselves than they are you. The result of embracing this principle is you practicing patience – a very good virtue to embrace.
Finally, remember that you are in control. The important issue is how you address those things in your control. I encourage you to make the most of what you have and not be fretful about what you think is missing.
Coach John Wooden reminds us that: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
