Bridging the Gap
Closing the Divide Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be in Life AND Relationships
We love it when life works! Life is a journey, filled with twists, turns, and unexpected detours. Along the way, we all have dreams, aspirations, and desires that we hope to achieve in various aspects of our lives, especially in our relationships. Whether it's personal growth, career success, or thriving in our relationships, the distance between where we currently stand and where we want to be can sometimes feel insurmountable.
What Influences Your Choices?
Everything about your life starts with your mindset, and your approach to your life and your day. What influences your life the most is your state of mind in each moment. You are telling yourself a story and adding meaning to each life situation and experience. Your new choices will result in creating a new life.
Progress makes people Happy!
How you “THINK” about your spouse, your family, and your kids is probably what matters most when it comes to progress. In fact, the happiest and most successful families are full of individuals who see the people around them through the lens of “I believe the best in you… it’s what I choose to focus on!”
Can you imagine developing the ability to overlook what you don’t like about somebody to focus on what you do like? A highly thought of person is a highly loved person. This is fantastic news! According to the National Science Foundation, people on average have about 12,00 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Eight percent of those thoughts are negative and 95% are repetitive. These automatic thoughts shape our attitudes and actions SO MUCH, so it’s time extremely important to think about what we are thinking about.
No More Auto-Pilot
The best thing you can do for your relationships is to learn to change your mind. A growth mindset is a must for great relationships and families. Even if you’re struggling, you can start with a few reframes. And if you make these your focus and decide to reframe them, you’ll start experiencing new levels of hope and progress!
Here are some great examples of where to start:
Old Frame: It is what it is. It will never change.
Reframe: I’m open to the idea that my thinking may need some adjustments!
Old Frame: I think about what’s wrong with me
Reframe: I think about what’s right with me!
Your mindset is not a given, you get to choose, and we are excited to be part of your journey toward a thought-life that is in agreement with heaven. God’s thoughts and ways are much much higher than our ways. We become more and more like God when we think like Him. And before long, we start seeing Him, and the result is living more and more heaven here on earth. It starts with you! This is a good time to change your thoughts.
Taking a Close Look at the Present
The first step in closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be is becoming highly aware of your present state. We have formulated six questions to assess your past year that help bring discovery and understanding:
1. What are the highlights of your past year?
2. What are the harder aspects of the past year for you?
3. What did you learn about yourself over the past 12 months?
4. What are the things you want to stop doing and not bring into the next year?
5. What do you want to continue doing in the next year?
6. What do you want to start doing for real in the coming year? (In other words, what really matters to you?)
These discoveries are like a “lights-on-moment” and can act as your roadmap, guiding you toward the life and relationships you desire.
Life is unpredictable, and not everything will go as planned. Embracing adaptability means being open to change and adjusting your course when necessary. Be willing to reevaluate your goals and strategies as circumstances evolve. Always pay attention to the story you are telling yourself…you get to create the narrative!
Along the journey to bridging the gap, celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Recognizing your progress and successes can boost your motivation and self-confidence, reinforcing your commitment to your goals. Let’s prepare for 2024 to be the best year we have ever had! We love doing life with you!
Hear more about this topic on Episode #173 of the All About Relationships Podcast with Bob and Audrey.