are you a mountain mover or a mountain creator

​Here I sit. Ready to start a new day. It's just me and my thoughts. There really is no other major influence on my day at this moment.

As I think about my day ahead, my thoughts can go one of two ways.

1.) I believe this is going to be a good day. I'm going to make things happen. I have something to contribute to this day and I'm the right person to make that contribution.

2.) I can already tell this is going to be a bad day. I'm not up for making things happen. What do I have to contribute anyways? There are many people out there far more equipped to contribute to this day than me.

If you are thinking like me - number one - you are already moving mountains. Before you even step out the door, you are already clearing your path.

If your thinking is more in line with number two, without one single thing having happened yet in this day, you are building obstacles to overcome that weren't there before you got out of bed.

We spend a lot of time reading books, listening to podcasts, seeking friendly and professional counseling - we are constantly looking for tricks that will help us move the mountains in our lives.

Well, I have to break it to you, not one of those tricks will work if you don't trick your mind into believing you are in charge of what you believe about this day. Your brain is naturally inclined to warn you that mountains are coming, so your mind gets naturally inclined to telling you that you aren't a mountain climber.

And you start believing it.

When the pandemic began about 500 days or so ago, I told myself I was going to start writing something into the world each morning. I believed I had something to contribute that could help some of us weather a bit of the pandemic storm together.

What you are reading here this morning is the 457th article I've written and shared here since then.

There are mornings I've woken up and my mind has tried to tell me I don't have anything to contribute today. In that moment, I've had the chance - every single time - to say you are right, I don't.

But I have also had the chance to say, I believe I DO have something to contribute today. Screw you mind, I am going to contribute it.

Believing you have something to contribute and then contributing it, it's habit forming. Just like allowing yourself to create mountains that aren't even there is.

Here in a minute, I will be done writing this article. I'll hit the big blue post button below my writing. And then you know what I am going to do? I'm going to celebrate me. I'm literally going to say, good job Keith.

Not good job - that was brilliant. Not good job - you're changing the world. I'm going to say good job for doing what you believed you could do, and not giving in to what your mind tried to tell you that you couldn't do.

I'm going to reinforce the habit of believing in myself. We all run around looking for someone to tell us good job. Well make sure you stop and become one of the first of those someones.

Give yourself a pat on the back.

Maybe you aren't writing. Shoot, maybe your mind wants to tell you that you can't get the kids up and fed and ready for school. So when you do, pat yourself on the back for believing otherwise.

Maybe your mind is telling you that you can't get a run in today. Go run even 100 yards if you have to, just 100 yards and just for the chance to say 'screw you mind.' I believed in myself.

Then pat yourself on the back.

Our mind is a friend or it is an enemy. And not unlike how we choose all of our friends, that choice is up to us. Do I want to hang out with an enemy, or a friend.

That choice isn't a small one. In fact, it's the difference between moving mountains or creating them.

Life always seems to go better as a mountain mover.