I know, the S&P 500 is a stock index, but in our house it means Salt and Pepper — usually for our avocado toast.
Some people would call me uninformed or silly or living in La La Land, but I really believe that what we focus on we create. So stock exchange turmoil, uncertainty and other news-related things are not playing in our house. We do keep an eye on what we think is important and study our industry news to make sure we are experts in our areas of business, but we have not had “TV” since we moved to the sailboat in 2011. That means bye-bye commercials and local full-of-fear news.
I say “TV” with quotes because we have been known to binge watch our favorite Netflix series and HBO’s Game of Thrones (the best show eva!). But recently we even said goodbye to those too. There is a whole lotta nada offered in watching TV, excluding a good documentary or “Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru,” we just find it difficult to find value in getting sucked into the world’s issues.
I have friends who were drastically effected by the last two presidential elections. I get it; what you want for this world is not what you are seeing unfold, and it is shocking. Instead of focusing on the shock and awe, look where you are standing. Who is around you? Can you effect change with your neighbor or your child? Can you make micro choices every day that lean into what you want and make change on a macro level?
Step back and see the bigger picture, how short term it all is. Remember that you create your reality and what you focus on you create, so when you can’t stop talking about how much the S&P fell an how much you lost, you may just be setting yourself up for even greater loss.
Try focusing on what matters at your core — your truest self. It’s probably the simple things like your family, your friends, your health. Find gratitude and a smile for whatever is going on around you every day. Gratitude is an amazing gift and can lift you up no matter what. So turn off the news and pick up your favorite book or your favorite child and settle in to feeling grateful.
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