Years ago I was involved with a Multi-level marketing company. It wasn’t a monetary success, and I never netted a penny, but I credit it with one of the most important and life-changing lessons I have ever experienced. Are you ready? Sitting down? Taking notes? Well, you probably don’t need to, because like most really transformational lessons, it is maddeningly simple. So what is it?
Your brain, like your body, is only as healthy as what you put in it.
Most of us know that you can’t eat fast food 10 times a week and gorge yourself on soft drinks if you want to have a strong, healthy body that can withstand sicknesses. However, very few of us realize that the same it true for our brains. Yes, I am telling you to brainwash yourself. Why? Because that crap you put in your brain is nasty, and it needs a good washing.
“Hold on,” you say. “I never watch dirty stuff. I would just not do that.” Well, I’m not talking about racy material, I’m talking about the trash that gets thrown at us all day long. Like, you know – the news. NCIS. Reality TV that highlights the very worst of human nature. And it doesn’t just come from the media. Teachers’ lounge talk, any one? Maybe your sister who can’t put three sentences together without complaining. It takes its toll, just like soft drinks and hamburgers.
How it started
When I was in the MLM, one of the things they were always pushing us to do was listen to a business-related CD every single day. (Of course, the profits for this particular MLM came more from the CDs than the products, so their motives weren’t exactly pure.) I wanted to be successful, so I did it. Now, I’ve told you that I never made a penny from that company, but that one habit was probably worth more money than I could have imagined.
Changing what I put into my brain has changed how I see my life. I would listen to something inspirational and it would drown out the little voices in my head that kept telling me I could never accomplish anything really great. I would listen to a story about someone who had it way worse than I did, but just kept going, and I would find the strength to make one more phone call, or set up one more meeting.
After three years, I realized that the MLM I was working with was simply not a quality company, and I should just cut my losses and persue other avenues. However, I couldn’t quit the CD’s. I kept them in my car. I listened to them instead of the radio. And my life kept getting better. I felt happier. I was more determined.
Saying Goodbye to SVU
Then I realized that if putting good stuff into my brain made me feel better and live better, maybe I should cut out some of the crap I’d been putting in my brain. I cut out the 24-hour news loop and only watched as much as I needed to. Then I started toying with giving up Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. It was my indulgence, my guilty pleasure. I kept arguing with myself. “It’s just a show. It’s not doing any harm. It’s just entertainment.” But I knew that,watching shows about the most depraved ways humans can abuse other humans, well, for me it just wasn’t healthy. So I quit. I missed it at first, but I replaced it with positive and inspirational messages.
Now, when I’m feeling down (usually because I’ve been on FB too much and am not following my own advice to keep it positive), I have 2 or 3 go-to videos on Youtube that I watch. I also have some favorite podcasts. No matter how down I am, putting something positive in my brain gives me a boost. Does it solve all my problems? No. I’m still sad sometimes, angry sometimes, and stressed quite often. (I do have three children, remember?) But a burst of positive puts the brakes on the overwhelm. I might be sad, but I don’t get hopeless. I might be stressed, but I don’t get panicked.
Your turn
I’ve posted links to some of my favorite Youtube videos, and in future posts, I’m going to highlight some incredible speakers and podcasts you might enjoy. You might not like them as much as I do because we have different personalities and different needs, but if you start searching, you’ll find your own. We are beyond lucky to live in an age when we can access whatever we want, almost whenever or wherever we want. So stop using the power of the universe to watch cat videos. Feed your brain. Give it the good stuff. I promise, you’ll thank you.
Podcasts I L-O-V-E
Since I’m an entrepreneurship and micro business junkie, mine will tend to be business focused, but they always make me feel better, more alive, and more capable. Check out Shannon Mattern’s Pep Talks for Side Hustlers, Marie Forleo’s MarieTV, and Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy. And please, please drop a comment below about your own favorites.
Happy Monday. Remember, You’ve got this!