I could not resist the visual of what I saw last night.. Putting aside the styrofoam and plastic that is horrible for the environment… I started thinking about the TRASH that accumulates in my own life…

Trash in our lives can be a broad term. It can encompass negative attitudes, negative thoughts and things that impact our lives. Some is self-inflicted and other times trash can be dumped on us by others, co-workers, friends and even family.

There is a living land fill that we ourselves are responsible for everyday. Our Attitudes and Actions will ultimately shape who we become in our lifetimes. So how does this involve business? How do we begin to take out the Trash. Let’s start with 3 simple principles:

1. TRASH must be SEEN: We have the tendency to sweep issues “under the rug”… We avoid the trash that impacted us in a negative way. Harsh criticism of our job performance, negative comments about the way we dress or act. How many hurtful things can you think of right now?? Most of us could think of at least 3 things within the last month that occurred in either life or business. Start today by identifying what TRASH is weighing you down and accummulating under the rug or in a closet.

2. TRASH must be EMPTIED: Let’s use the 3 items you just thought of… Write them down on a piece of paper… Go ahead, I will wait…

Now that you have written them down… Do any involve comments from another person? FORGIVE them now… Email or call them and let them know what they said was hurtful to you and you wanted to forgive them for it.

Was it a negative event in your life or a task at work? Take that and get rid of it except for the lesson learned. In the sports arena it is said that the best quarterback never remembers… The quarterback ONLY lives in the present…

Take your 3 items that were written down and now put them in the trash can outside of the house. You have now emptied them from your mind, your body and your life. Today we will start living in the present.

3. TRASH must be REPLACED: Our lives must be lived in balance. Now you have just freed yourself. You now have more time to think of things that can positively impact you and others. You can now focus on the task at hand forgetting the last mistake on a business deal or with your boss. You are the quarterback of all your situations. Write down 3 things you will spend time on this week:

1. Spend 2 hours with my children. 2. Spend an hour each day working out. 3. 15 minutes of meditation before beginning each day.

It does not matter what your new items are… the BEST part is that you have SEEN the trash, EMPTIED the trash and now REPLACED it with things that will make a better you, a better day and a better life.