Donβt Do that Shi!
I picked up Gary John Bishop’s book “Stop Doing That Shi*” at the airport before boarding a flight. I hadn’t heard of the book, and it wasn’t on my reading list so I had zero expectations. What a ride it was! I gobbled up the entire thing cover to cover on my journey and wanted to share some of the insights with you. As a side, Gary is from Glasgow and since my parents are Glaswegian, I enjoyed it even more as a I read through with a thick Scottish accent! :D
I had always been taught that you become what you think however Gary took it one step further and shared that you become what you say. He said that you create your reality and experiences by the narrative and language, the self-talk behind the experience. Not only that, but we also create our experiences of the future by our self-talk and then act accordingly. Um mind BLOWN - and we’re just cracking this bad boy open!
Regardless of our life experiences, it’s the way we describe that life through our language and dialogue that gives it negative or positive power.
Most of us are unaware of this dialogue and don’t give it much thought but it can be the catalyst for change, or it can drag us down. Gary points out the importance of being aware and that we cannot expect to live an extraordinary life if we’re in response mode. We have to take charge!
It starts with self-discipline. He describes it as nothing more than doing what you will say you will do, when you least feel like doing it. As a side note, I’ve shared on other blogs that this is when you build self-confidence too. When you do the tough things, the stuff you don’t want to do, this tells your brain that you’re worth it and you build more trust in yourself, thus confidence.
The challenge is that we stay stuck because the familiar is safe. We skip trying that CrossFit class because it’s easier to meet Betty for a walk around the block but deep down we know that level of activity won’t change us. We choose the familiar, and the safe and the survival mode we’re used to instead of embracing risk - the very thing that will change us and lead to an exceptional life!
Gary confirms that the irony of it all is that we feel most alive and excited about life when we’re pursuing a goal. When we're stretching our self-imposed limits and getting gritty and uncomfortable, this is when we’re in the zone, fired up and feeling most excited about life!
We can self-sabotage ourselves on this journey when we allow our past, our thoughts and language to interfere with our progress. Gary says that we tend to think “some things are possible” given past experiences and we no longer think that anything is possible.
When we find ourselves in self-sabotage mode, we can take Gary’s advice and do an Authentic Pivot. Shift your attention to something that really fires you up, invigorates you or inspires you. For me, that’s a motivational podcast, watching videos of 1stPhorm athletes, reading an inspirational book about an entrepreneur who has beaten the odds. When you and I do that pivot exercise we can focus our minds and actions back towards a path of success.
Gary recommends shedding the old way of life in a way that really resonated with me. He said, “the old way of life needs no more energy from you; in fact, it needs to be starved of attention and therefore life.” Boom! That one was a mic drop in my opinion. I’m not sure about you but I tend to go back to the past and I need to starve it, so it becomes weak enough that it dies off. We have the power to do this.
Each day we wake up, we are either moving towards or away from our dreams. So, what will you do today that future-you will thank you for?
