The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

Marcus Aurelius

It can be easy to get caught up in the moment and overestimate the depth or impact of failure. Most of the time it’s a complete non-issue. Move on. Other times, when life really does throw you a giant mess, we are presented a couple zones to live in:

1. Wallow in your defeat - engage in self-loathing, victimhood & worst of all: resentment

2. Embrace your fate - identify that what happened sucks, identify your next steps, take action.

Life is not binary. Many of us will do a combination of 1 and 2.

A few months ago I learned the concept of Amor Fati - Latin for: “love of one’s fate.”

So here’s the reframe…

When life inevitably becomes difficult and the chains of despair start to clamp down on your limbs - try asking yourself 2 questions:

1. Is this as bad as I am making it out to be?

2. What are my opportunities given the present circumstances?

Last week I sent out an email with a link to my community and the hosting website was down. I’ve spent a good amount of time working on the website’s content + aesthetics. I was angry and frustrated seeing the clicks take people here:

I took about 10 minutes to hang out in Zone 1. I thought to myself:

“This website was built by pathetic losers. Who lets a website go down for 1/2 an hour? They suck at their job.”

I was hot. This mindset wasn’t helping though.

Then I reframed:

Is this as bad as I am making it out to be? I have a handful of subscribers, a community I’m still working hard on and nothing but my own perception of the issue holding me back. This is not a global release, for goodness sake. 😅

TLDR: put the ego aside, Tobias. You’re not that important.

What are my opportunities given the present circumstances? Get back to work: write about this, create and keep trying to grow with value-added behaviors and content.

TLDR: do something.

My anger was gone after 10 minutes. I used the energy and redirected it into the newsletter you’re reading now.

That creative energy led to another project being completed.

Then another after that. Compound interest is real.

When you let negativity pile up, you become a vessel of bad energy. You will feel it most acutely inside you, but believe me - others around you will feel it too.

Know someone who perpetually gives off terrible energy? The bad energy isn’t just because they didn’t get their morning coffee. You are feeling a lifetime of hatred, self loathing and resentment. A tortured soul.

Reframe, redirect. While you still can, at least.

Reframe + Redirect

This past week I was very intentional about using the reframe & redirect strategy whenever my mind decided to try and sabotage my productivity. I ended up having some very positive business meetings and my creative output skyrocketed… all while also battling a minor cold.

Just a little shift in mindset can do wonders.

Zooming out from your emotions is very difficult. Sitting with them is easy. It doesn’t mean being numb. It just means you can identify your pent up energy and use it towards something good. You have far more control than you think.

I refuse to believe I don’t have control or choice over what happens. I don’t take too much stock in that resentful, cynical narrative of the ‘illusion of choice.’ You can control where you direct your energy. Choose wisely.

Conclusion

I hope you are able to spend some time diving into something that really fulfills you. I hope you are able to reframe & redirect when you encounter hardship this upcoming week. Remember, you have so much control and so much power inside you. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from directing that energy towards something beautiful. Don’t wait until the New Year to direct your energy into something positive. Start right now. You can do it.

See you next Sunday, dear friends.

Tobes