#28: The Power of Mental Diets & Controlling Environment

Reality is what you think about and act on consistently.

A Try Life On principle I talk to my coaching students about all the time.

If we understand our vision for life, attach deep emotion to it, and act to remove blockers, it stands to reason that at some point in the future it will become reality via inspired action (to deep dive this topic see Newsletter 18 at trylifeon.com).

But there’s a catch.

We are human.

Especially in today’s social media world, negative news on TV, family having constant access to you via cell phones, friends telling you schemes to get rich, etc, we're bombarded with information that is contrary to our own vision. 

...

Think about it.

The news says it’s dangerous to travel to Africa or Mideast, so you don’t go. Yet people and landscapes in those regions are magical.

Dad says you already have a good career, so you don’t start the business. Yet you’ve wanted to own and operate a coffee shop for years.

Instagram shows you everything you don’t have and everywhere you’ve not been, so you have perpetual anxiety comparing yourself to others.

Coworkers tell you make Partner. It's the pinnacle and you'll be happy. So, you focus all time on climbing the ladder but you just want a virtual job making enough money to travel and be available for family.

Decades later, you never accomplished what was in your heart and soul.

Why?

Because you allowed yourself to be driven by info having no bearing on your version of success, your version of happiness and lifestyle.

You forgot you're here to Try Life On your way, not theirs.

…

Mental Diets

A mental diet refers to controlling thoughts and focus to align with desired outcomes.

The concept is grounded in the idea that thoughts have creative power and that by consistently directing thoughts towards what you want to manifest, you can attract those desires into your life.

Here’s my example.

I’ve been reading the same 5 books for 20+ years, related to lifestyle design, finding purpose, general investing and real estate. 

Still follow their approaches after 10-20 years of finding them. I’m an expert at them and can quote pages, equations, philosophies. I earned freedom (financial, time, location) and found my purpose doing what they told me.

It's not that these are the best books. 

It’s that I AM THE BEST AT THESE BOOKS.

I made a conscious decision to accept that information. I chose to never follow the next fad, the next shiny object, the next cool approach to life. I simply executed what they told me, for decades, and stayed loyal to them.

My result is lifestyle I don’t need vacation from, built over 20+ years of executing what the books told me without interference from outside sources (aka - mental diet).

I have a designed, mobile life living between the United States and Lebanon, a good understanding of my purpose (to be in love, to be loved by communities I serve, and constant learning – hence why I travel so much and start businesses – to learn), all backed by solid financial understanding of real estate and investing. Those real estate and investing books led to 2000+ apartments, 200+ acres across 2 countries, and making solid financial decisions around 401k accounts, pensions, and general stock investing.

Family legacy because of books from a library and bookstore.

The way I look at my journey, wealth is a tool for lifestyle design (living well) and purpose (helping others live well). That's it. I found my way to Try Life On.

It was possible because, in reflection, I’ve been on a diet.

Controlling Environment

It’s not enough to select books or right information, we also need to block out non-impactful or negative information proactively.

This is what I am doing now:

1.     No news (especially negative) 

2.     No social media apps on my phone anymore. 

3.     Minimal Instagram/Facebook – I don’t want to know.

4.     Positive movies only (comedies, light spy movies, documentaries).

5.     I do post to LinkedIn. I post, engage, then delete the app until next day. 

6.     I use Do Not Disturb on my phone 9am-5pm. It never rings outside my family or key people, and there's no notifications on anything. I check it once a day or so. I’ve trained myself to not look.

Note: That last point of about cell phones has changed my life. I am no longer fixated on my phone. I know if it rings it's something important. Otherwise I simply don't look at it much anymore.

While the list above may seem foreign, I’d like you to consider the following as I explained about my journey...

Reality is what you think about and act on consistently.

Another way of saying this is your outer world is reflection of your inner thoughts. If that’s the case, allowing negative info into your mind inhibits who you want to be and what you want to feel. Your internal thoughts shape your perception of the external world.

If you see the world through a lens of abundance, opportunity, and possibility, you're more likely to notice and attract those aspects in your external reality. Conversely, if your thoughts are primarily negative or focused on lack, (which is why the news is so damaging, it’s always negative) you perceive reality reflecting those beliefs.

Your beliefs about yourself and the world can become self-fulfilling prophecies. For example, if you believe you're capable of achieving success, you're more likely to take actions that lead to success and to interpret events in a way that supports that belief. Conversely, if you believe you're destined to fail because of all the negative info you listen to, you may unwittingly sabotage efforts or miss opportunities for success.

Recognizing that your external reality is reflection of your internal thoughts empowers you to take responsibility for your life. Instead of seeing yourself as a passive victim of circumstance, you become an active creator of your reality. 

So what now?

Don’t get overwhelmed.

If you want to understand all this more than listen to Try Life On Podcast Episode 61. I explain it all in basic terms.

If you want to talk about it more, send a voice or text message to [email protected] and I’ll kick it with you.

I hope this helps you Try Life On more, your way.

Maurice