The Wingman’s Path

It doesn’t matter if you find yourself waking up under a bridge.
It’s the dawn of a new day.
A perfect time to set the tone for the day.

This picture was taken this morning, right after practice.

Today’s Practice:

• One minute saying “Set the Tone” or “Setting the Tone”.
• One minute saying, “Thank you for the gifts of today”, and
• Two minutes, fifteen seconds listening to Lea Michele and Chris Colfer sing, “Happy Days are Here Again/Get Happy”.

Try them for yourself, and…

Make it a great day,

Michael

The other day, as I was out on my morning walk, this beautiful scene greeted me. Upon seeing it, the words, “It’s the dawn of a new day” slipped from my tongue.

It immediately became my ‘inner team’ building exercise, you know, a thought, emotion, action or manifestation I can practice for one minute to help me set the tone for my day.
And the tone I wanted to set is one of happy excitement.

“The dawn of a new day”, I said over and over for one minute. It felt hopeful, like the start of a new season, like anything can happen. It brought me a smile, and that’s a great tone to set.

Try it for one minute right now, and let’s see what kind of magic we can bring to your day.

To the dawn of a new day,

Michael

Our house sold quickly and we have to get out soon… so we’re having a big yard sale tomorrow,
Saturday 8/8.

Stop by (bring donuts) and say hi and have a look. We have tons of furniture, tools, kitchen and household items, and many positive energy pieces looking for a good home.

Captain’s desk and chair

Kitchenware from Thailand

Even better, my neighbor, the one with the really cool stuff, just called and will be bringing some awesome items to sell.

Our address is 20 W. Euclid Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ 08033.  The sale will be Saturday, 8/8
from 8am – 2 pm.

Btw… I’m looking for a 4 month rental that allows an old dog (not me, Monty). If you know of any, please let me know.

Looking forward to a beautiful day,
Michael

It started with my son and I, in the car for a long day of driving. We were taking some furniture from my house in South Jersey to his apartment in New York City and then back again.

We were sitting just inside the Lincoln Tunnel when our stress level was about to blow. It was then my son showed true wingman potential.

He played the song Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy by the cast of Glee (really Lea Michele and Chris Colfer) and as he did, we both started smiling.

He then played the Judy Garland/Barbara Streisand rendition and the debate was on. Maybe it’s a generational thing but he stuck by Glee and I stuck by Judy/Barbara.

Every morning since, I’ve listened to both versions back to back as I do a physical exercise routine. By the end of each of them, I’m singing and clapping my heart out. It’s been a surefire way to raise my vibration and set the tone for my day. I urge you to try it.

Click here for the Judy Barbara song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYpcFHtxm60

Click here for the Glee version.

Btw… When I sent this practice to my coaching clients, an insurance professional from South Philadelphia sent me his favorite version, a mummers parade performance.

To Getting Happy and Happy Days,

Michael

In the future, every company will have a Vice President of Positive Energy. The larger ones will have many.

People will wonder how a company flourished without one.
“What did you do when someone came in with a negative attitude, how did you stop it from permeating and sabotaging the whole company?”  And “who helped employees stay positive and happy, therefore more productive?”

Businesses will again be more like families, with employer’s helping each employee reach their optimum. When done right, the end result will be growth and prosperity for both the individual employee and the organization as a whole.

Corporations will define their culture based on the importance of their employee’s happiness. They will understand the importance of harmony, and how by helping surround their people with positivity and enthusiasm, their people will in turn, help the corporation reach it’s goals.

It’s a win-win.

This came up in conversation the other day as a business client called me his Vice President of Positive Energy. We both laughed as we looked around how much has changed at his office. Teamwork has replaced egoism, and the firm now has exciting challenges and a warm feeling of connectedness.

There’s a different “vibe” now, the office has “better energy”. 

You can feel it when you walk in the door.
And more importantly, so can his staff and clients.

The same will be said for municipalities. They will have “Directors of Positive Energy” who will help municipal workers build positive energy from the inside out. Communities will be created where there once were just cities and towns. “City Hall” will be friendly, compassionate and efficient.
Folks will stop in just to say hi.

It will be the same world, just different, with new thought processes, which will bring about tremendous success in areas of health, relationships and financial/personal security. Reduced stress will be a byproduct of all the positive energy, thereby enabling people to be happier, more creative, more productive, and more understanding.

Hmmm, maybe the future is now.

To Your Success,
Michael

The lead article on the back of Wednesday’s Daily News was about Philadelphia Eagle, Brandon Boykin.

It begins, “Brandon Boykin doesn’t want your pity.  So, a broken leg dropped him from the first round to the fourth round and cost him $5 million dollars? ‘It might be the best thing that ever happened to me’, Boykin said.”

The rain stopped, so Monte and I decided to get our short walk in quickly (yes, my ‘wingdog’ is still hanging with me as he closes in on 17).

I put the paper down with great anticipation.  I was fascinated.
As one who bleeds Eagle’s green, I’ve been thrilled by Boykin’s consistently excellent defensive play.  I’ve been equally captivated, as he goes about being a Philly fan favorite, but not necessarily a Chip Kelly favorite.  As we’ve clearly seen this recent off-season, that doesn’t bode well for his future as an Eagle.

But I was mesmerized by his quote, “It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”.

How could losing out on $5million dollars be the best thing that ever happened to him?  Is he crazy?

As Monte and I made our way through some puddles, I was reminded of a client and friend, who upon telling her daughter she had breast cancer, was told, “This might be the best thing that ever happened to you”.

Reference … https://thewingmanspath.com/when-big-c-comes-calling/

Hmmm.  I noticed a pattern.  I’d even done this practice before, but in the present tense, i.e. “This could be the best thing that ever happens to me”.

I decided more research was needed.

The hypothesis?

By thinking about events from my past, which at the time were not to my liking, and change my memories of them to, “It might have been the best thing that ever happened to me”, could I change my present reality?

Wow.  Revisionist history happens all the time, right?

Could this simple practice help me to reach into my subconcious and change negative beliefs that may have gotten lodged in there, into more positive patterns and responses?  Might it help, even the most resistant of us, to consistently seek joy in every situation?

Even those miserable events from our past?

I mean, when Brandon Boykin got hurt and lost out on being a first round pick and the money that comes with it, he was “devastated”.

“For the first time in my life I was seriously down,” Boykin said.  “Preparing to be a first round pick was all my life consisted of…”
He arrived at rookie camp humiliated.  It was then he, “realized that, once you’re here, nobody cares when you were drafted.  It’s about how hard you work”.

So Boykin went to work.  He worked harder than everyone else, even going the extra mile by taking Bikram yoga, gymnastics and stretching classes to strengthen his body and his mind.

If you’ve ever been beat down by something or had the rug pulled out from under you, it’s easy to allow it to victimize and define you.  Boykin didn’t, and I think we can all learn from him.

How?  By looking back at those “unhappy events” from our past and viewing them in the light of “It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”.

Losing that $100 million dollar deal…
“It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”.

Losing that great job…
“It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”.

Getting divorced…
“It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”.

I started looking at some of the ways my seemingly undesirable past events have shaped my thoughts and beliefs.  How they’ve helped me grow into the person I now am, with a better clarity of what’s most important in my life.

As I would say the words, “It might be the best thing that ever happened to me”, I would look for something I might have learned, something good that came from it, or anything positive I could cull from those unwanted happenings.

As Boykin now says, “You can’t focus on the outside noise, the negative comments.  You have to keep your confidence up”.  Whatever happens, I know I’ve been blessed”.

My experiment is still going on.  I do recognize how when doing my “Brandon Boykin Best Thing” practice, I’m smiling, feeling better and sending out better energy into the universe.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned on my path to being my own wingman, it’s that the universe will match my vibration and send me back that same energy tenfold.
That’s why the better it gets, the better it gets.

This weekend, think about different moments, and view them in the light of “it’s the best thing that ever happened to you”.
And have a great weekend.

Still Practicing,
Your Wingman, Michael

P.S.  A gentle reminder about this Monday’s Exploring Happiness class at 6:30 pm.

Where:  The Center, Life in Balance
43 South Main Street, Medford, NJ 08055

Cost: $20

To Register:  Call: 609-975-8379 or
Email: .
Please include your name and phone #.