I just got off the phone with a very powerful executive who’s in charge of billions.  Several weeks ago he admitted that he was spending most of his day being angry about a certification that he had signed up to receive.  The certification was important.  It will give him even more credibility in his industry but he was pissed off every time he studied.

“I’m resisting it.  I signed up for it.  I don’t have to do it and I hate every minute of it.” he told me.

My thought process on this is simple:  What is the future you are trying to avoid?  Because if you feel bad about it today, The Drunk Monkey (your mind) is spending time fantasizing about a negative future.

He replied, “I am afraid I will take this test and not pass it.  Then I will have wasted a lot of my time for nothing.  Plus I will feel like a failure.  Plus I hate this subject and I don’t even know why I decided to get this certification” and on and on he went.

“Is that what you are committed to?” I asked him.  Of course his answer was no.

“What is the best possible outcome?” I asked him.  He told me a glorious story of victory and recognition.

The Life Coaching process is often just helping the client see the same thing in a more empowering context.  He got it and it changed everything.

When I spoke with him today, he was on fire.  “I’m studying, I’m doing what it takes and it feels great!  I know I’m going to pass.  I’m doing it because I said I would do it and I know how to do hard things.  I’m not going to let my monkey mind run the show!” he said to me today.

He went on to say, “It’s bizarre!  All I did was change my point of view.  A few weeks ago I would spend all day lamenting the fact that I had to go home and study for this test.  When I would get home I would spend several hours avoiding it.  When I finally went into my home office to study, I felt like a prisoner.  Today I am enjoying the process.”

Your attitude today is a function of the future you are present to.

Is there anything you are lamenting or feeling upset about?  What is the future you are allowing The Drunk Monkey (your mind) to avoid?  What is the future you are truly committed to?

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