The Turnaround

The other day, a dear friend really wanted to vent. But she’s been studying the Law of Attraction, so she knew she didn’t want to put a whole lot of focus on what she doesn’t want. Yet she was still sorely tempted to rant in the form of a Top 5 list. 

She asked for advice.

I suggested that she do a sort of turnaround: Write down the Top 5 things she was tempted to rant about. Acknowledge them. Then put them to their true use, which is both valuable and powerful: Recognize that each of these things is something she doesn’t want. Then turn each one around by writing next to it what it is that she really does want.

This is a great technique to use whenever you find yourself seduced by—that is, focused powerfully, perhaps even feeling stuck on—a “problem,” an “issue,” a “concern” or some other Don’t Want.

So, how do you do a turnaround? In many cases, it will be different for each person. 

Let’s say your powerful Don’t Want is to be stuck in horrendous traffic on the way home from work. 

There are lots of potential turnarounds, such as:  

• I Do Want to enjoy the alone time on my commute by listening to educational or inspiring CDs or by singing along to great music.
• I Do Want to enjoy ease and flow on my commute and feel inspired to leave work at just the right time.
• I Do Want to enjoy work that I can do from home (thereby letting go of the commute entirely).

I’m sure you can think of plenty of other Do Wants, some of which would really please you, and some not as much. The key is to choose a Do Want that feels really powerful to you. 

In the case of my dear friend, one of her Top 5 Don’t Wants was: Being my own worst enemy. How would you turn that around? 

How about:  

• I Do Want to be my own best friend.
• I Do Want to be my own biggest fan.
• I Do Want to allow myself to succeed.
• I Do Want to believe in myself.
• I Do Want to recognize my own value and worthiness.

Does one of these ring true for you? Or can you come up with a turnaround that feels even better?

I think this is a really fun technique, and I’d love to hear how it works for you. The next time you find yourself in the mood to rant, vent or otherwise focus powerfully on something you don’t want, try doing the turnaround. Then focus just as powerfully on whatever it is you do want, and watch your mood—and your life—improve.