A friend of mine was downsized a few years ago at the age of 52.
He was really good at what he did. The employment counsellors told him that he had a great CV, wonderful references and an impressive portfolio.
Then they told him that the phone probably wasn’t going to ring because he’d be perceived as being “too old”. They said prospective employers might think he’d want too much money, too. My friend found himself between a rock and a hard place.
As places go, there aren’t many that feel worse than that.
But then something interesting happened. His neighbour was diagnosed with brain cancer. His mother-in-law died. And slowly but surely, he began to realise that lots of people in the world had it much worse than he did.
So he made a decision to do something many of us don’t.
He decided to “focus on the small good things and keep smiling”.
And those nine simple words have changed everything. Instead of letting bitterness and negativity take hold, he has built his own business and is taking one step forward at a time.
Has it been easy? No. Has it been gratifying? Absolutely.
Those nine simple words can change everything for you, too.
All you have to do — is do what they say — day after day after day.
Focus on the small good things and keep smiling.
And watch how life begins to spin in your direction. 😇