Personal Message Makeover

My former colleague Peter often said "What is your message?" when someone walked into his office. It always brought a chuckle when he said that.

Whether we realize it or not, we are sending an ongoing message to the world, to our co-workers, our friends, our family, and others with whom we come in contact. When I think of the past year, I know I have sent a message of loss ... lost best friend, lost aunt, lost job, failed romance, and most recently, lost dog.

Think about it ... what message do you send to the world? Is it negative? I once knew a person whose message was "I'm small and sick, so please feel sorry for me or leave me alone." Some have a constant message "I want you to realize how stupid the [other] party is." Or is your message positive? I have a friend who is excited for every day, because she is re-learning to walk. Some of my yoga teachers pronounce life "amazing." Maybe your message is neither positive nor negative, but it ends up being hurtful to loved ones. "I'm very busy" would summarize the ongoing life message sent by a few people I have known.

Ask those closest to you what message you send. If your message is negative, you may want to re-frame it. For example ... amidst my losses, there have also been some amazing gains ...

Your message to the world is what people will remember about you tomorrow, next week, and next year. Think about how powerful that is! And then ... do something about it.