Today, I want to stretch your mind a bit…

I’m going to throw out a concept that you’re already familiar with, but might never have thought of in this way. I call it “the -10 to +10 scale.”

Here’s the concept you’re familiar with:

There are things in our lives we are trying to get rid of or get away from, such as pain, extra weight, people, being out of debt, suffering, situations, etc. These would be the awful “-10” things.

And similarly, there are things in our lives we are striving toward, such as feeling good, sleeping good, having sufficient energy to be effective, healthy bank accounts, new vehicles, new homes, quality relationships, you name it. These would be the joyful, optimal “+10” things.

So, here’s the piece you might not have considered…

We’re all at different steps along the -10 to +10 continuum. There are some things that are REALLY awful, painful, or symptomatic in our lives we’re trying to get rid of, and there are some joys we’re optimistic about and strongly feel are achievable so we’re striving toward.

There are also some things we’re moving away from that just don’t feel good, perhaps a -4. And some things we’re striving for that we’d be satisfied to just reach a +4! If you’re like me, we don’t spend much time in the “0” area. We’re either moving away from something (a negative) or moving toward something (a positive).

The reason I share this concept with you is because…

I’ve found it a good tool for evaluating where I am in a situation.

I can assess if my focus is in the right place and use it for personal re-evaluation of the situation in the future.

I also found it works great for helping to walk in someone else’s shoes.

I use this -10 to +10 scale to better understand where someone else might be in a situation. Just for clarity, I don’t ask them, “where are you on the -10 to +10 scale??” Rather, I use it as a piece of the greater picture in getting a perspective on what’s going on in their world – with their struggles or joys.

Here’s the take away:

When you catch yourself ruminating on your life, ask yourself are you trying to get away from something? Or are you striving toward something?

And then take action to be sure your thoughts are focused in the direction you desire, because what you think about you bring about. (More about that next week!)

Jan 23 -10 to +10