86,400 Seconds Each Day
“Each day comes bearing its own gifts; untie the ribbons” (Ruth Ann Schabaker).
How are you planning to start your day today? Are you looking at today as an opportunity to make a change in your own life or someone else’s life? Is today a chance to find something new, wonderful and meaningful just around the corner? Will you find an endless array of “gifts” just waiting to be opened? Open your eyes and spend even just a minute or two being grateful for where you are and who you are, appreciating the fact that you exist and that limitless options are available to you. It is then that you will truly experience the true gift of today.
Recently, I read an article about the part of the brain known as the “mirror neuron system”. One way this part of the brain gets activated is when we closely watch others. Interestingly, the brain sees other people as reflections of themselves as though they are looking in a mirror. This can explain why when someone smiles, we smile back; or if someone is sad, we feel sad; or if someone is crying we may cry. Our mirror neurons fire as though we are feeling the emotions that we are observing or are being exposed to.
After thinking a bit more about mirror neurons, I began to wonder how this brain system may impact our lives in other ways. If I mimic what I am consistently experiencing or exposed to, how might it impact me by choices I make about my social networks? Should I be more thoughtful about the choices I am making as it relates to the people with whom I spend time and the environments to which I am exposed? If the thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences and our world; then surely who and what I consistently surround myself with will have a significant impact on who I become.
“Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel. Energies are contagious” (Rachel Wolchin). People can inspire you or they can drain you. Choose your company wisely. Another quote I came across on this very topic was from Jim Rohn. He states, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. This quote can stop you in your tracks and make you think long and hard about where and with whom you spend your time.
The people you spend most of your time with influence your behavior, attitudes and results. They can have a significant impact on what you think, say and do and thus, shape who you are or who you are becoming. They affect the conversations that dominate your attention, and the attitudes and behaviors to which you are exposed; so eventually, you will start to think and behave like those around you (remember the mirror neuron system). According to research done by social psychologist, Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95% of your success or failure in life.
What do you want your life to be like? What are the goals you are trying to accomplish? What are the dreams you want to achieve? Each day you are given 86,400 seconds to spend however you choose. You cannot carry over any of this precious time from one day to the next. So, how will you actively construct your environment to contain the life-philosophies you want to be exposed to in your life? Who are the people you will choose to surround yourself with that will affect you with the right behaviors and attitudes for happiness and success?
If you are a product of your surroundings and the people you surround yourself with, then you need to make the decision to surround yourself with excellence. Find people who elevate you. Choose events that inspire you. Embrace habits that improve you. It is true that you only live once. It is true that you will only receive 86,400 seconds each day. And, it is also true that your actions and the actions of others will powerfully impact you for the rest of your life. So, make choices that help you soar. Make the most of your life each day.
