For Christmas, I got a TV. I can just imagine the look on your face right about now as you read that statement.
If you don’t know my television history, your look is probably accompanied by a question along the lines of, “and what does that have to do with me?” And if you do know my story, your reaction is either, “well, it’s about time!” Or, you are just as shocked as I was as I looked at a box, hidden in plain sight, containing a 32″ flat screen TV asking, “What’s this?” I kid you not…
In a moment, I’ll flush out what my lovely new TV has to do with you, but first some context: It’s not that I didn’t own a television (although I don’t watch it much); it’s just that I’ve had my now “old” set since 1989 – rabbit ears and all! And because I don’t have a cable subscription, I also have the digital TV converter box. Go ahead and laugh, it’s okay – 🙂
But my “old” TV worked just fine.
However, now that I have this fancy-dancy thing, I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. The picture quality is AMAZING! The colors are crisp, clear and vibrant. TV watching in my own house never looked so good.
New Year Ruminations
My Christmas present got me to thinking about clichés, comfort and paths that go unexplored.
There are two popular clichés:
ClichĂ© #1 – You can’t miss what you never had.
ClichĂ© #2 – You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
The major problem with the above is this:
What if you don’t know what you’re missing until you get what you didn’t have?
Need examples? Think about that awesome relationship where you are getting (or got) more than you asked for…in a good way! Or, think of that job that – to your surprise – surpassed your wildest dreams and expectations and is (or was) the best career move you didn’t plan.
Just like with my old TV, where (or what) in your life is working just fine – there’s nothing particularly wrong. You are quite cozy in your comfort zone. In this state, you don’t really know what you’re missing because you aren’t experiencing any pain or discomfort, which usually is what plants the seed that a change is needed.
At this time of the year, there is plenty of talk about new goals, new to-dos, and new resolutions. All declared with the intent of this year being better than ever. And in typical fashion, what triggers the desire for the “new” is that something is wrong with the current. But, what about when the “current” is cool?
What to do when your tank is full
When your tank is full, you don’t always know what you’re missing – or what to ask to discover what you’re missing to make your experience over-the-top great. Courtesy of my TV experience, here’s a suggestion to strengthen that muscle: As you reflect on the year that has passed and contemplate the year that is ahead, experiment with reframing how you create some of your 2013 goals, to-dos and resolutions.
You have probably already addressed those areas where you want a transformation from pain to pleasure or discomfort to comfort.
Now take an inventory of the areas of your life where things are rolling along just fine — they are working — and sit with the question: what would make my full tank overflow?
See, I told you my there was a connection between my new TV and you! 🙂 And here’s to hoping your New Year is off to a fantastic start, setting just the tone you want for the days to follow. Happy New Year!
p.s. if your financial tank is running on empty and debt is the culprit, register for our FREE webinar – “Got Unmanageable Debt? Tackle it With Four Small Steps & Experience Big Wins.” Click here to find out more.
