It is very easy to focus on the negative.

What I do not want to do.

What I do not like.

It is more difficult to name what I want.

Take for example your work environment.

Ask yourself, what do I want from work?

Maybe your mind gives you statements in the form of:

• I want fulfilling work.

• I want to make enough money.

• I want to have enough free time outside of work.

Alternatively, maybe your mind is like mine was yesterday:

• I do not want to pursue boring projects.

• I do not want to work with toxic people.

• I do not want to give up all of my time.

It is much easier for the mind to highlight all of the things it does not like.

The real growth opportunity is in the areas of things where there is resonance.

I know that I want fulfilling work.

So, what components of my role do I find fulfilling?

Who at my company can I talk to about getting more of that type of work?

What skills do I need to develop for more opportunities in that domain?

There are many actionable components to this question.

In comparison to the - I do not want to work with toxic people.

Which we can agree, is a good baseline objective.

So you join a company, and you realize some of the people have toxic behavior patterns.

You can nudge them in the direction you want.

You can also leave the company.

The grass may or may not be greener, but the next company will still have people.

And we humans are imperfect.

Instead of focusing on all the external parts of my life where there is dissonance, I can repeatedly ask the question, "What do I want?"

Through my meditation on this question, opportunities for action each day will present themselves.

This is a much healthier loop in comparison to showing up to another day at the job with the boss, whom my mind always offers new complaints about each time they make a questionable comment.

I cannot control the words coming out of their mouth.

I can ask the colleague that I find inspiring about a question I think they could help with.

I can develop and then sell skills in the marketplace that earn me enough money.

I can say no to projects that I will not be able to deliver on.

Each actionable path requires energy.

Every time I get stuck in the negative loop around something I do not like, but I will not do anything about it, I waste this precious energy.

This mental loop is deep, so I imagine it will take time to break.

I know I have escaped it before, and so I know I can do so again.

Many areas of life offer this opportunity - to be trapped in the negative loop, to realize you are there (sometimes through the help of a teacher), and then to take action.

Through consistent attention and working towards positive mental habits, my neurochemistry will shift.

Where are you focusing on the `I need to` and `I do not want to`?

What can you shift this style of thinking towards?