The first part of making amazing memories is doing amazing things, but the second part of it is REMEMBERING those things. The “Jar of Awesome,” which is a concept I got from Tim Ferriss, helps with the 2nd part of that equation — and we need that. Like David Goggins says:
“Remembering what you’ve been through and how that has strengthened your mindset can lift you out of a negative brain loop and help you bypass those weak, one-second impulses to give in. Even if you’re feeling low and beat down by life right now, I guarantee you can think of a time or two when you overcame odds and tasted success.”
The way most of us think is very “state-dependent” and what I mean by that is how we are feeling in the moment has a bigger impact on how we think, what we believe and what we remember than most people realize. If your girl did something 10 minutes ago that made you really angry and someone asked, “what is your relationship like,” you’re a lot more likely to be negative than you were earlier in the day when she was massaging your shoulders. If you’re a feeling a little down and someone asks you what kind of year you had, you are more likely to say, “It was terrible” than you would be if you were thrilled out of your mind because you just ran your first half-marathon.
So, if you’re not feeling your best, one great thing to do is to review the successes and highlights of your life. Sometimes, it may feel like those should come easy. Like this year, I went into the Statue of Liberty’s Head.