Circumstances Don’t Cause Feelings
For over a decade, I thought my feelings about my business just happened.
They felt inevitable, given the circumstances.
After all:
Customers cancelled orders
Employees made mistakes
Software wouldn’t work
Deliverables were late
Prospects didn’t sign
Numbers were down
So of course I felt:
Overwhelmed
Frustrated
Stressed
Irritated
Anxious
Tired
But the circumstances weren’t causing my feelings.
My thoughts about the circumstances caused my feelings.
Thoughts like:
We’re not going to make it
I can’t count on anyone
We needed that sale
No one does it right
Nothing ever works
Maybe it’s too late
I reacted.
I felt justified.
I was “right.”
Your Emotions Drive Business Outcomes
I didn’t realize the huge price I was paying.
Because how you feel affects what you do.
Negative emotions don’t just cost you peace—they cost you results.
When I felt frustrated, everything was harder.
When I was overwhelmed, things took longer.
When I was anxious, decisions were difficult.
This isn’t an airy fairy positive thinking post.
This is about results.
Your feelings fuel your actions.
Your actions create your results.
Choose consciously.
Here’s what to do when triggered:
Pause for the count of three.
Name the negative emotion.
Identify the thought behind it.
Ask yourself, “Will this thought create results I want?”
Refocus your mind on what you want.
Your mind creates your business.
Your emotions drive it.
