Have you ever seen a red traffic light in the shape of a heart? When we were recently in Akureyri, Iceland, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everywhere in the city, the red stop signal is a glowing heart. At first, I thought it must be a fun tourist gimmick at just one intersection. Nope. Every single light in Akureyri shows this red heart. Why do Icelanders seem to put a little more heart into things?
The heart traffic lights were installed after the financial crisis of 2008 as a silent call for more heart in society. They are meant to put a smile on the faces of those who have to stop. What a brilliant idea. While here in Germany people are almost spammed with negative news – on the radio every 30 minutes – the Icelanders have figured out how to simply flip something negative, like a red light, into something positive.
And that would be my tip for you today: flip the negative messages in your life. Turn the dial on your radio and switch to another station as soon as the news comes on. “But Norman, then I won’t know what’s happening in the world.” Exactly. What a brilliant chance to finally focus on your own life instead of watching others live theirs.
Some of us complain about our kids being on their phones and social media all the time. “Hanging around on Facebook and Instagram all day is silly,” some think. The silly part is that you’re just watching other people live their lives while yours quietly slips by unused. And in my opinion, the same thing happens when you let negative news from all over the world into your head every day.
Because once those messages and images are in your brain, they don’t leave. Why on earth would you swallow poison every day that negatively affects your thinking? And your thinking shapes your actions. How wonderful would it be if you finally did more of what fulfills you inside? For that, you need to listen. Listen inward instead of letting the outside world drown you in negative junk.
But hey, who am I to try to talk you out of something as “great” as reading, listening to, and watching the news. You know best what’s right for you.
We, by the way, had an amazing and positive weekend with PUR at Schalke and tomorrow we’re flying to Egypt for 14 days to snorkel again with wild dolphins. What if you created your world to be just as beautiful as you want it to be? Then simply pay more attention to what you allow into your mind. Because once it’s in – it’s in. It’s almost as if your life depended on it. Because action always follows thought. But hey, no big deal. Do as you think.
By the way: Even though Iceland’s road authorities demanded the removal of the heart traffic lights (the idea is way too positive – and we can’t have that, right?), the lights in Akureyri are still there. Why? Because people there take happiness into their own hands. And in my opinion, that’s exactly what they’re doing right.
Warm regards – and may you rediscover your inner joy.
