What a wonderful week I had. Lots of sun, great conversations and great experiences. Have you had a great week as well? Maybe not. Yesterday I called a dear friend and asked “How are you?” Her answer: “… (pause) … (laugh) … I would like to avoid the question …”

 So, let’s assume you’ve been doing just like her in the last few days. Here are some guesses as to what was going on. Your employees suddenly have the requirements that they want to keep the home office concept. However, you don’t want that. Or your suppliers can’t deliver and your customers are giving you hell. Or your significant other (if she’s still there) has “these days of the month” and her mood at home is therefore routinely a bit explosive, because you’re doing everything wrong anyway. And even if none of that happened to you, you may have heard too much news and could just vomit day in, day out.

“Norman, is there a 1×1 for a happy life?” Yes, there is. And it starts with the most important thing. It is called gratitude. Maybe you saw my video about gratitude on Friday. 

Today I am giving you the most useful exercise to be happier and more satisfied. By the way, that is what I do every day. Here is your new favorite phrase:

Imagine it’s the last time you do XY.

What do I mean by that; After our cruise and washing the children’s clothes, they needed to be folded and ironed. Did I feel like it? Nope. And I used the sentence:

“Norman, if you knew it is the last time you would fold these clothes, how would you do it?”

Now I started to play with that thought. Only one more time I fold the T-shirts and pants. Would I just toss them careless in the closet? No. I had a different feeling about it. I did everything with much more joy, love and fond memories of the time with the children. I had a smile on my face. I touched the fabric more consciously, creased the sleeves more carefully and folded them up. Imagining when the children would take these clothes out of the closet tomorrow, they too would know that dad folded them for the last time.

That’s exactly what you’re going to do for the next 10 days. In every activity you do. Every meeting. Every purchase. Every drive. Any dispute. Just anytime. If it was the last time you’d see your significant other, would you really argue? Hours of anger about nothing and then (having to) drag yourself to the couch offended? I don’t think you would do that on the last day of your life. You would swap “I want to be right” with “I just want to be happy in this (last) moment”. You’d take her in your arms and just hold her tight to your heart.

You will change yourself in a way that you have never changed before. You suddenly get into a relationship with the things you are doing instead of just doing them while thinking about yesterday or tomorrow. We humans often value something when we know that we have lost or going to lose it. Why wait for it? Do it for 10 days and then see how your approach to life has changed. That also changes life itself, because you deal with everything out there differently. So, everything out there treats you differently as well. Just “play” this exercise over and over.

If you can’t do this on your own, get in touch with me. I will help you to get things rolling your way.

Have the best week of your life and enjoy everything, really everything, that happens to you in every second. Because it is the “last time” that it will happen. 

In deep gratitude that you are in my life.