#495 Conquering Hero vs. Suffering Martyr

In our last +1, we talked about the science of daydreaming. Quick recap: Stay out of the “poor attention control” and “guilty-dysphoric” realms and in the “positive-constructive” mode.

Here’s another way to think about it. (Thanks again to Manoush Zomorodi!)

When your mind is wandering and you’re kinda randomly thinking about your life, do you imagine yourself as the CONQUERING HERO of your own story (positive-constructive!) or the SUFFERING MARTYR (guilty-dysphoric) of the story?

It’s a big distinction.

We want to get REALLY (!) good at noticing when we’re falling into the “woe is me” helpless Victim orientation and SHIFT it into the “Let’s do this!!” Creator orientation.

How?

Well, again, what do you think we’re doing with all these +1s? 🤓 🤠 🦄

I’m basically trying to give you a super-stocked toolshed/armory of tools and weapons and tips and tricks and hacks you can use THE MOMENT you find yourself losing your connection from the best version of yourself.

It all starts with mastering our fundamentals: eat! move! sleep! breathe! (Ever notice how the martyr shows up a LOT more when you’re TIRED? Me, too. That’s why Vince Lombardi says that “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”)

Let’s actually keep things simple and focus there today.

Do you know your #1 Self-Care Habit?

Is it eating well? Exercising? Sleeping? Meditating? Doing deep work? Helping others? …? …?

What’s the thing that, if you DON’T do it, pretty much guarantees a sub-optimal day? (For me it is, unquestionably, getting a good night of sleep.)

You?

This is my #1 Self-Care Habit: ______________.

This is the #1 thing I can do to Optimize it Today: ________________.

That is all.

Here’s to doing the things that help the Conquering Hero show up more and more consistently.

And, here’s to stepping back and looking at the fundamentals whenever we get a little Whiney-Martyr wobbly!

+1. +1. +1.

🤓 🤠 🦄