Are you being distracted by the smell of elephant dung?
Are you being distracted by the smell of elephant dung?
Or are you able to enjoy your surroundings?
Douglas Ainsley, a character played by actor Bill Nighy in the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, returns to the dilapidated Indian hotel that he hopes to see out his retirement in.
He strolls in and sees his wife, Jean (Penelope Wilton) talking to retired High Court Judge, Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson).
“I went to the temple you told me about – a place of meditation and peace – it was quite stunning!” Douglas tells Graham.
“So spiritual, I bet you never noticed the smell of elephant dung!!!” replies his disenchanted wife.
Are you satisfied with a bad situation?
In a recent visit to a local high school, I was speaking to the students about the inevitability of failing in life. Leveraging the material that was developed for the YouthMAX program, I referenced the information share in his book, Failing Forward, where John Maxwell talks about failure being an “inside job”.
For many of us living in a Western culture, there is a belief that contentment comes from attaining material possessions or positions of power. I challenged the young people in my audience to picture themselves as if they were facing the stark contrast of life in India, where some of these Western icons and trophies were not readily available.
Would they, like Douglas, be able to enjoy the beauty of the temple without being distracted by the smell of the elephant dung?
What does it take to keep you content?
Contentment comes from having a positive attitude. I shared five things that John Maxwell encourages us to consider to help us become content in life:
1. Expecting the best in everything – not the worst.
2. Remaining upbeat – even when you get beat up.
3. Seeing solutions in every problem – not problems in every solution.
4. Believing in yourself – even when others believe you’ve failed.
5. Holding on to hope – even when others say it’s hopeless.
Like the young people I was speaking to, I encourage you to hold on to the vision of what surrounds you and not to get distracted by the smell of the elephant dung!
About the Author:
Elias Kanaris has a dream to create a space where people leave the mindset of ‘self-limiting beliefs’ and transition to the mindset of ‘exceeding abundance’, where they gain the freedom and power to multiply significant value into others who need their help. He is committed to providing values-based Coaching, Training and Mentoring to passionate, smart and ambitious people around the world. His goal is to positively impact 1 Million households around the world and to help people who want to take control of their lives and fulfill their God-given potential.
You may contact Elias at http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/eliaskanaris.