When it comes to finding a home at the right address, estate agents emphasise the importance of, “Location, location, location.”
They believe that it’s important for you to live at the best address possible.
No-one disputes the advantages of living in the right city, the right suburb and even he right street, because a good physical address will result in a better return when you sell the house. But if you think your physical address is important, consider the importance of your mental address.
A good physical address is therefore worthwhile, but it’s not going to actually help you achieve anything in life. There’s another address you need to make sure is a good address. This address will either help you achieve more with your life, or it will be a stumbling block to any dreams and ambitions you may have. This address will in fact in all probability determine your physical address of a few years’ time.
It’s where you live mentally that’s going to determine your physical address in the future.
What or where is your mental address? Where are you staying in your mind? Is your mental address in a run down neighbourhood, littered with junk and in a state of general decay? Or is it in a really great place – well maintained, pleasant, attractive and a really good place to be?
No-one else but you determines your mental address. You might blame your boss, your partner, your family circumstances, your background and a host of other people and things for your physical address, but you can blame nobody for where you’re staying mentally. That’s an address only you choose.
Your mental address is determined by your attitude to life and to the circumstances you face. Life consists of a blend of pain and pleasure. The person who expects only pleasure out of life is setting themself up for frustration, disappointment and possibly depression. No-one, no matter who they are, can avoid having to deal with pain of some sort in their lives.
So don’t be angry when you encounter pain. Realise that it’s an opportunity to grow yourself into somebody bigger than who you currently are. I’m not talking only of physical pain but also of emotional pain.
While this may sound like cold comfort, I can assure you, based on hindsight in my own life, that I can now see the benefits of times when I experienced certain pain. I am now consciously thankful for what I went through because of what I learnt as a result of those times.
Whether the pain is personal pain in the form of relationships, health, finance, personal emotions or any number of other things or whether the pain is a professional pain in the workplace, which ever it is, don’t try to ignore or avoid it. Face it head on and do what is necessary to overcome the circumstances.
By allowing things to get out of hand and living in denial, you give the pain opportunity to increase its power over you.
When you turn and face the pain, you start a process that helps you clean up your mental neighbourhood. Tidying up your mind is the first step to tidying up your life.
So start looking to change your address so you can live at a much better mental address. And, in the process of moving house, do a spring clean as well. Clean out the junk at your current mental address and start preparing right now for a better future for yourself, your career and your company.
Alan Hosking is the publisher of HR Future magazine, www.hrfuture.net, @HRFuturemag, and a professional speaker. He assists executives to prevent, reverse and delay ageing, and achieve self-mastery so that they can live and lead with greatness.
