Copyright 2003 Kevin Stacey. All rights reserved.

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In this issue:

1. Monthly Article: Annoying Flies
2. About the author.
3. Privacy statement.
4. Subscription information.

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1. Annoying Flies.

I recently returned from a relaxing vacation in a lush tropical setting. During the trip, while I was sitting poolside surrounded by all sorts of natural tropical beauty, I marveled in my surroundings and reflected on what a wonderful moment it was. The moment was perfect, except for one thing - those pesky little flies with the green heads that kept harassing me. I’d swat at them and they would come back. I’d swat at them again and they would come back again. This went on for awhile in an annoying manner until I considered leaving. Before I did, however, I caught myself and said, "Wait a minute. Look at this place and how beautiful it is. How sad it would be if I let these little flies be the major story here and ruin this for me." I resolved to lie back down, relax and stop giving the flies all of my attention. When I stopped fighting with them an amazing thing happened - they would just land and quickly go away. Within a few minutes I stopped noticing them completely.

On the plane ride home, I started to think about all the work I had to do upon arrival, and immediately I started to feel anxious. Thinking about my time on the island, it dawned on me how similar those pesky little flies are to the thoughts in our heads. Thousands of random thoughts pop into our consciousness on a daily basis, and if we’re not careful we can allow any one of them to become a major "story." When this happens, it ruins the present moment for us, and most of the time there is no benefit to dwelling on any of these anxiety producing thoughts. I always have to remind myself that it’s not the people and situations in my life that I find upsetting, it’s my thoughts about them. The people and situations are neutral, neither positive nor negative, and they have no emotional charge.

I think we all have to question ourselves about our relationship with our own thoughts. Sadly, far too many people are not self-aware enough to recognize their own thinking and realize that a thought is just a thought. It has no power over you unless you give it some. A thought can’t grow unless you give it your attention. Too many people let a random thought about some future possibility become a mental snowball. Then they find themselves stuck in analysis paralysis and inflicting self-induced pain. For a small percentage of your thoughts, especially the repetitive ones, it may help to investigate them further by writing them out to help gain clarity on what you need to do about the situation. However, for most of the random junk in our heads, especially the things we can’t control or do anything about, we have to treat it just like the flies. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t let it ruin your peace of mind and all of the good things in your life that you may be overlooking when you focus on the negative. Remember that when you stop paying attention to thoughts and stop fighting them, they will go away, leaving room for thoughts of what is good and positive in your life.

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2. Kevin Stacey is a professional speaker/trainer who works with organizations that want to enhance their bottom line by investing in their most important resource, their people, through training programs that increase their effectiveness and eliminate negativity and self-induced problems. He develops and delivers captivating programs packed with practical information that seminar participants can immediately put to use. With an extensive background in clinical healthcare through both civilian and military settings and the managed care industry, he has developed a variety of training programs and 300 professional speaking engagements for over 8,000 audience members throughout the United States and internationally. 
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Contact Information:
Kevin M. Stacey

TrainRight, Inc.

222 Samuel Drive

Whitinsville, MA 01588

1-800-603-7168

E-mail: Kevin@KevinStacey.com

Web: www.KevinStacey.com or www.TrainRightInc.com

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For a free consulting call to determine the most appropriate customized training program for your organization and its particular challenges, call 1-800-603-7168.

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Click below for the curriculum/program highlights of Kevin’s corporate training programs:

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3. PRIVACY STATEMENT: Your name or e-mail address will never be distributed, sold, traded, or rented, to anyone without your permission.

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4. Subscription Information
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© Copyright 2003 Kevin Stacey/TrainRight, Inc.

This newsletter and its content are proprietary products. All rights reserved. I encourage sharing this newsletter in whole if copyright and attribution are always included.