What You Focus on Colors Your World: A Timely Life Lesson From "Tammy Faye"

Who IS That?

In case you didn't know, Tammy Faye Bakker was an outspoken televangelist who was in her heyday in the 1970's and 1980's along with her husband, Jim Bakker.

For entrepreneurs reading this, it's worth mentioning that together (starting in an abandoned furniture store) they created the PTL Club and Heritage USA, a retreat and theme park that ranked right alongside Disney World and Disneyland as one of the most popular in the U.S. at the time.

Tammy Faye was known for her emotionalism and sensitivity as much as outlandish glamour and theatrical makeup that often tangled with her tears.

I bought my mom a greeting card featuring a true-to-life Tammy Faye parody a long time ago. It features pictures of her heavily made-up face with her signature black mascara stained tears as she's Kleenex dabbing her eyes with colorful long-nailed fingertips.

The words on the card are: "Laugh and the World Laughs With You. Cry and You Look Like _____."

To this day, if I see it sitting on the table by my mom's chair where she has her morning tea, I know something's definitely not right in her world and she's pulled out some positive reinforcement for an attitude adjust in working it through.
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A Breath of Fresh Air

We've all been saturated with "uncertain," "unprecedented," and "challenging"– soaked with facts, figures, and statistics while feeling the impact of what's going on in the world. The effects on us all don't need repeating.

​This week I was in a Zoom meeting with some business friends. The leader of the group started with this timeless quote:

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about these things."

It's a great reminder.
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One of the most powerful principles you can apply in your life is to remember that what you focus on expands. Feed something that's upsetting in your world with your energy by thinking and talking about it unnecessarily and it grows. Withdraw your energy, and it fades in importance like a Round-Up blasted dandelion.

One of the guys in the meeting, who happens to own an employment agency, said how important it is to acknowledge the good in someone [or something] when you see it. Seemingly simple things can make a huge difference. Putting your attention on the good brings out more – not only from the person who's getting the positive reinforcement – but for yourself because you've dialed into noticing that good.

A Focus Shift Exercise for You:

​Because it's one thing to read something and another to experience it, here's a simple exercise you can do for yourself:

1. What's going on in your life that's bothering you? Whether it's a personal or work situation, rate how you're feeling right now on a scale of 1 - 5 with 1 being "I'm in the pits" and 5 being "I'm pretty okay."

2. Whatever you're rating, take some time to reflect on whatever you find noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, or more simply stated – positive – in that situation. Whether it's about someone or something, give it some time to sink in, be it for an hour or a day.

Then check in again with how you're feeling.

Has it changed?

___________

Takeaway:

The Tammy Faye card throws some humor at Laugh and The World Laughs With You, Cry and You Look Like you know what (actual words are "cry and you cry alone").

​You choose what you decide to focus on. The results of that choice will be reflected in your world through your own sense of mental and emotional well-being.