Punch Buggy

When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.

Seneca

Did you ever play Punch Buggy as a kid? This is the game where if you saw a VW Beetle you would punch the nearest friend or family member and yell, “PUNCH BUGGY” at the top of your lungs.

As you played the game you began to see more and more VW Bugs while you were out driving. These cars weren’t magically taking over the road, you simply started to notice them. There was now a reason to!

The same awareness is employed by our subconscious mind when we take a look at our own growth as individuals. What we choose to see in ourselves becomes the foundation for who we believe we are.

It’s easy to get caught up in our failures and mistakes. We act when we shouldn’t. We don’t act when we should. We re-live conversations, finely tuning the perfect argument of what we should’ve said. These are often the usual shower thoughts.

Long story short: The cars we see on our mental road are examples of when we haven’t been at our best.

And just like noticing more VW Bugs while playing Punch Buggy, we have the power to influence what our subconscious mind focuses on.

We are who we chose to be, so we should be careful who we choose to be.

Victor Stretcher

Take a moment. Who do you want to be 5 years from now?

Who do I want to become? How do I want to act? What values have I worked to master? Am I healthy and financially abundant? Am I passionate about my purpose in life?

Each day this answer changes but many of the same core values remain. I picture the man I’m becoming is open to the universe, grateful for each moment and the lessons it has to offer. I’m confident, caring, humble, gentle, disciplined, and forgiving. I don’t take myself too seriously but I work hard at what I care about.

So I ask myself this: Why can’t I be this man now?

If I’m upset with someone I can pause to think about what my ideal future self would do. Would he be forgiving or would he hold a grudge? Do I walk by a piece of trash or do I pick it up? Do I stop halfway through a run or do I add another mile to it?

Pay attention to all the good you contribute to yourself and this world. Just like in It’s a Wonderful Life, we’d all be surprised at just how big of a positive impact we make on the lives of those around us.

What are you seeing on the road of your mind? Are you seeing only your mistakes and missteps or are you seeing the plethora of examples of how you’re already living to your highest potential?

I’ve only just begun to tend to the garden of my mind in this way, picking out the weeds and watering the flowers, but as my inner world has changed, so has my outer.

I hope yours does too.

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