Stay Positive

Hey there.  What's up?!  My name is Tony and I am a proud member and contributor to Gumption Entertainment.
Right now I am out here in Reno, NV (my last day here but soon I will be calling it home) with fellow Gump masterminds Troy, AJ, and Bryan.  These guys are working their asses off day and night and they really influenced me to contribute more to this great company.  So in return I am going write blogs here on a regular basis.
Since I am not used to working all day and night aka 16 hour days, it's hard for me to stay positive.  I'm used to putting in my 8 our day then relaxing the rest of the day.  Since I am easily influenced by my surroundings, it has been great for me to surround myself with these fellow motivated individuals to push me, motivate me, and inspire me.
It can get frustrating at times.  I should be out playing.  I should take a break.  I should be having fun!  So what do I do to stay positive?  I'm glad you asked.  I follow what I call the 3 P's: Presence, Process Orientation, and a Positive Life.
Presence you can work on through meditation or any presence building activity.
Process Orientation is understanding different processes in the moment you can use to spike yourself.
Positive Life is your ecosystem of positive emotions which I call "the work outside the work."
Let me share with you what my work outside the work is.
Meditation.  This falls in the presence category.  On average I meditate 10 minutes a day but I am working on 20 minutes a day.  I normally lay flat on my back and stare at the ceiling.  Sometimes I sit up right and stare at a blank wall.  I set my alarm so I don't have to think about time or the possibility of falling asleep.  Meditation takes time, so I recommend you start at a minute and work your way up.  Once I have gotten it down I no longer feel like I need a nap and I sleep better as well.
Exercise.  I try to exercise for an hour, 5 times a week.  Working out clears my mind and relieves the stress I have built up.  I look at it as productive fun.  I get to move around and listen to my favorite kind of music (EDM).  Lately I have been lifting weights, but now that summer is approaching I am going to  start running and focus on my core.  This can act as meditation as well.
Healthy Diet.  I am what I eat.  At times I feel stressed out and down right lousy so I grab something I crave: fat kid food.  I could be crowned the peanut butter king.  Some people drink alcohol, others take drugs to ease their mind.  I eat food.  Troy and I call each other eating buddies.  Now that I am getting older I cannot eat like I used to so I choose healthy foods like raw fruits and vegetables and chicken.  I drink more water and tea and try out different ways to suppress my appetite such as chewing cinnamon flavored gum.  Lately I have been consuming "hulk drinks" where I blend kale, spinach, banana, and protein in to a smoothie and drink it.  It tastes better than it sounds, and it makes me feel amazing.
Read Books.  Lately I have been reading a half-hour a day.  I am trying to increase my reading time to an hour - which means less time surfing the internet and more time with my face in a book.  I haven't been much of a reader since a year ago, so it took me sometime to get used to reading without falling asleep.  Thank God for audio books.  I burn through audio books like it's my job.  I use the app Audible and I am on my 5th book: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.  I try to make the 3 out of my 4 books something self help/development related.  My last book of pleasure was "50 Shades of Grey" by EL James.  That book just might be the first I read before the movie comes out.  And the book I am reading right now is "A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle.  That book has helped me stay present in the moment and not think about the past or future.
So there you have it.  Four solid 'work' habits you can include in your daily routine to improve your lifestyle and stay positive.  It's not easy at first, but once you get the process down you start to enjoy it, especially the way you feel.  I set my habit goal realistically: that means I get 1% better each day.
Have a Positive Life!
The views expressed on this post are those of Tony Kasmiski and do not necessarily reflect the views of Gumption Entertainment.