where the writers are
The Fabulous Principle©

I recently did a keynote on the FABULOUS principle©. An acronym is an abbreviation of several words where the abbreviation itself becomes a word. I have developed a FABULOUS acronym to represent quick ways to build resiliency. Principles are main beliefs you have in order to take positive action. There are certain characteristics of resiliency that are based in simple principles. Think of the word, fabulous. What comes to mind?

The seven qualities of the FABULOUS Principle© are first, flexibility, the ability to keep an open mind; second, attitude, where your focus is on small successes and knowing what is sacred to you; third, boundaries, where you set limits and stick by them; fourth, understanding, what you appreciate most about yourself and giving that part of yourself to others. fifth, laughter, where you know how to choose humor to manage stressful situations; sixth, optimism, as you think positively, realistically, and anticipate the best possible outcome; seventh, being united, where you are joined with others and feel supported by them; and eighth, self-esteem, where your self-respect is evident as you take pride in who you are. The objective of this principle is to help you to discover ways to cope with stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Today I am going to write about the first principle: Flexibility. Brain cells talk to each other. So, what are your brain cells talking about? What would they say about the way you think and control your own thoughts? In an ancient Hindu text, Bhagavad Gita said, “The mind acts like an enemy for those who don’t control it.” Researchers Rand Spiro and J. Jehng state that cognitive flexibility is a skill where individuals can spontaneously reorganize their knowledge and adaptively respond in many ways to radically changing situational demands. Being that people can flexibly retrieve knowledge from their brains, they can change the way they think. They must understand different problems and attempt to problem solve. I love popular self-help guru Wayne Dyer’s quote, “Don’t believe everything you think!”

Our thoughts change based on our experiences. Your mind is adaptable and flexible so it can learn and gain new knowledge. Rather than being rigid in your thinking, you have cognitive flexibility. So, today - think about the way you think!