I was recently introduced to the concept of living above and below the line and wanted to share it with you. While many of us have heard these principles before, thinking about being above/below the line is a great way to visualize our patterns.
When we live above the line, we see life from a positive place and are hopeful, creative, and optimistic. When we live below the line, our attitudes are more negative and we can feel powerless, sad, angry, fearful or hopeless.
It is important to remember that we are in charge of how we see the world. While we are continually faced with challenges, the key is recognizing when certain thoughts enter our stream of consciousness and working on how we react to these challenges. To quote Epictetus – “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
For example, lets say you’re a sales person who just lost one of your biggest accounts. Many people would fall below the line and feel powerless and upset. Others might be above the line and think about how they could change the situation for the better. Maybe they would think of the possibilities that will open up now that they have more time to focus on other accounts or come up with solutions to the problem, like reaching out to some other potential clients. People living above the line focus on what can be done moving forward, while people living below the line have trouble moving past why something happened.
You’ll find that once you make a concerted effort to live above the line, you’ll attract happiness, positive energy, and feel more connected with people.
Have you heard of this concept before? Let me know your thoughts.
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