New guide to turning negatives into positives
not to react prematurely; instead, give things time.” Instead of rushing in to admit his own guilt, he says, he should have paused to consider that life is not entirely populated with people who have your best interests at heart.
Work around work
“There’s no fun waiting for us after the work; there’s just more work,” says Singh. A sobering thought — but he counters by advising that instead of focusing on process, take time to zero in on what you’re enjoying about what you do. “When the fun is the focus, the work is the reward. So enjoy the moments of blood, sweat, and tears, or find something else to do.”
Find the right fuel
Singh recalls a friend, a former gang member, saying to him that “we’re either pushed by fear or pulled by love”. He realised he was “running off the wrong fuel”, worrying about his reputation, income and “own inner critic”. He “began checking myself, trying to restore the fun and excitement in my work, and my life.” In other words, think positive.
Swerve self-pity
When bad things happen we easily fall into self-pity and play the blame game. Singh recalls a time he was almost run down by a BMW and all that flashed through his head was: “Why me?” He says: “It’s very easy to feel sorry for ourselves since it scratches an important itch ... our need to connect. The easiest person to connect with is ourselves.” Avoid being too inwardly focused, keep your eyes on the road, and look out for what’s on the horizon. ⬤ Things No One Else Can Teach Us by Humble the Poet is published on October 17 (£12.99; HQ )