Would Have, Should Have, Could Have...

We have all more than likely played this game with ourselves, or sat around with friends and family.

"If you could go back to one time in your life, to be able to do things differently, which age would it be?"

Well, as productive as this may seem at the time. Nothing positive is going to come from doing this, and so instead we should be asking. "Who says I should have done certain things by a particular age?"

Therefore, this week we are going to look at two ideas from a couple of different sources. Firstly, from a book called Outwitting The Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success, by Napoleon Hill (2011), which aims at helping to try and stop doing the impossible, achieve time travel. Secondly, the notion from International Best Seller, Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan and Renee Mauborgne (2005).

For me, when playing the Would have, Should have, Could have game. I more often than not, dream of going back to when I was 14, only if I knew then what I know now. Especially when it comes to my original approach to education, how to gain employment in more highly respected and paid jobs. Plus, how expensive going out most weeks can be, as well as detrimental to weight training, which my biggest passion for years. However, I do not own the DeLorean from Back To The Future, or the Tardis from Dr. Who.

Some of you might be asking yourselves, "what is wrong with wishing to be able to go back in time, and do things differently?" Well I am glad you asked, because this allows me to bring my first book. In short, the book is a conversation Napoleon Hill has with the Devil, asking him questions and discovering how to outwit him. Napoleon Hill asks the question, after being told the Devil controls 98% of peoples minds, "How do you gain control?" The Devil responds with "Oh easy, by merely moving in and occupying unused space in human brains. Sowing seeds of negativity, gaining control of this empty space," (p. 60). Later on, the Devil gives his secrets away and says, how it is people living in fear, discouragement and hopelessness, which keeps him in control. Yet if they were to live with faith, courage, hope, definiteness of purpose, he loses power and control, (p. 80).

How does this bare relevance, to playing the Would have, Should have, Could have game? Well, simply put, constantly, or even occasionally playing a game which you can not win at, ie, unable to go back and change what has already happened. Opens you up to a sense of fear, discouragement and hopelessness, giving control to the Devil and away from yourself. By doing the reverse, taking control of the here and now, in order to change the circumstances in the future. This has a better potential to growing your faith, courage and hope, things will be better than they are now.

Leading us on to this weeks second book, which talks about designing methods to creating a Blue Ocean and getting out of the Red Oceans. "Blue ocean strategy challenges companies to break out of the red ocean filled by the blood of competition. All of which have been out there before, just most people have a poor understanding of theory or application of how to systematically create blue oceans," (Preface).

This final section I am trying to explain, what may seem as though you are not where you should be, because of the Blueprint given to us by society. You are waiting to gain an understanding of how to create your own blue ocean, which has never been seen before.

Please do take the time to go off and find these books, as well as the others from previous weeks. They have been read by myself and millions of other around the world, helping to reduce daily stress and create a more positive environment for us all.

We hope you have enjoyed this weeks newsletter, found it thought provoking and helped to present ways to shine light on darker corners of your day. Do not forget to check out our website at, www.activelisteningforwellbeing.com and, if you have not already. Click the Subscribe button, to ensure you get all future publications, as well as gain access to all our other newsletters, helping to reduce daily stress.