The Silver Linings Course Correction Guide

Introduction A friend of mine who is a pilot once shared with me a lesson he learned in his flight training classes. He explained that any pilot embarking on a journey from Point A to Point B always begins their trip by charting a course—a straight line from their current location to where they want to land. However, my pilot pal revealed that more often than not, the plane usually veers off course rather than remaining on track. In fact, the pilot’s primary job is to “right” the voyage by constantly steering the plane back to its charted path. I believe this plane analogy is a metaphor for the trek we all are on in life. At some point each of us will face unexpected plot twists, disappointments, stresses, and struggles that could derail our journey and leave us hopelessly lost. When these perfect storms appear, it may seem impossible to find the horizon, reorient ourselves, and get back on route. Here is the truth: You can and must correct your own course. Storms are a guaranteed part of life. But what you choose to do, say, think, and feel in the thunder and lightning will determine the quality of your journey and the journey of those around you. The Silver Linings Course Correction Guide is a compass to help you assess where you are right now and determine where you would like to be. It provides the tools to get back on course and live a brave, integrity-driven, full-hearted life. The following exercises are inspired by topics discussed in Silver Linings: The Essential Guide to Building Courage, Self-Respect and Wellness. Feel free to complete them as you read Silver Linings or explore them separately any time you need a healthy dose of direction and love. • Think about the role judgment plays in determining your life experiences. Do you perpetually live on a hair trigger, ready to negatively judge every event in your day? How would someone else describe your primary state of mind? Consider how constant judgment influences your state of mind and your health. In the space provided, write down your five biggest judgment “triggers” and how they affect your overall wellness. (These judgments could be against yourself or others.) Then for one week, try to suspend all judgment and see what you learn about its effect on your life. Journal daily about how you did with this experiment to keep yourself on course.