Episode Details

Everyone’s heard the phrase “The New Normal” being tossed around recently. David T.S. Wood really dislikes the phrase. Why? The new normal is like saying that something shifted in the world and we’ve been handed only one option. In this episode of My Extra Mile, David explores the negative connotations of this phrase and shares his preferred definition. Don’t miss his inspiring take on the new normal. 

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

 

• Redefining the whole idea of “The new normal”
• Taking this opportunity to redesign your life
• Changing the lens, you view the world with
• Making your “normal” the opposite of normal

Give the new normal a NEW definition

 

Returning to normal means going back to a status quo. David believes that one of the most dangerous things in humanity is complacency, apathy, and being in your “comfort zone.” It’s boring, predictable, and same-old-same-old. So, what if we have to adjust to a new way of behaving?

 

How does David process what’s going on? He never wants to be normal. He does well because he’s abnormal. He doesn’t play in the lines, he breaks the rules, he doesn’t do what everyone else is doing. The challenge with being different is that you will piss people off, you will stand out, and you will be a target.

Take this opportunity to redesign your life

 

If your life was normal before, look at this situation as an opportunity to redesign your life in a more beautiful way. If you’ve lost your job and a few months of no income has put you in a scary financial situation, maybe it IS time for a new normal. Is that the way you want to live? How do you better prepare yourself for situations like this? Who do you have to become to earn more money?

 

When David started working, he had a job as a dishwasher at $4 an hour. But he wasn’t a normal dishwasher—he was exceptional. He was positive. He did his job well. He built relationships. He got a shot as a waiter which eventually led to him down the road to owning a restaurant. David projected an attractive energy and doors opened for him.

Change the lens you view the world with

 

This pandemic is simply something we’re all dealing with. World war II was horrendous. Millions of people died. David looks at that scenario and says, “Look at our life today.” There’s a pandemic, but he points out that we can’t say it’s the worst thing humanity has ever had to survive. People are still thriving.

 

David emphasizes that “It does come down to the thoughts we’re willing to think and the lens that we’re willing to look through.” David understands that in this time millions of people are thriving, millions are stuck, and millions are playing into a victim mentality.

 

But it’s not just happening to you. It’s happening to the whole world. What can we learn? How do we thrive? How do we create a positive and beautiful lens? We have two choices: We can hate it or we can love the situation that we’re in. David points out that this situation allows us to experience things differently. 

David’s “normal” is the opposite of normal

 

David encourages you to sit down and define what your normal is. Do you see low-energy words? Do they put you in a box? Does your definition put you in a victim mentality? Do your words shrink you down? Do they have negative connotations? Erase those words from your list of normal.

 

David emphasizes that the words you speak determine how you live your life. The words you speak determine who you are. The words you speak attract positivity or negativity. Look at your language around your new normal and make it positive. Say it with certainty and positivity. You are NOT a victim of a pandemic.

 

David has always seen himself as the master of his own fate. He can control what he