I was on Yorke Peninsula recently, talking with a farmer I know. He reads my articles, and he asked how I came up with topics. I think it’s like any field of endeavour – including farming – you just keep your eyes and ears open, and be constantly thinking of ways to do things better.

My response was there are topics everywhere, if you’re open to seeing them. Some of the most successful business owners I have ever met have generally been the innovators – they are always open to new information. They think outside the square, and are happy to make mistakes.

The other aspect is, don’t buy into other people’s self-imposed limitations. I have been told before that I would soon run out of topics to write about – this hasn’t happened yet. That comment says a lot more about the other person’s mindset than mine.

I am sure we have all come up against this throughout the years with various people in our lives. The key is to identify when it’s happening and not buy into it. This task is a bit more difficult if the negative person is someone close to you, particularly a family member.

We all have a choice whether we take the advice on board or not. Having a long-term vision for all aspects of your life will also allow you to think differently about lots of subjects.

If your end goal is firmly planted in your subconscious mind, it will help in disseminating information that gets you closer to where you want to go, as opposed to getting stuck in thought patterns that don’t serve you.

Some people actively seek out new ideas and concepts. For others it seems new ways of doing things just fall into their lap. 

I am of the view if people are subconsciously looking for new information, then it will show up at the right time. I also believe the people you hang with play a big part in this as well. You tend to become very much like the people you mix with – this of course works both ways. If your friendship group is negative, you’ll tend to attract these experiences.

Sometimes what’s required is purposely moving on from some people in your life that don’t add value to you. I see this a lot with the participants when they get back from an Operation Flinders exercise. The young person has inevitably grown during their time away but their peer group is still the same.

I really admire those young people that make a definitive choice to do things differently and step away from those that are influencing them negatively.

Some people undertake specific training courses that enable them to see the world differently while others just seem to grow within themselves naturally, and take action to make changes in their lives.

I have written many times that there are lots of situations that we can’t control. What we can control, however, is how we react. Often it takes conscious practice to master this art.