How Password Changed My Life

[chandra916]

How could she do something like this to me?” said a voice in my head. All the time. Everyday.

Back  in 2011, when everything had gradients, iOS icons made sense, and  people used deodorants, I was stuck in middle of a pretty bad depression  due to my divorce.

Thankfully, I think I was smart enough (and had great people around me) so I managed my way out.

One day I walk into the office, and my day begins at my computer screen. It was all great, until I saw this message:

Your password has expired.
Click ‘Change password’ to change your password.

No ######. I thought clicking ‘Change password’ was gonna do something else.
I read this dumb message in my mind with angry grandpa voice: The damn password has expired.

At my workplace, the Microsoft Exchange server is configured to ask thousands of employees around the planet to change their passwords. Every 30 days.
Here is the horse-######: The server forces us to use at least one UPPERCASEcharacter, at least one lowercase alphabetic character, at least one symboland at least one number. Oh, and the whole damn thing can’t be less than 8 characters. And I can’t use any of the same passwords I’ve used in the last 3 months.

I  was furious that morning. Tuesday, 9:40 a.m. -It was so hot that my  torso was already sweaty even though I just got to work. I was late. I  was still wearing my helmet. I think I forgot breakfast. Something  tastes like cigarette in my mouth. I need to get ###### done before my 10  a.m. meeting and all I have in front of me is a huge waste of my time.
 

 

So  there it was… This input field with a pulsating cursor, waiting for me  to type a password that I’ll have to re-enter for the next 30 days. Many  times during the day.

Then, letting all the frustration go, I remembered a tip I heard from my former boss.

I’m gonna use a password to change my life.

It  was obvious that I couldn’t focus on getting things done with my  current lifestyle and mood. Of course, there were clear indicators of  what I needed to do -or what I had to achieve- in order to regain  control of my life, but we often don’t pay attention to these clues.

My  password became the indicator. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t  let myself be victim of my recent break up, and that I’m strong enough  to do something about it.

My password became: “Forgive@h3r”

I  had to type this statement several times a day. Each time my computer  would lock. Each time my screensaver with her photo would appear. Each  time I would come back from eating lunch alone.
In my mind, I went with the mantra that I didn’t type a password. In my mind, Iwrote “Forgive her” everyday, for one month.

That  simple action changed the way I looked at my ex wife. That constant  reminder that I should forgive her, led me to accept the way things  happened at the end of my marriage, and embrace a new way of dealing  with the depression that I was drowning into.

In the following days, my mood improved drastically. By the end of the 2nd week, I noticed that this password became less powerful, and it started to lose its effect. A quick refresh of this ‘mantra’ helped me. I thought to myself I forgive her as I typed it, every time. The healing effect of it came back almost immediately.
 

One month later, my dear exchange server asked me again to renew my password. I thought about the next thing I had to get done.
My password became Quit@smoking4ever

And guess what happened. I ###### you not. I quit smoking overnight. This password was a painful one to type during that month, but doing it helped me toyell at myself in my mind, as I typed that statement. It motivated me to follow my monthly goal.

One month later, my password became Save4trip@thailand

Guess where I went 3 months later. Thailand. With savings.

 

Thank you, password.

So, I learned that I can truly change my life if I play it right. I kept doing this repeatedly month after month, with great results.
Here is an extract of what some of my passwords have been in the last 2 years, so you get an idea of how my life has changed, thanks to this method:

• Forgive@her ← to my ex-wife, who started it all.
• Quit@smoking4ever ← it worked.
• Save4trip@thailand ← it worked.
• Eat2times@day ← it never worked, still fat.
• Sleep@before12 ← it worked.
• Ask@her4date ← it worked. I fell in love again.
• No@drinking2months ← it worked. I feel better.
• Get@c4t! ← it worked. I have a beautiful cat.
• Facetime2mom@sunday ← it worked. I talk with my mom every week.

And the one for last month:

• Save4@ring ← Yep. Life is gonna change again, soon.

I still await very anxiously each month so I can change my password into something that I need to get done.

This  method has consistently worked for me for the last 2 years, and I have  shared it with a few close friends and relatives. I didn’t think it was a  breakthrough in tiny-habits but it did have a great impact in my life,  so I thought to share it with you all.

Try it yourself! Write these statements with the right mindset and attitude, and you’ll change your life. Let me know how it works for you!

Remember,  for added security, try to be a bit more complex with the words. Add  symbols or numbers, or scramble a bit the beginning or the ending of  your password string. S4f3ty_f1rst!

[JollyBoy]

nice 

[ravula]

I don't know man

[LuckyLoser]

Gp

[LuckyLoser]

DontOpenAFDB my next password :)

[timmy]

[k2s]

K

[Lee_King]

wowwww..... superb thought bro.. Super cool...

 

as a admin, i normal change my password every 3-4 weeks...from Monday i will follow this.

[ronitreddy]

DontOpenAFDB my next password :)

lol..

[ronitreddy]

ila work aythe ika life bagupadette ..huh

[mtkr]

gp

[McD_Murthy_02]

changed: Vi$it@DesiStripper

 

Chustha em avuthadho

[ravula]

changed: Vi$it@DesiStripper

 

Chustha em avuthadho

 

lol

[Muthyam]

m@g1x

[puli_keka]

StopBe@t1ng