MIND YOUR THOUGHTS

Be Mindful of Your Thoughts. Part 1.

There are four thoughtful practices we can apply to our thinking to help us to be more mindful and present.  They can be applied to what we think about the external world, the world at large; our interior Heart-Mind world, and how we think and feel about ourselves.

Stop thinking habitual negative thoughts: i.e. “I am never going to get anywhere in life”.  This stinking thinking does not help.  Most of our internal dialogue – “The Critique” is negative.  Be Mindful of the habit of always seeing the proverbial glass as half empty.  Be grateful that you have a glass at all.  When you are able to monitor your thoughts and catch a negative thought arise, compassionately hit the pause button, and try to see the inverse, or opposite, turn it around or upside down.  Instead of thinking that you are not “… going to get anywhere in life”.  Think or say to yourself instead – “You know, I do not need to go anywhere, because I am fine with the right here, the right now.  And, with every infinite moment, there is an opportunity to experience the best that I Am.  I have the seed of perfection incarnate”.

Attitude is a matter of Altitude.  If we can see the truth in the moment from the best possible vantage point, we can correct our coordinates to be right where we are, and be Aware and be Present.

Showing up and bringing our best self, is just a matter of being without doing.  Be Mindful of your Thoughts and See the beauty of the world bloom.

Be Mindful of Your Thoughts. Part 2.

Stop thinking or creating new negative thoughts.  “What Ifs” will only lead to catastrophe thinking, and who needs that?  We have enough to occupy our thoughts and feelings.  Awareness is what is needed.  When we begin to assemble worst-case scenarios we need to hit the pause button and not be pulled into a drama that is fictitious and unsupported by facts.  If we are mindful of our inner mindscape that which is under control – our feelings and thoughts, there is no reason to wonder – “What If”.  The sky is not falling – we are rising, spread our wings and our Heart-Mind to rise and embrace any difficulties.   

Create your world by imagining a world where love and compassion are the norm.  See the best in others and the opportunities in the challenges that life presents. 

Reach for the sky and live amongst the clouds while your feet are firmly planted on the ground.  The Stoics have an exercise of Negative Visualization, which is imaging the worst, so if the occasion ever arises they know what it looks like, and are better to deal and control what they can control.

I say if a new negative thought comes to mind, let it pass through the gates of impermanence and say to yourself – “I shall not be moved from this beautiful by phantoms or ghosts.  I am the seed of perfection and I am in the fertile soil of all that is.”

Be Mindful of Your Thoughts. Part 3.

Continue to think those positive thoughts- “Today is a Great Day.”, “I got this!”, “That wasn’t as hard as I thought.”  Since most of our self-talk is negative, we need to intervene in and for our own self-interest and behalf. If we thought about it, we could see a lot of our thoughts are positive; especially where there is meaning and purpose in our lives’. We love our children, our family, and friends and we want and think positive thoughts of and for them all the time.  What we need to do is broaden that out to include everything and everybody.  No, small task right?  If we bring awareness to our thoughts, and if we can catch ourselves as we think positive thoughts and try to bring that positive energy to a previous negative thought and try to recalibrate how we thought about that negative situation and see it in a new light, with a new feeling.  Take that positive “I got this!” to the negative “I will never get this right.” Try to sow the seed of possibility in the difficulty and realize that you do not have to believe everything you think, especially and foremost the negative.  

Water the good seeds and good will grow.  Pull the weeds and plant the new more fruitful thoughts, and be mindful of your thoughts. 

We must be aware and be mindful of our thoughts, if not us then who?  I am by nature an optimist, but I get frustrated with what I Belief to be the Sure thing, the Given, but guess what, life does work that way.  There will always be curveballs and unforeseen circumstances, get over it.

Today a lost my mind laughing thinking of something that frustrated me yesterday.  I saw it for what it was – Life.  If we can bring that kind of awareness, and mindfulness to every moment we would be a lot better off.  It just takes being present.

So let’s all show up and keep thinking those positive thoughts, and laugh, smile, - “WE Got This!”

Be Mindful of Your Thoughts. Part 4.

Create New Positive thoughts!  Try to see things in a different light and from a new perspective.  It is easier to create new and exciting thoughts when we can value what and where we are.  But, before we do that we have to understand what and where we are before we can appreciate it, value it, how else can we really unless we can see what it looks like.  Creations of any kind require vision.  If you are able to create a holographic 360-degree image in your mind’s eye all the better, but if not try to feel what an amazing experience like being in the room when your child is born, or climbing Everest, or any other wonderful accomplishment feels like.  Fore, it is not just knowing, or seeing, that matters, but the feeling component.  To get to the point where we can create a new positive thought need not be a challenge, but may require the practice of not practicing, non-doing.  Opening your mind, your heart, and allow yourself to be vulnerable and to reach within whilst we reach towards others and the moon and the stars and feel the wonder that being alive, and just being can afford.

We can create a new positive thought by just gazing into a breathtaking sunset and then remembering to breathe and envision that we are that sunset we may think – “I am colorful and translucent, and span the horizon of all that is.  I am an inspiring vista and an expression of the beauty of nature and all her glory.  I am all this and so much more.”

If we could create a new positive thought every day, we all would be able to extinguish the black thoughts of negative thinking, enliven hearts, minds, spirits and create a new way of being.  We would foster in each of us the best, and the brightest that Humanity has to offer – Love, Compassion, and Caring.

Jeff Turnbull