What happens when life gets you down? Maybe you are feeling grumpy or misunderstood, angry, sad, scared, or anxious. Maybe the day started off great, but you were thrown a curveball, or maybe you didn't get a restful night's sleep. Whatever the case may be, what can you do about it?
No matter what, you can always choose again. If the day isn't going the way that you would like, choose again. If you are feeling grumpy, or sad, or angry, choose again. Choose forgiveness over anger, choose to be happy over sad, choose to be light instead of heavy, choose to be compassionate and empathetic over judgmental, choose love over hate, choose peace over fighting, choose meditating over feeling stressed, choose to be resilient over being grumpy. Make the choice to choose again.
I know it sounds simplistic, but it really truly is that simple. YOU are in control of your mind, no one else is. YOU get to choose what you focus on and how you choose to feel, so if it isn't positive, if it isn't serving you, choose again. Do what it takes to feel good now.
So, how do we choose again? There are a couple of strategies that work best for me. The first step is to be mindful, to be present and aware of what I am thinking and feeling. To pause, take a deep breath and recognize that I've gone off path from my intention, and to remind myself of my intention. Just stopping and breathing is sometimes enough.
A powerful technique that helps me to reset and to shift is gratitude. It's quick and can be done anytime and anywhere. I list off to myself all of the things I am grateful for in that moment and intentionally recognize all of the goodness that exists in my life with as much detail as I can. Once I've shifted to a grateful state, I am choosing to feel good which in turn helps me to be compassionate and loving and kind and forgiving.
Another powerful technique to help choose again and to feel good now, is to be of service to someone else. Doing something for someone else is one of the quickest ways to serve yourself. My friend Haywood Simmons calls this selfishly selfless. Reach out to someone in need or do a random act of kindness. Smile at a stranger, open the door for the person behind you, extend a compliment, express appreciation for someone who has helped you. Small, simple tasks create powerful momentum in the direction of positivity.
There are tons of awesome quick and easy meditation techniques that are great at helping to choose again. One that I love is taught by Gabby Bernstein, it's called peace begins with me. Start out by touching the thumb and forefinger together while taking a breath and saying the word peace. Then touch the thumb and middle finger together, take a breath and say the word begins. Next touch your thumb and your ring finger together, take a breath and say the word with. Now touch your thumb and pinky finger together, take a breath and say the word me. It can be done anywhere and anytime and it's an awesome one for kids to learn. Peace begins with me.
Gabby has two other quick and easy meditation techniques that she demonstrates at http://gabbyb.tv/meditation/5-minute-meditations-to-make-you-feel-awesome-right-now.
Finding the tools that work to help you make the shift to choose again and then practicing them are the key.
Even when facing some of life's greatest challenges we have a choice. A choice as to how I am going to show up, what I am going to bring to the table. We are going to move through the day, through the experience no matter what, and we get to decide how that existence is going to be. Whether it's going to be a positive one where we shine more light on the world, or a negative one, where we dim our light. The choice is ours.
Your forgiveness, your love, your surrender, your faith, your lack of judgment, your gratitude, your commitment, your health. It's your choice and you always have the choice to choose again. No matter what the past has been, no matter what is going on at this moment in time, you have a choice as to how you show up. You can always choose again.
No matter what, you can always choose again. If the day isn't going the way that you would like, choose again. If you are feeling grumpy, or sad, or angry, choose again. Choose forgiveness over anger, choose to be happy over sad, choose to be light instead of heavy, choose to be compassionate and empathetic over judgmental, choose love over hate, choose peace over fighting, choose meditating over feeling stressed, choose to be resilient over being grumpy. Make the choice to choose again.
I know it sounds simplistic, but it really truly is that simple. YOU are in control of your mind, no one else is. YOU get to choose what you focus on and how you choose to feel, so if it isn't positive, if it isn't serving you, choose again. Do what it takes to feel good now.
So, how do we choose again? There are a couple of strategies that work best for me. The first step is to be mindful, to be present and aware of what I am thinking and feeling. To pause, take a deep breath and recognize that I've gone off path from my intention, and to remind myself of my intention. Just stopping and breathing is sometimes enough.
A powerful technique that helps me to reset and to shift is gratitude. It's quick and can be done anytime and anywhere. I list off to myself all of the things I am grateful for in that moment and intentionally recognize all of the goodness that exists in my life with as much detail as I can. Once I've shifted to a grateful state, I am choosing to feel good which in turn helps me to be compassionate and loving and kind and forgiving.
Another powerful technique to help choose again and to feel good now, is to be of service to someone else. Doing something for someone else is one of the quickest ways to serve yourself. My friend Haywood Simmons calls this selfishly selfless. Reach out to someone in need or do a random act of kindness. Smile at a stranger, open the door for the person behind you, extend a compliment, express appreciation for someone who has helped you. Small, simple tasks create powerful momentum in the direction of positivity.
There are tons of awesome quick and easy meditation techniques that are great at helping to choose again. One that I love is taught by Gabby Bernstein, it's called peace begins with me. Start out by touching the thumb and forefinger together while taking a breath and saying the word peace. Then touch the thumb and middle finger together, take a breath and say the word begins. Next touch your thumb and your ring finger together, take a breath and say the word with. Now touch your thumb and pinky finger together, take a breath and say the word me. It can be done anywhere and anytime and it's an awesome one for kids to learn. Peace begins with me.
Gabby has two other quick and easy meditation techniques that she demonstrates at http://gabbyb.tv/meditation/5-minute-meditations-to-make-you-feel-awesome-right-now.
Finding the tools that work to help you make the shift to choose again and then practicing them are the key.
Even when facing some of life's greatest challenges we have a choice. A choice as to how I am going to show up, what I am going to bring to the table. We are going to move through the day, through the experience no matter what, and we get to decide how that existence is going to be. Whether it's going to be a positive one where we shine more light on the world, or a negative one, where we dim our light. The choice is ours.
Your forgiveness, your love, your surrender, your faith, your lack of judgment, your gratitude, your commitment, your health. It's your choice and you always have the choice to choose again. No matter what the past has been, no matter what is going on at this moment in time, you have a choice as to how you show up. You can always choose again.
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