In these uncertain times, it can be easy to lose sight of the important things in life. But as Virginia Satir once said, “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.”
As we navigate through the challenges and changes brought on by the past few years, it’s important to remember that we have the power to choose how we react and cope. Our thoughts determine our actions and reactions, and we have the ability to shift our thinking and change our habits.
But to first do that, we have to be aware of what we are telling ourselves! 95-99% of the time we are literally unconscious of what we are thinking. And these old stories trigger a reflex in us, we don’t even know we had the thought that triggered the reflex. And reflexes bypass the brain! Imagine you step on a nail and it goes into your foot. Do you stop and find your brain thinking ‘wow, I wonder what that was, it seems to hurt, what is going on. Then you look down and your brain says, ‘oh look we stepped on a nail’ what will we do?
Nope! Before you even realize you have stepped on a nail your foot is off the floor and about a million physiological reactions are silently happening in your body! Your foot is off the ground, you are balanced, all the muscles are supporting you on one leg, blood flow is going to the area to repair, and that is just a tiny part of what is actually happening.
So becoming an expert observer of your thoughts or stories is the first step to consciously controlling how you feel.
Sometimes, this is easier said than done, especially when we’re in the midst of chaos and turmoil. It helps to have a support system as well, whether it’s a friend or loved one, to help remind us of the importance of staying present and connected with our hearts and the natural world around us.
In order to truly live with peace and contentment, it’s essential to listen to our intuition and inner guidance, rather than being swayed by external factors like the opinions of others or what we see in the media.
By taking quiet, solitary time to reflect and tune in to our inner selves, we can rediscover our intuition and use it as a guide in life. I am still working on this!
So, the choice is yours: will you choose to struggle against the inevitable changes in life, or will you learn to flow and work on yourself to control your thoughts or stories and find more peace and joy?
A simple way to start is by taking gratitude breaks and finding things to be thankful for every day and especially in the midst of chaos. The key is to be an observer of your thinking, what you are telling yourself and take control of your thoughts and choose a path that brings you peace and happiness.
