A Thought for the Week

Did you know that you’re a spin doctor? Because you are! We all are, but for the most part we’re simply not awake to the fact.

Our thoughts determine our feelings. You might often feel like you can’t help your feelings, but the truth of the matter is that you can. To change your feelings about a situation, you need to change your thoughts. And, as long as your mental health is strong, you always have the power to change your thoughts. (If you find your thoughts are spinning out of control, and have been doing so for a couple of weeks or more, please make it a priority to see a health professional.)

The snag though, with changing our thoughts about circumstances, is that often we don’t want to! We are attached to a certain idea of how things are or should be, and we resist letting that go, eventhough holding onto it might not be serving us well.

Lest this sound like a preachy lecture, please know that I am speaking from my own experience as much as from what I’ve learned objectively.  I constantly have to readjust my attitude!

I can recall a while back setting the intention for a particular opportunity to manifest. And it did, very quickly, and also very precisely. And what was my response? It should have been gratitude, and that was definitely there. But it was also laced with an egocentric questioning as to whether this was in fact the perfect opportunity for me. And if I were to hold out a bit longer, would something even better not come along?

I had, of course, done this before.  And let me tell you, what I got in response was a smack in the head!  Luckily, I remembered that lesson and decided to apply it to this new situation.  (I am learning, slowly but surely )  It took a few days, but I saw the light and I grabbed my opportunity.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church….a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

A shift in attitude or perception can have miraculous results.  It will definitely change how you feel.  You can choose to be at peace by choosing to see things differently.  And who doesn’t want to be at peace?

If there is something in your life that you’re feeling disgruntled or distressed about, choose to make the shift.  If you are being downright negative or ungrateful (ahem!), choose to make the shift.

Examine your thoughts and ask yourself whether your mindset is serving you well.  See if there’s a different perspective you could adopt that would make a positive difference.  Put a new spin on the story and see how that helps. 

A Thought for the Week

“There’s a crack in everything.  That’s how the light gets through.” ~ Leonard Cohen
 
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” ~ Anna Quindlen
 
“People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it.” ~ Edith Schaeffer
 
“Perfection is the obstacle to creation, and the enemy of achievement.” ~ Neale Donald Walshe

Just because it’ll make you smile

A Thought for the Week

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Thought for the Week