positive thinking – Mindflight

Swinging that blue lightsaber

A wise friend of mine said once, “some days it all comes down to whether you’re swinging a red, or a blue lightsaber.”

He was talking about the basic question of whether you will be a force for good or bad. Will you be self centered or generous? Gloomy or sunny? Will you give or will you take?

Some days the world seems so depleted. It’s amazing how little it takes to give a bit back. I’m not even talking about charities, money, volunteer work or anything like that. Those things are great, but it takes so little effort to spread some cheer around.

Today I wrote a letter, a real actual letter, on paper with a pen, and I mailed it to my favorite blog. I sincerely thanked the founders for all they have done to enrich my life. I’d been meaning to do that for a couple of years now and it’s embarrassing to recall how long it took me to finally do it. Just one sheet of paper, and envelope and a stamp – but it was a swing of the saber, and a shot against the darkness.

A sincere thank you goes such a long way. My current job is so much better than the one I had last year, and much of that is because I feel appreciated. A smile in the grocery store, letting someone into traffic, a friendly wave to a neighbor, a sincere compliment. We can show appreciation and share cheer with family and friends as well as strangers.

So cheap, so simple, and so priceless. It makes you feel good, it makes them feel good, it builds community, and it begins to fill up what’s been depleted.

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you!

via Daily Prompt: Deplete

Gateway to wonder – how to be positive when you don’t want to be

Healthy Living

There’s something you can do right at this moment that will transform your life. It won’t suddenly make you wealthy, or get rid of all your problems, or give you the perfect job, but it will subtly change how you react and alter your relationship with the world.

What’s that?

A wise man once said “your focus determines your reality.”

So it does.

For the record, I often have trouble maintaining a positive outlook. A lot of people do. Yet, being positive about life and seeing it in a positive way helps you find opportunities, learn better, and deal with other people in a way that draws them to you.

There was a study done that demonstrated how a positive outlook helped people feel luckier, so that they were actually more successful in life. Being positive costs nothing and really isn’t as risky as our minds might try to say it is. It can open us up to the world in a way that lets success in, and lets us see the many good things we already have that we might have forgotten about. One of the most positive people I know was homeless for a while. Living in a cardboard box near a railroad track, they still took time to see the beauty in their life.

With all the information we’re given about how great positivity is, why do we still have so many negative thoughts? I wonder that about myself all the time. I think it’s because the familiar feels safer and easier for us to deal with. “Better the devil you know.” Change can be scary. Success involves change. So our brains often resist it. However, we do have control of our lives and our thoughts, and we can override that fear! Here are some tips to help get you started.

Being positive is more than just phrasing things positively, though that can help. Luckily, there are some shortcuts you can use to jump start a sunnier outlook, and they don’t rely on you having a good mood to begin with!

Tips for staying positive when you’re too busy to do anything

Breathe deeply. It’s physically harder for the body to be upset and anxious if you are doing that.

Smile. It actually releases neurotransmitters that make you feel better. Force yourself if you have to and watch it become genuine.

Make really silly faces. When you are in a bad mood, go off into the bathroom and make the lamest, stupidest faces you can think of. Within a minute or two the sheer absurdity of it all may make you laugh. Boom, more feel-good neurotransmitters.

Strike a “power pose.” If we stand up straight and extend our arms and legs to fullest stretch, then hold it for a minute or two, our brains make us feel more confident. Try this in private right before a big presentation or meeting.

Sit up straight. People who have better posture learn faster and have more confidence than people who slouch. By contrast, you may well worsen your mood if you start to slouch, even if you were feeling good at first. I’ve seen this first hand.

Focus on the task at hand. Worry about other issues can really dampen your mood. So focus on where you are and what you are doing. Thanks, green guy.

Practice positive self talk. Even if you don’t believe a positive affirmation at first, repeating it again and again can help program that marvelous computer you carry between your shoulders. Use this ability wisely.

Take a walk outside and notice tiny details. Even if you just take five minutes to step outside the building at break, or step out onto an apartment balcony, there’s a wealth of beauty outside reflected in the smallest leaves and blades of grass. A little fresh air and sunshine can work wonders.

Think. If you feel resistance to being positive, think about that. Ask yourself, why don’t I want to feel better? Do I perhaps think I don’t deserve to feel better? Then ask yourself why? Engage your mind, get out of your emotions, and watch peace and calm return.

Do you have other tips? Share them in the comments, and I’ll add them and credit them!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/gate/

Reality Cheat? Life in the Matrix

Personal Growth

via Daily Prompt: Cheat

Consider, for a moment, what it would be like if your entire life was a computer simulation. Only, you didn’t know it was a simulation. Everything around was created for you, all bodily sensations, etc, and the “real you” was a body lying in a vat somewhere, or hooked up to cables as a battery, or something like that. It might even just be a disembodied brain. Or it could be that long ago, your consciousness was digitized and uploaded into a vast matrix – and the entire world as you know it was in some huge group of servers.

What if you became aware of this? Would it change how you behave? You couldn’t really change the laws of the place your consciousness resided in, because the program would work the same way, so there wouldn’t be any Neo like abilities to suddenly know Kung Fu or fly a helicopter. But, might that realization change how you face the world?

Might your own habits seem a bit less immutable? Might you live differently, knowing your thoughts and perceptions were under your control? Might you decide to really crack this oyster of a world and learn all there is to know, and gain real influence?

Maybe not… but maybe so.

You wouldn’t have had a way of knowing what this Matrix was beforehand, after all.

Also, how could you know that this isn’t really happening right here and now?

The Sweetness of Life

Thoughts About Life

Sometimes work, no matter how monotonous, can be enriching.

I work at a mail order pharmacy. I get my share of grumpy people, usually grumpy for very good reasons. And I hear my share of silly customer tricks. Most people are pretty nice if you treat them that way, but it’s not always easy. I work long hours and get really tired of the pinch of my headset, and of staring at a computer screen all day. It was hard to get where I am, and people in general often take me for granted or don’t respect what I do. However, I’ve found it’s all worth it in the end.

I have learned some things from my job and I have found some precious treasures that I’d like to share. I’ve taken a few moments to hear war stories from a 90 year old vet, and been glad to thank him for his service. I’ve taken secret delight in telling a grumpy patient ‘happy birthday,’ and hear them sound just a little less grumpy. I’ve seen the couple who have been together for sixty plus years, one spouse calling in orders for the other, and saying in passing “I’d be lost without her.” The sheer love I hear in that simple declaration is humbling. I can only aspire to that.

Sometimes I find someone who is really upset, and very hard to deal with. Once I find out the root cause of their frustration, and let them know I want to do anything possible to help, they almost always calm down. People, in general, aren’t that nasty on purpose, they just want to know that they are heard and also to know they aren’t powerless. That’s been a very good lesson for me. It’s enough to make me want to go the extra mile, help as much as I can, and if I can’t help, give them any other options or information available.

Among the hours of answering questions and dealing with boredom, I feel so privileged to witness certain things. So grateful to be a small help, and to touch a life, even for a moment.

I have found, most of all, that it’s good to be the person who spends time explaining a difficult concept and who is allowed to treat an elder with the respect that they so often lack. If you are reading this, smile at someone today. Offer a kind word. If you already do it, be proud!

Don’t lose weight! Win Health!

Healthy Living

I’m working on a weight loss program, based on a bunch of research, and it has me thinking.

I think sometimes our inner selves are freaked out by all the ‘loss words.’ Like “lose weight,” “drop pounds,” “lose fat,” etc. With all that losing, might it want to hold on to what it has? Focusing on loss might just sabotage our efforts.

I’ve heard it said that your inner self never hears negative modifiers, so you say ‘I’m not going to eat ice cream,” it thinks “I’m going to eat ice cream,” for example. I don’t know how true that is but I’ve been playing with the idea as a way of reframing my weight loss journey to be more positive.

For example, instead of focusing on losing weight, it might be helpful to think about how you are growing stronger. Instead of thinking about all the cookies you can’t have, you could think about how much better your body feels eating fresh fruit.

It’s so easy to be discouraged when the scale isn’t moving. But there are so many little wins you can focus on, when it comes to becoming healthier. There’s reduced pain, increased flexibility, increased strength, clothes fitting better, the nutrient rush from a healthy meal, the sense of accomplishment from taking care of yourself. This fitness journey isn’t about loss, it’s about winning!

How to win at losing weight

Healthy Living

If you want to lose weight and gain health, there are three basic secrets to improve your mindset. Your healthy mindset is your most important ally in this journey. If you lose that, you will most definitely fail.

Set Goals – Know Why You Want It

There are two kinds of goals that are important – a big goal and many small ones. Your big goal is your vision. It’s what keeps you moving. It’s something you need to really, really want, because it is going to remind you of why you are doing all this, at times when you’re low and cravings are kicking your butt. For example, my big goal is that I want to be 150 pounds by age 40. I have 3 years to do it in. I have about 75 pounds to lose. I want to be fit, strong, able to bench a fair amount, and have awesome shoulders and arms. That’s the vision that keeps me going. Maybe your goal is a marathon, or to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Your small goals are critical too, they are the stepping stones that will get you to your big goal. For example, you might say “I will lose two pounds in two weeks.” Or “I will walk around the block without getting out of breath.” Every time you meet a goal, give yourself a pat on the back – that success will help you go farther.

Stay Positive – Focus on the Journey

If you can be mindful of all the little things there are to love about being healthy, and being on this journey, you will be more likely to continue. Even though weight can be slow to come off, there are a million good things that happen between each one pound mark. If you made a really tasty salad, savor every bite. If you feel good after walking, take a moment to enjoy it. If you feel your abs tighten more than usual, or notice a little more strength, celebrate it! Really focus on the good times.

If you learn to appreciate the process and each tiny victory, the lifelong changes you need to make will have a better chance to take hold.

Make it Easy for Yourself

The more convenient you can make your healthy habits, and the more inconvenient you can make your unhealthy ones, the better. So make sure your walking shoes are by the door, make sure you keep junk food out of the house, prepare healthy lunches on the weekend ahead of time, keep vegetables and nuts or whatever you want to use for snacks at hand. Where you can, buy colorful, appealing foods that attract the eye. Find exercise that you really enjoy, or at least that is tolerable. For instance, I like weight lifting so I do that more than I’ll run on a treadmill. Keep reminders of your goal around you, such as pictures of that race you want to run, or that trail you want to hike, or that bike you will buy when you meet your goal.

If you take a moment to make your healthy snacks and healthy activities more convenient, you will be less likely to grab junk food as you hurry to work.