Mindful Manageable Moments Self-discipline It is important to learn to think before we act in word or deed. Whether our thoughts are negative or positive, when they are unorganized or scattered they can create challenges in life. Our hearts and heads can overwhelm us when we do not take charge. The feelings of anxiety when newly in love, sadness of a broken heart, anger at feeling slighted by a co-worker, or anticipation a dream vacation, are examples of how we can lose control of our thoughts, and overlook other important details in situations or life. When we are mindful with our thoughts, we allow ourselves to think with purpose. Taking charge of our heart/emotions and head/logic and allows us to decide where to give our focus. This provides us the ability to focus on all of the important aspects of our lives rather than being tunnel-visioned and overrun by one thought or emotion, positive or negative. Thoughts create emotions, which lead to behaviors. Paying attention to our thoughts and emotions allows us to make the best decisions by balancing our logical reasoning with how we feel about a person or situation. Effective decisions and relationships, both personal and professional, cannot be based on logic alone. Emotions allow us to recognize the purity or impurity of our desires and motivations, understand when we are being self-serving, and make course corrections as necessary. Too much time is wasted thinking about things that do not concern us. What others do, or think of us, is not our business. We can, however, take another’s opinion as feedback or information, and balance that with our own thoughts and feelings. Through doing this we understand ourselves better. Conversely, what you think of others is not their business. Gossip and assumptions are a waste of our precious time. We each get 1,440 minutes per day and those minutes are better used when consciously choose how to use them. Our thoughts and emotions can serve us well when we use them creatively and effectively. Being deliberate with our thoughts and emotions provides us the ability to choose wisely, and peacefully rest our heads on the pillow at night. Mindful Behavior Strategies: - Notice when your thoughts, or your speech, are those of worry, sadness, anger, judgment, etc. Harness them so they don’t spin out of control. - Notice when your thoughts are those of excitement, anticipation, and how they sidetrack you from thinking about other important areas of your life. - Choose what you want to think and speak about, and do so with a purpose in mind. - Choose thoughts and speech that will benefit others and yourself. - Eliminate gossip and assumptions about others motives. Until you know, you dont know. - Speak with the purpose of relating, communicating, and participating with others. - Use thoughts, emotions, and actions to create rather than destroy. Be well. Thank you for reading this. If you like it, please “like it”, and share it with others.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:39:19 +0000