I deliberately look for positive aspects in myself and others.
As you are deliberately looking for positive aspects in yourself or in others, you will find more of those things. ~ Abraham
Don’t center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs. ~ Qui-Gon Jin in The Phantom Menace Star Wars Series
The Mindfulness Path to Peace With What Is
Spilt Milk
You go to pick up another dish and knock over a glass of milk. Milk is dripping down over the counter, into drawers, and making a puddle on the floor. Now you are at choice. Do you start berating yourself for not being more careful, yell at your partner for distracting you so that you weren’t aware of the glass, and complaining that there is no towel in easy reach or . . . do you just get on with wiping it up and appreciating that you’ve cleaned up a drawer that has needed attention and the glass did not break?
Okay, that’s not an earth-shattering event, but it is a clear example of our choice to come to peace or not with what is, no matter what occurred. Yes, the initial reaction may be anger, fear, or disbelief to what you don’t like or approve of, but then what are you going to do. Will you stay out of clear alignment or come to peace and back into resonance with the vibration of your Inner Being and Source?
What Is – Was.
What is – just is. Our reactions and perceptions are always ours to make. Mindful living means being aware of not only what happened, but also your feelings that tell you if you are clearly aligned or not.
Now – what is – is a continual stream of “nows”. It may help to accept without judgment what is to realize:
Process
Antidote Thoughts
Singer-songwriter, Jewel, was in her early 20’s when she was cast in her first movie, Ride with the Devil. Her anxiety went into overdrive she says, as she struggled with the pervasive thought, “I don’t know what I’m doing!” Her normal practices helped but not enough. So, she created what she calls Antidote Thoughts, a practice she still uses today.
Again and again, she turned to an Antidote Thought. “It would help me refocus in the moment and be receptive to actually get the information I needed to try and do a good job.” She recalls.
When negative thoughts – “lies your mind tells you,” Jewel calls them – take over she goes for the antidote. Starting with the opposite thought and working from there to find something that feels more true to you – feels good.
Example:
She started with the opposite thought from, “I don’t know what I am doing!” – “I do know what I’m doing,” and using her body as a barometer, tried it on for size. She could feel that this thought wasn’t true. So she experimented with other antidote thoughts. When she said, “I’m capable of learning and I won’t quit.” Her anxiety, her body, instantly felt calmer. That was her truth.
When you are experiencing a negative thought pattern try saying or writing antidote (opposite) thoughts until you find ones that feel good to think about.