Thought For Today - March

[bluidkiti]

To speak or not to speak

Words are energy that cannot be taken back. Do you weigh your words carefully or do your words just ‘spill out’? Today, develop the art to know when to speak and when not to!

[bluidkiti]

Traveling Light

Carrying excess baggage slows us down. Imagine being on a hiking trip and carrying a heavy backpack, filled with unnecessary things … Do the negative memories you hang on to serve you any purpose? In order to live the life you want to live, you have to let go of the life you led.

[willbe275]

Real deep and so very true.:170:

[bluidkiti]

Speaking of Butterflies

Do you get butterflies when you have to speak in front of a crowd?

What exactly scares you? What's the worst that can happen? Talk through your fears and reduce your nervousness. If not, then simply accept the fear. Breathe and release any nervous energy through your eyes, hands, and feet.

Smile, say hello, and start speaking. Watch those butterflies fly away!

[bluidkiti]

Trust Life

Trust life. Being trusting doesn't mean not being careful. Be careful and be sensible. Just trust life a little bit more.

Trust that life presents situations for you to grow and develop. Trust that life knows your potential for greatness. Trust that life wants to nurture you into being a better person. Trust that life is there for your happiness and fulfillment, no matter how else it may seem.

[bluidkiti]

Acknowledge Yourself

At the end of the day when you're getting ready for bed, look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge:
1) Your accomplishments from the day.
2) What you learnt today.
3) That being you is enough, you are enough.

Everyday, acknowledge yourself and show yourself respect.

[bluidkiti]

People's Opinion of You

Everything about you speaks volumes to others. And everyone is going to have an opinion about you. You can't stop people having their opinion, but what you do with those opinions is entirely up to you.

Are you going to let it bother you, be offended, worry about it, do something to change their opinion...? How are you going to handle people's opinion of you?

[bluidkiti]

Make Friends with Your Mind

The mind is where everything starts, the good, the bad and the ugly. To get the best out of your mind, learn to harness it. How? Make it your friend.

Good friends are honest and they very kindly tell you when you might be messing up. But they certainly don't call you every morning with a list of everything that's wrong with you. So don't let your mind tell you things that you would probably never accept from a friend.

Start befriending the mind and your mind will be a good friend to you!

[bluidkiti]

Iceberg of Conflict

Conflicts are like icebergs. What you see or understand is only a portion of what's really happening. So, take time to explore your iceberg of conflict. Look below the words and actions that fueled the conflict. Uncover your emotions, unrealistic expectations, preconceived perceptions and everything else that lies beneath the surface. Sort out what’s going on inside before you sort things out externally to resolve the conflict.

[bluidkiti]

Make and Break a Habit

Do you want to break a habit? Well remember, the more you think about what you don't want, the more you strengthen the negative habit. To break a habit, simply replace the negative habit with a positive habit. Put your energy into creating the new habit, by breaking it down into manageable steps. To make the new habit stick, monitor your progress by checking regularly. When you falter and revert to your old ways, simply recommit to the new habit. Remember to enjoy the process!

[MajestyJo]

Just because we are in recovery, doesn't mean we can't slip back into old habits and patterns. They are the familiar, we just have to recognize them for what they are. Even if it is a new habit, perhaps it no longer serves you, and it too needs to change.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1ioFe0jnEd9IDotkka9qo8_BWBu2xp 8-lUpBdsaJIgJ45mZwP

Needed this for myself, it cause me to isolate, which is a very bad habit.

[bluidkiti]

Sleep Walking Through Life

Sometimes, do you feel like a zombie, sleep walking through life? Going from one place to another without enjoying the journey? Doing things with no real meaning?

Come on, wake up! Realign with your purpose & get excited about your input. Notice the beauty in your world & the magic that happens in your day. Then you'll feel that life is an adventure worth exploring.

[bluidkiti]

A Tactful Approach

Whether you have to decline a request or give critical feedback, it's important to be honest, assertive and direct. But you don't want to hurt someone's feelings, especially in front of others.

Instead try a tactful approach. Be appropriately honest, assertive and direct. Say the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and you're more likely to get a positive outcome.

[bluidkiti]

A Collection of Ideas

Ideas are great. And the more ideas we collect, the more there is to be influenced & inspired by. But if your collection of ideas is messy, maybe it's time for a spring clean.

Throw out or delete the ideas that are going nowhere. For the really good ideas that you want to & have to keep, separate them into different categories & organize them better.

Try collecting selectively, rather than collecting ideas for anything & everything.

[bluidkiti]

Mindful Moments

Practice being mindful everyday. Not for the whole day, just during ONE routine activity. It can be when you're eating, brushing teeth, washing dishes, walking, cleaning, writing....

Simply be alert and pay attention to what you are doing. Be fully focused in the present moment. If your mind begins to drift, just bring it back to what you are doing.

Do a little bit of this everyday and not only will you get things done faster and better, but you'll also improve your concentration and your ability to relax.

[bluidkiti]

Hopes and Expectations

We have high hopes for others. Sounds good, but high hopes usually mean high expectations. People rarely meet our high expectations, and when they don't, we're disappointed.

So if you want less disappointment, think about lowering your high expectations and making them more realistic. But do continue to have high hopes for others.

[bluidkiti]

The Internet Behind Your Eyes

They say that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Behind your eyes lies a world wide web of wisdom. Access the internet behind your eyes to broaden your understanding and perspectives. It can change what you see. Stay connected for unlimited free access anytime, anywhere.

[bluidkiti]

Stormy Moods

Moods are like the weather. They can hit in gentle waves, descend like a grey mist or arrive as a full blown storm. Here are a few suggestions on how to deal with your stormy moods: Become fully aware of your emotions, consciously withdraw your energy from them; and choose how you want to feel; Do something worthwhile to shake yourself out of your mood; cook a meal, make a gift or enjoy an evening with friends; Dis-identify from the emotions that you’re feeling, and remind yourself that all moods come to pass. They always do … like all storms do.

[bluidkiti]

Color Your Life

Holi is the festival of colors that's mostly celebrated in India. People playfully color each other with fistfuls of colored powder and water. Even if you're not playing with colors, why not color your life, this week.

Add more color to your attitude, to what you wear and eat, to your living space, screensaver or desktop wallpaper....

Release your inner child. Add a dash of imagination. Brighten up your week.

[bluidkiti]

The Roles We Play

We play many roles in just one day: parent, child, friend, employee, colleague, boss, partner.... and each role requires different skills and behaviors.

Can you make the transition from one role to another successfully?

Here are 3 tips:
1. Clarify the skills and behaviors appropriate for each role.
2. Don't over identify with your roles; this makes it easier to shift and adapt.
3. Have a brief break or some breathing space, so that you're ready for the
next role.

[bluidkiti]

Be More Dog

Have you noticed how enthusiastically most dogs greet? The tail wagging, leaping, jumping, bounding around you, it's bound to put a smile on your face.

Let's all try and improve how we greet and meet people. Be more dog and greet with more enthusiasm, more smiles, more heart, more hugs, more nods.

[bluidkiti]

Having a Moan

Life isn't always fair, but moaning about it isn't really going to help or change anything. So you may as well stop. How?

Every time you have a moan, make yourself offer a solution or do something about the situation.

If you can't think of a solution or something to do, you're not allowed to moan about it!

[bluidkiti]

Consult your Conscience

To consult your conscience: sit quietly and calm the mind, allow peace to fill your heart and then place a question before your conscience, your innate wisdom. Then let go and listen for a response. Be patient and there will be a response; often when you have stopped wanting it and when you least expect it!

[bluidkiti]

Without Force

It’s great to be in control, and it’s great to let go. Let go of your expectations and fixed ideas about how things should be done. Don’t try to force things to happen. Just do as much as you can, then step back and see what takes shape.

[bluidkiti]

Hurry Up!

How many times do you say "hurry up" - to yourself & to others? Does "hurry up" increase anyone's speed? Does it make things happen any faster?

Hurry only adds pressure. This week, take the pressure off yourself & others. Get things done on time & be on time, without saying "hurry up." Good Luck!

[bluidkiti]

Support, not Solutions

When something is going wrong for someone.... we often start providing solutions, simply because we want to help them work things out.

However, what they may need and what may work best is our support, not our solutions.

That doesn't mean you can't help them. Ask questions that lead them towards a solution. Help them find their own solutions and they're more likely to apply those solutions and work things out.

[bluidkiti]

Plan A, B, C

We all have dreams. And to make our dreams a reality, we plot and plan.

Yet often we're encouraged to make a Plan B or even a Plan C, in case things don't work out. It's smart and sensible, right? But when we're plotting other options, we're directing our energy and commitment away from our Plan A. We're short changing our dreams!

Recognize:
1) When you need a fallback option and make a Plan B.
2) When not to give yourself any other option except Plan A.

Then put all your energy and commitment into making your dreams a reality.

[bluidkiti]

To Be Understood

We all want to be understood. But when we're not, we feel hurt, frustrated, ignored.... So how about, shifting from being understood to understanding?

Understand that we don't always understand each other. Understand that we're different in our abilities to understand each other. And that's OK.

Approach others with understanding and you open the door to being understood.

[bluidkiti]

Changing Your Mood

When you're in a mood, try not to give yourself a hard time. Instead, realise that you need to change your mood. Realize this and you're halfway there!

The next step is to change your mood. If you are a joker, make a joke, if you are a baker, bake a cake. Just take an easy step in the right direction and you're already on your way to a better mood.

Now use all your inner resources to keep going.... you're nearly there!

[bluidkiti]

Simplify Your Life

It's so easy to accumulate "stuff" - gadgets, clothes, appliances, shoes.... It not only takes up space in our home but also in our head. So simplify your life by reducing and recycling. Just look around your living space and take stock of what stays and what you can easily live without. How does the accumulating "stuff" begin? Shopping! So, the next time you go shopping, question the ‘I need’ items on your shopping list. Do you really need it? Shop less and simplify your life.

[bluidkiti]

Handling Criticism

When faced with criticism, do you get defensive and fire back justifications? Let’s face it; we are not as perfect as we think we are, so some of the criticism is probably valid. Why not use criticism as a constructive feedback to improve yourself? Try to steer clear of criticisms which are NOT helpful. Don't take it personally and let the criticism slide.

[bluidkiti]

Original, Not a Copy

An original piece of art or design is valued more than a copy. How often do you acknowledge that you too, are an original, one of a kind?

Be original & cherish your originality. And when you want to copy another, try not to. Instead, take inspiration, rework it & make it your own.

Live life as an original & all that you are & all that you do will always be valued.