Thought For Today - August

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What's Your Story?

We continue to tell ourselves a story about what's happened, what's going on, what someone did.... and these stories influence how we think, feel and act.

It makes sense to listen to the story carefully, and if it's not empowering or inspiring, or you don't like the story, then edit the narrative without glossing over the facts or turning it into a fiction.

Turn your tragic sob story into a tale of triumph; a drama or a horror into an action adventure mystery or even a comedy. It's your story, so tell it to yourself just as you would like! What's your story?

[bluidkiti]

Supermarket Stress

It's easy to maintain your inner calm on a remote beach, but not so easy when you're in the supermarket! The good news is you can stay calm; even when you're dealing with the trolley, fellow shoppers, a long queue, the self-service checkout or the cashier. Think of ways you can reduce stress in the supermarket. Maybe: make a shopping list, don't shop when tired and hungry, shop at off-peak times. Or you can always shop online!

[bluidkiti]

Finding Time For Side Projects

All those little side projects you’d love to explore…. but can’t because there’s no time.

Well you probably won’t find the time, so you’ll just have to make the time. Maybe two hours a week or when there’s a cancellation and you find yourself with a few extra hours.

To make best use of your time as well as to make progress, work on just one side project rather than lots. Who knows where it will take you!

[bluidkiti]

Look After Yourself

“Look after yourself.” It's easy to say this to others, but do you do this for yourself?

In the midst of everything, it’s easy to forget to look after yourself. But push yourself a bit too far and there may be a price to pay. So come on, show yourself the same care that you show everyone else.

Be good to you and get good at looking after yourself.

[bluidkiti]

Gossip About You

When you hear gossip about you, what do you do about it? Of course, it depends on the gossip itself.

If it's harmless and you don't want to make it into a big deal, try to let it go and let it be. If it's horrible and it's going to hurt your reputation, then either address the issue directly with the source of the gossip or ask the right person to help you resolve the situation and curb the gossip.

[bluidkiti]

Refresh Your Focus

All through the day, our focus of attention is in constant demand and overused. So the next time you think, 'can't focus,' it might be a good idea to take a few minutes to relax your focus.

Here's a quick exercise: Drop everything from your focused attention. Let your focus of attention become as light as a feather. Let it drift on the breeze and float in the air. After a few minutes, let your focus float down through the air and gently land, just like a feather.

Relax and refresh your focus, and then continue with the rest of your day.

[bluidkiti]

You and Your Insecurities

Almost all of us have feelings of insecurity. But do you know what they are?

Ask yourself: What makes me feel insecure? Why? Are my insecurities valid or are they irrational? Am I picking holes where there are none? What's really behind my feelings? Do I need to make self improvements? Be more trusting? Be more confident?

Know your insecurities and then figure out how to overcome them.

[bluidkiti]

Your Inner Selfie

You've taken a selfie, right? Take a photo of yourself and capture how you feel, how you look, where you are, and post it online. Now there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you choose sensibly what you present and how you project yourself into the world.

Have you thought about your inner selfie? Well, meditation is one of the routes to the self. Give yourself some time each day to experience your inner beauty, positivity and power, and capture a natural feel good factor. Then you're ready to present and project your best selfie into the world.

[bluidkiti]

The Truth of Illusion

Illusion is the idea that people should be and do what we want. The truth is, all is as it should be, despite appearances. This means you can be easy on others and with the world around you. So quit forcing, end the struggling and...relax!

[bluidkiti]

Calm the Monkey Mind

Is your mind like a monkey? Jumping from branch to branch, from thought to thought? Now don’t get frustrated if your mind doesn’t stop monkeying around, and don’t force it to be still. Instead, harness the playfulness of the monkey mind to think creatively and constructively.

When your mind gets fidgety, reminding you of this and that, make a note of it so that your monkey mind doesn’t need to think about it any longer. When it starts making a fuss about what others did or didn’t do, tell your monkey mind not to worry about what others are doing.

When the monkey mind becomes unruly, give it a few minutes to run wild, and then take your mind to different locations. Let it swing in a hammock, under a palm tree on a tropical island…. And hopefully it’ll calm down.

[bluidkiti]

Integrate Who You Are

When we try to be someone or something we are not, we feel disintegrated. Ask yourself: Why am I trying to be someone or something I'm not? Who am I, really?

Integrate who you are with what you do, and start being yourself. As Oscar Wilde said: Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

[bluidkiti]

Music, Distracting or Productive?

Do you listen to music while you work? Does it make you more productive? Research suggests that music may help to block out distractions & help complete repetitive & boring tasks. Music can improve mood, which means if you feel better, you'll get more done. But music can also be distracting, especially if it's music you like, or if it's music with lyrics, or if it's dramatic classical music.

How about, finding the right music for the right task, music that helps you get things done without getting distracted. Create a playlist that works for you.

[bluidkiti]

A Little Too Vague

Ever find yourself being vague in your communication? Is it because you assume others are on the same wavelength as you? Or because you're not sure of all the details? Or you're too busy to explain? Vague isn’t easy to understand. It makes others misinterpret or second guess you.

Take the vagueness out of your communication. Get clear about what you want to say & then speak to be understood. But saying that, there are times when it's useful to be vague. Times when less information is more, times when we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, times when being vague with certain people can limit their interference in our life.

So get clear about when to be vague & when not to be vague.

[bluidkiti]

Who Rules Your Life?

Who rules in your life? People, circumstances and events... your past, present, future... the economy, the weather... your health, your emotions...?

Shift responsibility to someone or something else and you’re saying you have no control over your life; you’re a puppet to something or someone else’s strings. Do you really want someone or something else to rule your life or do you want to take control? It’s your life, take responsibility for it.

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See Beyond the Ordinary

Everything around us can be extraordinary and meaningful, if we choose to see it that way.

Let's say you pass a building site each day, and even though there's nothing extraordinary about it, today, see beyond the ordinary. See how the building site helps you to understand a current situation in your life in a more constructive way.

Today, open your eyes. Find meaning in the meaningless, see the extraordinary in the ordinary and bring more depth to your day.

[bluidkiti]

Distractions

Distractions may interrupt your meditation. But in time, with practice and patience, you will easily learn to go beyond anything ‘coming in’ through your senses. Thus maintaining your focus of inner attention and therefore remaining undisturbed by distractions.

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Doing Everything Perfectly

Do you really need to do everything perfectly? Strive to do things well and you get to see your potential and see great results.

However, if you get caught up in perfectionism, you may put unnecessary pressure on yourself and others. You may not get things off the ground because you’re waiting for things to be perfect.

Save your perfectionism for when you really need it, then you can enjoy tweaking things until they’re perfect. And when you really don't need to wait for perfection, strive to do your best and fix it as you go.

[bluidkiti]

Like a Potato

You can boil potatoes for ease, mash them for comfort, roast them to greatness & fry them for fun. The humble potato will adjust to almost any recipe & go with almost anything you make. They can be the star of the meal or the supporting role.

Be like the humble potato. Be versatile & adjust.

[bluidkiti]

Are You Interrupting?

Sometimes we interrupt when someone is speaking because we want to give ideas, suggestions, advice…. We want to be helpful & positively influence them. But when we interrupt, we reduce our chances to influence.

If you want to be more influential, stop interrupting. Keep your mouth closed & let people finish what they have to say. Keep your mind open & listen. Open your mouth & speak when it’s your turn to speak.

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Crying, Trying

Many of us respond to certain events by crying. It's natural to let out all those emotions. But crying at the wrong place at the wrong time can make things awkward, make others feel uncomfortable & make us look unprofessional.

If you need to cry, cry. But for times when it’s not appropriate, try to stop crying. Do some deep breathing or excuse yourself & rein your emotions in. Then try to sort out what’s bubbling beneath the surface. Stop crying & start trying.

[bluidkiti]

Do Affirmations Work?

Do affirmations work for you? Affirmations may not make things happen but they might enhance how you feel. Experiment and see if it works for you.

Create positive affirmations about yourself or your situation. I am.... I can.... I have the capacity to be.... Make it believable. Phrase it in the present tense as if it’s already true. Repeat it frequently to yourself, as you wash dishes, walk….

Believe in your affirmations and affirm with feeling. Who knows, you may just make affirmations work.

[bluidkiti]

Morning Intentions

Today, I will be more relaxed, tactful, cheerful, a clear communicator....

Set one intention every morning, before you get out of bed or on your way to work. It could be on how you want to feel or be during the day.

What's your intention, today? How will you put your intention into action?

[bluidkiti]

Making Assumptions

Assumptions are a part and parcel of life. We make so many assumptions about people, places and things. Assumptions are when we believe something to be true without actually knowing it to be so. We use assumptions as facts in our decision making process. When our assumptions are wrong, we may hurt others, make things complicated or have a misunderstanding. So, don't do it. Don’t assume! Be curious and ask for more information. Take the time to find out the facts.

[bluidkiti]

Quick to Form Opinions

Most of us are quick to form opinions about others. Of course we have a right to think what we want, right?

How about adding compassion to your opinions: whether it’s your friends, family, colleagues or even strangers. You can never fully comprehend people’s choices or motivations, so just assume that they are doing the best they can in completely different circumstances to yours.

Today, catch yourself as you start to form opinions & add compassion to your opinions.

[bluidkiti]

Park Your Thoughts

Next time you find your thoughts speeding around creating chaos, try this: Try and steer your thoughts to where you are and park them. Just make sure you’re not parked anywhere near worries, anxieties, guilt, regrets… otherwise, there will be fines to pay.

Park your thoughts near a quiet, calm space. Relax and regain your energy and focus. Then, when you’re ready, steer your thoughts in the direction you want.

[bluidkiti]

Cleaning Up After Others

Do you get frustrated having to always clean up after certain people? Ask yourself, what’s causing the frustration? Is it their messy habits or their lack of care?

As everyone does things differently and has different standards, can you ignore the mess? If you can’t, can you relax your standards, even a little? If you can’t, can you voice your concerns and give feedback without complaining and nagging?

Can you make them care about cleaning up after themselves? How do you handle situations like these?

[bluidkiti]

Your Ego at Work

How do you know when your ego is at work? When you get upset, defensive... When you’re comparing, competing… When you feel inferior, superior… When there’s the need to impress, the need to be right... When you want more control, more spotlight…

Start recognizing when your ego is at work and when it’s getting in the way of your success, your relationships or your growth; drop the e from ego and go. Go wherever you need to go!

[bluidkiti]

Your Mood Affects Others

Your mood affects others. It’s as contagious as a cough, cold or flu!

When you’re in a bad mood, become aware of how your mood impacts those around you. And then take a moment to change your mood and begin to notice how your good mood affects others and creates a positive vibe all around.

[bluidkiti]

Something for Yourself

When was the last time you did something for you? Bought yourself flowers? Cooked your favorite meal for yourself? Treated yourself to a day out?

If you haven't done something nice for yourself recently, be good to yourself and do something today!

[bluidkiti]

Unflappable

When challenging situations come, think: whatever happened was good, whatever is happening is better and whatever is to happen will be the best. Genuinely feel that there’s “no problem!” Tap into your inner stability, stay strong and be unflappable. Then you’ll be able to handle the situation gracefully.

[bluidkiti]

Something for Yourself

When was the last time you did something for you? Bought yourself flowers? Cooked your favorite meal for yourself? Treated yourself to a day out?

If you haven’t done something nice for yourself recently, be good to yourself and do something today!