6 part Series: How to Reclaim Your Life
The purpose of this series is to provide an opportunity to reflect on your life and ideas on how to reclaim it. Please search the blog for other parts in the series.
Part 4: Be Mindful of Your Thoughts
It is important to be mindful of your thoughts, or engage in metacognition, and think about your own thinking. Let’s take a closer look.
A person’s thoughts create their reality. For example, your boss asks you to come to their office. As a result, your mind goes into a tailspin and you think “she only does this when someone is in trouble” or “the last person she asked to come to her office was fired” or perhaps “she was very stern with me yesterday so this isn’t going to be good”. Then you notice that your heart starts racing and you become nauseous. In this moment, your thoughts are creating your reality. The body reacts to what you are thinking even though you do not know why your boss asked you to come to her office. The time approaches to meet your boss and you are not your best self because you are sick and tired due to what your body has gone through as a result of the spiral of thinking you engaged in. In the end, your boss offers you a promotion and was stern because she was preparing you for the next step. The point of this example is that your body cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is not. Your body responds to your thoughts. Therefore, if you are constantly in a state of fear, for example, the body will respond and exhaust your adrenal glands and other body mechanisms. Be conscious. Think about your thoughts. Notice the impact it has on your overall health and the outcome of events. Your thoughts can impact the outcome. Let’s look at the example again. As a result of the spiral of negative thoughts and your body’s reaction, you go into the meeting with your boss exhausted and not sharp. This leads to your boss reconsidering your new position because you give off the impression that you cannot handle it. It is possible, therefore, that your negative thinking created a situation in which you lost out on a promotion.
How can this situation be remedied? Remember, YOU fill yourself. If your boss did invite you to her office to fire you then you will get another job. YOU solve your own problems and ensure your safety and security. Therefore, regardless of the decision made by your boss you are OK and healthy.
Assignment
The next time you feel anxious, afraid, or nauseous pause for a moment and ask yourself a few questions. Why am I feeling this way? Is my life in danger? If not, what would be a better response? How are my thoughts creating a response in my body? Did I remind myself that I fill myself, solve my own problems, and am capable of whatever the outcome will be? Take some time to journal and reflect here.
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