Let’s clear something up, right out the door, shall we? You will never have a perfectly consistent present moment triumph. Why? Your brain is processing incoming data as fast as your senses send it toward the inner workings of the brain. As you assimilate the data, your brain is seeking to prepare you to stay alive.
The good news? We can learn to roll with the incoming data, limit its impact, and begin developing a present moment mindset which helps us calmly face life’s unpredictable schedule of events.
We don’t have to wallow in despair about the thoughts or feelings which show up, unannounced. We can take back the power of the mind by acceptance, release, and refocus.
Once you feel free you can embark on limiting uncomfortable, irrational, and unhelpful thought patterns.
Here are a few ways to challenge yourself when the brain decides to hijack your thinking and feeling.
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Reduce the negative emotion’s impact.
If you feel frustrated or angry, it becomes more difficult to appreciate each moment. The secondary emotion of anger covers up the negative feelings we fear. The uncomfortable feelings of hurt, disrespect, uncertainty, and sadness are masked by anger.
Anger, a wonderful tool to keep us alive, is also a cruel task-master.
When you give in to anger’s tempting salvation, you lose the ability to process the genuine emotions. By covering your genuine emotions, your connection to the inner workings of your mind and soul diminish. After a time, you lose focus, become bitter, and tend to live in a pessimistic state of mind.
Let go of the anger, embrace the feelings, and reveal the side of you others need to see, so you build connection rather than disconnection.
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Try meditation.
Meditation helps you focus on the present moment. As you ponder positive thoughts, meditating on them, you’ll discover a peaceful fulfillment rather than a rushed focus on life in general. Some people fight the idea of meditation.
The interesting concept isn’t about sitting there in a Buddha like pose, as much as it is to focus on the present emotions, sensations of the body, and the observation around us without judgment. A walking meditation is one where you choose ahead of time what to focus on and then, as you walk through the nature trail or other place, you notice the different birds, or you count the flags hanging off the houses.
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Reduce judgmental attitudes.
If you hold onto judgement on any level, it can lead to negative thoughts and emotions. The surge of negativity floods our minds and body with stress hormones. Judgemental attitudes creates a negative mind-state and hinders relaxation in the present moment.
You’ll struggle to relax and feel at peace when you fling judgment toward yourself, others, political systems, or the driver ahead of you. As you reduce every opportunity of judgment, you’ll release a lot of unnecessary negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Also within the reduction of judgmental attitudes, include yourself and others in the mix. Often we point out the flaws of those around us, whether we know them or not, based on prior experiences of someone similar. Limit the mental anguish of judging those around you. See if you can go one whole day without making a judgment of another person.
Challenge yourself to stop personal judgment. We call ourselves, “loser” or “failure” or even “fat or ugly” dependent on our mood. While helping ourselves to reduce motivation by judging unfairly, we also cut down the optimism needed to get motivated for change.
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Remember your place in the universe.
By remembering you’re part of a greater whole, you can learn to appreciate each moment. Some people cannot let go of control and this builds a smaller worldview. When we release our superiority complex into the greater universe, we can then plant our feet on the earth, take a look around you and then accept where you are.
Your place is synonymous with your role. We are in specific scenarios, some by our choosing and others by the hand of life’s cards dealt. Some of us are born into poverty, into homes where we are abused, or into privilege. We don’t get to choose what life we are born into, however, as we mature and heal from the past, we can choose what future we hold.
The climb might be uphill, and the struggle may be astronomical, however, we get to choose which path we take. As our mind matures, so does our determination to make a difference in the here and now. We cannot change the past, we cannot predict the future, we can, right now, choose to think about what our moment is like and believe with certainty we can improve ourselves daily. We can impact the future by staying present and genuine.
Reduce unnecessary worry.
A healthy concern for life is different than the worry loop. Predictions of destruction or fear for the future outcomes lean us toward a stressed and anxiety prone spirit.
Every time we submit to worry, we reduce peacefulness of the present moment. Create a worry box, to write your thoughts on, and deposit into the box. Once you write it down, commit to banning the idea to resurface. Resist the urge to open the container of worries for a whole month. Every time it comes up, resist the impulse to rehash the thought or worry.
When the end of the month arrives, open the worry box, read them and see which ones showed up and which ones proved false. If any still resonate with you then put them back into the worry box, seal it up again except for the tiny slot on the top, and begin the new month by burning the fragments of worry from yesterday.
The act of removing the worry from your mind, letting it set, and then releasing it in flames gives you power over the incessant thoughts. You get to decide what to do with the worry, rather than letting the worry ruin a beautiful day.
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As you embrace the different ways to create a positive, present mindset, you’ll develop a stronger character, and one decidedly focused. No longer swept under the tide of chaos, you’ll pull yourself up with your own life preserver.
Meditation, mindfulness, and the returning of the attention time and again to the breath of the present moment builds space to expand and heal. The gift we give the world is a freer mind and an unstuck mindset. While you cannot predict a perfect mindset, you can adapt and create a present mindset reducing the feelings of dependence on others.
Once you feel free you can embark on limiting uncomfortable, irrational, and unhelpful thought patterns. Everyday is a chance to embrace the present moment.
~Just a thought by Pamela
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This post was previously published on Change Your Mind Change Your Life.
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