Show of hands: whose life is going precisely as planned with only good things happening? Anyone? Anyone?? Not sure I see many hands raised. Maybe your life is like mine and others-it doesn’t always go according to script. The path is not always smooth and curve balls often get thrown our way. What we do when those curve balls come makes all the difference.
Have your heard the saying “life is 10% what we make it and 90% how we take it”? Wow, that hits the mark. Life isn’t always under our control. But there is something we can control: HOW we think. Call it mindset, attitude, thinking patterns or whatever you wish, it’s about how we view the world. And how we think stems from numerous factors. [tweetthis]HOW we think makes all the difference in our mind wellness #SpringintoWellness #MindfulMonday[/tweetthis]
At MemoryMinders, we discuss these factors at length because it really impacts how well our mind and memory function. Are we seeing the proverbial glass as half full or half empty? Some may dismiss this as feel good thinking, but there are many studies proving this to be true. People with positive outlooks perform better cognitively, generally live longer and have a better overall perception of their life. This clearly has an impact on not only our mind but also overall wellness.
But how can we do this if our natural bend is a glass half empty mentality? Practice. I will be the first person to say I don’t always see the silver lining. In fact, I usually prepare for the worst, thinking if I’m mentally prepared it will ease the blow. While this may be true, if I constantly live in the what if zone, I cannot fully be present and appreciate the wonderful world in front of me.
Life is about choices. What we choose to think about matters. And how we think directly correlates to what we put into our minds. If all we ever put in is negative, guess what? Negative thoughts are all we’ll have. Negative begets negative. And positive…., well you can complete the sentence.
I’m not advocating we only see or think about positive things. But it is about when and if negative situations come, what our reaction will be. I’m not always the best at this. Ask my family; if there’s an onslaught of bad news, frustration or fatigue, my reactions are not always the most cheerful. But I try. This is when awareness and understanding the concept helps. Recognizing our natural thought patterns can help us adjust, change and manage them. But we need to be aware of what we put into our mind and how it impacts our thinking.
For this Mindful Monday, think on how you think. What is your natural reaction when the curve balls come, the clouds roll in or life hands you a bowl of uncertainty? If you’re not always the most positive, how can you change your reaction? What will you do to adjust your mindset today?
Chime in with a comment here or on our social media pages and let’s choose to see our glass as half full!