My last Wellness entry addressed the power of feeling good to nurture positive results. Today I’ll address the power of seeing good – that is, keeping the mental focus positive. I have a saying on my desk that states: Look for bright spots – your life follows your attention. This is very challenging to do when I’m not feeling particularly good. And I realize that what and how I think about something is a choice. Looking at the glass half empty or half full is a common expression used to highlight this choice we have.
Holding a positive vision in spite of external circumstances is like holding the wheel steady when a gust of wind tries to steer you off course. Leaning into the wind, and using it to remain confident about the outcome you want builds confidence/determination muscles. Holding fast to your internal compass and the values/beliefs that guide you keep you on course towards well-being.
A good way to assess how well you see good for yourself is to listen to how you speak about life in your conversations, and in your self- talk. Your language indicates a positive or negative view. And choosing to shift a word can make all the difference – it’s like trying on a different pair of shoes , and seeing where they’ll take you. An example of this could be saying “This is going to be hard to do,” as opposed to saying “This is possible to learn how to do,” or “This is challenging.” Giving yourself room to learn and grow and expand leaves an opening to move towards what you want in your well-being.
This is the thinking behind use of affirmations. People tell me it’s difficult to maintain this practice when they don’t believe what they are saying. So play with the language until you can believe a small step towards what is possible. For example, maybe you believe you’ll never get to your healthy weight, but you can believe that you would walk for 20minutes each day. “I am exercising for my health every day.” That’s seeing good – that holds your course steady as you power it with positive feelings. Next time we’ll talk about doing good. In the meantime, be well.
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