Thankful Thursday

I want to dedicate this blog post to my dear and trusted friend, Judy Craig, and my Mom who love me enough to tell me the truth when I need it, even when it hurts and kicks my butt.  Love you both!!!

I like to think of myself as being a fairly optimistic person, a little south of Pollyanna most of the time.  Like the old Monty Python song says, “Always look on the bright side of life… do do… dah doot... de doot dah doot!” 

However…

Lately I have chosen to let loose the Negative Nelly in me – she’s a bit south of Darth Vader.  Nelly is the little voice that lives to point out the bad side/points of everything in my life – from people to places to every little nook and cranny.  You gotta give her props for creativity, because she can find the down side to anything.  Some of her favorite lines usually include the words, “it’s not enough… you could do better… look at what the other person has…  it's not fair...”, and similar words that are the termites to my thankfulness.  She’s the daughter of that snake in a garden long ago that hissed doubt in Eve’s ear… and thus Negative Nelly was conceived.  She is the voice that breathes life into discontent, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement and displeasure.  Yep… she is the part of me that is the “Diva of Diss”!!!

It’s easy to allow yourself to become influenced by the circumstances of life – complex things like the economy (and how it affects you personally), the behavior/outlook of others around you... right down to the weather (she writes as yet another dreary NJ snowstorm rages outside).  It’s kind of like being a non-smoker in a room full of smokers.  You may come out a non-smoker, but the smoke has permeated your hair and clothes, it’s internalized in your lungs, and you carry the stench with you - until you choose to change those clothes, toss them in the laundry, and take a shower.  Negativity (and what we do with it) is a lot like that, isn’t it? 

It takes someone who really cares about to you have the courage to verbally hit you upside the head and call you on your “never satisfied” and “pity party thrower” sad self, and to encourage you to stop playing that same old tune and change the station! How grateful I am to have some treasured people like that in my life.

One of my favorite quotes about attitude come from Chuck Swindoll (see frame).  

So today I choose to change.  Today I will wipe the “diss” off my lenses, own my ‘tude, get down on my knees to ask God (and my longsuffering loved ones) to forgive me for being such a self-focused crabapple, and get on with the business of being grateful and thankful for the incredible life I have… right this second.  I’d rather wear a bit more rosy lenses, tinged with realism, but nonetheless more likely to see that for which I can and should be appreciative.  My blessings overflow, and it’s time my ‘tude, words, countenance and life reflected just that.

It’s like the old hymn said, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done.”

Won’t you join me today?  Together let’s duct tape shut that Negative Nelly voice within, exercise our grateful muscles and work them out till we drop with thanksgiving!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ Thursday

What cha thinkin'? That can be a loaded question, because those thoughts create your reality, and can negatively impact your day, your attitude and your health. “Toxic thoughts” lead to stress, which affects our body’s natural healing capacities – it wears down the brain and body.

Dr. Caroline Leaf has spent years researching the brain/thought process, and how the science of thought relates to thinking, learning, and renewing the mind, gifting and potential. In a November blog she wrote that much our mental and physical illnesses come from our thought life. It’s a fascinating article, and you can read it further by clicking HERE. Research found that thinking and feeling anger, fear and frustration caused DNA to change shape according to thoughts, by tightening up, becoming shorter and switching off many DNA codes.

In today’s blog by Michael Hyatt, (click HERE to read it), he spoke about keeping a positive attitude. He writes:

“'For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he' (Proverbs 23:7). Negative thoughts deplete your energy. Positive thoughts replenish your energize. Attitude is not something that just happens; you choose it. Even in difficult circumstances, you can choose to have a good attitude. And, it whether good or bad, it will have a direct impact on your energy."

The point I’m making here is that you have so much power in your thoughts. Worrying and anxious thoughts can bleed you like an energy vampire, create physical problems like indigestion, ulcers, blown out adrenal glands and much more. Have you ever gotten upset in the morning and thought, “Well, that’s just going to ruin my day - it's all downhill from here!” Tell me, did the rest of your day meet your expectations? Probably. We set ourselves up all the time by low expectations, a victim mentality and believing wrong information. Were you criticized as a child and still believe those lies? Do you assume you’re going to have a lousy day? Do you expect the worst behavior from people? Do you tell yourself there’s nothing you can do, you have no choice, you’ll never lose weight, never have a good relationship, never this, never that? Sound familiar?

You CAN choose to think better. I’m not talking about sickeningly sweet Pollyanna positive la-de-dah life is beautiful all the time fluff. Nor am I saying that when life is hard we just cheerfully sigh and say, “Oh well, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” No, not only will that be unrealistic, but you will be incredibly annoying and most people will either run from you or slap you silly. I had to laugh when I recently heard a revised version of the lemons philosophy – “When life gives you lemons, grab the vodka and make a lemon drop martini!” Hey, at least they’re thinking about positive options! You have to start somewhere!

Seriously, though, you can choose how you are going to think about (and then act upon) a given situation. You can have a great day even if it’s pouring rain and traffic was re-DUNK-u-lous. Even if the situation itself cannot change, how you think about it/deal with it is within your thought choices and your power. You might not be able to change your circumstances, but you always can choose how you are going to think about/react to them.

For example, let's say yesterday you fell off the healthy eating wagon big time. Now you may think, "Oh well, I blew it. No point in trying now, I'll start again next week." You've just given yourself permission to eat poorly through the weekend. Then Monday morning you'll step on the scale, get discouraged, and possibly give up. Your thoughts can change that scenario and give you a whole different outcome. Today instead think positively and say, "Okay, I blew it yesterday. But today is a fresh start, and I'm going to continue to eat healthy." You stay true to your goal, and next Monday you feel better when you step on that scale, and you'll probably see a physical manifestation of your positive choice to keep on track and not give up. You'll feel proud of yourself, which will give you a boost to your mood and keep you on that upward climb. Good for you!

Today, exercise the positives in your thought life (and say NO NO NO to the negatives). Think I CAN instead of I can’t, expect the very best from everyone you meet – they might surprise you! It’s your choice.

What do you think of that?

Blessings,

Linda

Twisted Tuesday

No, I’m not referring to my twisted little mind (although some of my friends might debate that statement)! In light of all the East Coast hurricane and tornado winds that recently blew life around like a dry leaf in the autumn breeze, today I want you to exercise your thoughts.

Twist your thoughts – instead of thinking, “I can’t do this!” twist it around and think, “How could I accomplish this?” When you find yourself thinking, “That person is a jerk!” bend that baby around and imagine, “What would s/he be like if I approached him/her this way instead?” When seeing some big dream or project looming in the distance, instead of allowing yourself to get overwhelmed and voicing that by saying, “There’s no way I can accomplish that!” – TWIST! Ask yourself, “If there were a way, what would it look like? What would be the first step I could take to begin tackling it?”

Remember – if you tell that amazing brain of yours “I can’t!” it will say, “Oh, okay.” But… if you ask the question “How can I?” instead, your brain will say, “OH, now that’s something I can really work on!!” and you will be amazed at the ideas that will surface.

So go make like Chubby Checker – and TWIST!!!!

(Oh, and P.S. dancing burns about 300 calories an hour, so feel free to blast that music and twist and shout to get your brain in gear and whittle that waistline at the same time!)