Posts Tagged ‘thoughts’

Lets Get Real.

“When you stop living your life based on what others think of you, real life begins.”
-unknown.

For most of us were thankful that our private thoughts  remain unknown by most of the people around us. But what if they weren’t? Would you be embarrassed,  shamed, or uneasy?  Most likely  it’s a mix of all three. Therefore I’m sure you’re thankful that no one can read your mind! However, what happens when(and if) you meet someone that can see right through you? It’s uncomfortable to say the least. Well, more recently  that very thing happened to me. But you know what? After the initial horror it was quickly followed by a mixture of relief and a feeling of  refreshment. That’s certainly  due to the fact that I needed to be called out! I think you probably do too. How are we to live an authentic life(that is the trending hashtag is it not) if we can’t be real with one another or even ourselves? The problem seems to  be with safety. How safe do you  feel with others? How safe do you feel venturing into the void of your own heart? And  finally, in this upside down world, do you feel safe at all?  Not many of us come across people we feel safe  with. If you’re  blessed you will find  a person that has your best interest in mind. Today, for the first time ever I met one of  those people. It was scary! It was refreshing! Last but not least I am blessed for it!   When you get called out personally, see this as a chance to grow. If  you’re not  uncomfortable  you are not growing. So grit your teeth, clench your eyes, or stay silent when you want to scream, and get uncomfortable. Somewhere in your loss of comfort  you’ll find the kind of gains that will make you a better person.

Amnesia.

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The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”- Marcel Proust.

Memories can be a blessing  or a curse to us, or sometimes  even a torment.We all have memories of better times in the  past than our current  circumstances, that  can serve as cruel reminders. However, what if we had no recollection of our past at all, but only awareness of the present?  This would allow us to remove the usual blinders we have on and see our lives from a new perspective. Not only this, but we would experience  a new(even heightened) level of gratitude for what we do have, rather than always compare things to what we had before. Not to mention, the problem many have of constant comparison to others.This doesn’t mean we should forget our past,  because we can learn so much from it and use  it as a guide.For a good number of months my memories of life before the stroke would torment me.  I dared not linger in bed too long and let the negative thoughts traverse my mind. Because, I could remember what it was like not to have so many doctor appointments,be free of braces,run, walk normally, drive a car,live independently, and not have any type of rehabilitation. I surmised that those who had never experienced a “normal,” life  had it better because they had nothing in which to compare  their current circumstances to. Therefore, they were likely experiencing more gratitude and happiness  than I was. However, as life often does, perhaps this was my lesson to learn. Regardless of my circumstance I had to learn to look for the roses among the thorns. Each negative thought needed to be taken into captivity, inspected for helpfulness, and thrown out. Because, if a thought that floats into your head isn’t helpful,  it doesn’t deserve to be there. I cannot afford to entertain  or accumulate these negative thoughts, and neither can you. They only serve to create sprawling toxic black trees in our brains, rather than healthy green ones. This certainly does not bring us life but only death. We need to practice mindfulness, so don’t hesitate to police your thoughts! Very often what we’re thinking will determine what we’re experiencing.

be mindful!

bleu

 

Go Sailor

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”– John F. Kennedy.

You may not be the Captain of a ship, but you still need to know in which direction your rudder is pointing! Except in this instance the ship is your life and the rudder is your thoughts. Your life will go in the direction of your dominant  thoughts. However,  if you’ve aimed your ship at the cliffside rocks, there is still a way to turn it around. It’s possible to take your thoughts captive and replace those negative  thoughts with positive ones. Because, whether you’re aware of it or not we all have an enemy whispering  into our ears trying to derail us from the great  and fulfilling future  we have ahead of us. All it takes is a steady stream of “you cant’s,” “ it’s not going to happen,” and  “  this is impossible,” to derail your  ship from reaching its destination. Nowhere  in your life   did  anyone ever tell  you that you simply could not do something, besides your Mother when you were a child, yourself, and guess who else? The enemy!  The one who comes to  kill steal  and destroy your dreams. Therefore, we need to recognize when we’re being lied to. Because, if we fall prey to these lies the cost is too great. The cost is the future you were(and are) meant  to have. What many of us have not been privy to our entire lives is the truth about who we  are.  We are beautiful, capable, strong, intelligent, and  first and foremost LOVED.  You see, this enemy of ours  who loves to tell us the opposite of all those things celebrates when we actually believe them. In nearly every instance of  human failure you can find a place where  someone believed those lies. Because if you believe them how could you succeed!? By convincing you that you’re weak when your actually strong, you’ll let life and its challenges run right over you. However, once you have  the enemy’s  tactics on lock down you’ll easily overcome them. Why?  Because you’re capable,you’re beautiful, you’re strong, you’re loved, and that’s the truth! Now go out there and make the enemy  be scared of you.

Sail on strong!

bleu