Negative Thoughts-4 Easy Steps to Regain Control
Don’t judge me – I really love my vacuum cleaner!
The morning was absolutely lovely. I enjoyed my breakfast and tea with my partner, our two cats, and bird, and was looking forward to seeing my clients and doing the bodywork I love. Before my first client of the day arrived, I was doing some last minute vacuuming. I heard a snapping sound coming from the brush head of my beloved Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner, and the brushes ceased their spinning. With Negative Thoughts, I turned off the machine, unplugged it and turned it over to survey the damage.
A bit of a confession is called for. I have a very strange relationship with my vacuum cleaner. It is a cherished tool, a device that allows me to get my floors very clean and to actually remove the cat hair from the deepest levels of the carpet. I really love vacuuming with this machine, because it does such a good job. However, it is getting on in years, and although I have been extremely creative in repairing the loose brush head a few times, I had a bad feeling about this latest mechanical failure.
I didn’t have time to fully assess the situation. My client was due to arrive at any moment, and she was usually prompt. So, I sadly put the disabled machine aside and worried about how much it would cost to fix it. I could feel the sick, sinking feeling of negativity sinking into me, weighing down what had previously been the start to a lovely day.
Gratitudes to the rescue
As I waited for the doorbell to ring, I also realized that I had not yet taken the time to write down my ten gratitudes for the day, an exercise which I have been doing for nearly three months. So, with a dark mood and negative thoughts descending, I grabbed my iPad and began my list.
I finished writing just as my client arrived. Still fretting over the vacuum repair, I settled and grounded myself and entered into a Reiki session in my usual way. Occasionally, thoughts of the vacuum cleaner continued to bother me, but I brushed them away like flies, as I was determined to stay in the moment and be fully present with and for my client.
The session was peaceful and left me feeling much better than when I had started. After my client left, I came back to my wounded vacuum cleaner for a deeper assessment of the damage. As I opened up the brush casing at the bottom, the belt that drives the brushes fell out, broken, onto the floor.
Oddly, I realized that all of the feelings of sinking and negativity about money and repairs were gone – simply vanished.
Since belts break on machines frequently, I was thinking clearly enough to surmise that they might also be easy to obtain and replace. My iPad was still within reach, so I looked up, “Dyson D17 belt repair”. Sure enough, there were easy how-to steps online to guide me through the ordering of parts and the replacement itself. I felt empowered and pleased with myself! I promptly ordered the parts and got ready to tackle the rest of the day.
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Avoiding the downward spiral of Negative Thoughts
What you need to understand is that prior to the self-realization work that I have undertaken, this event could have easily been the spark to set off a chain reaction of depressive “implosions” that could have taken days for the recovery of equanimity. Instead, because I was able to guide my thoughts away from the downward spiral of self-pity and blame, I was able to approach the project with an entirely new mindset – one that led me to feelings of empowerment, self-reliance, and positivity that propelled me through the rest of my day.
Yes, I am saying that we are in control of our thoughts and feelings.
However, too many times, we allow ourselves to be tossed amidst the stormy seas of our own Negative Thoughts, as we listen to the chatter of our fear-stoking critics that live within us all. These are the little voices that create the subtext whenever things in life are challenging:
“You’ll never be able to afford it.”
“You aren’t good enough.”
“What will people think of you?”
“Things always go wrong for you. It’s probably your fault.”
Redirecting the Inner Critic
I’m sure you recognize these definitely-not-helpful critics. My critics were yelling at me this morning, too: “You should take better care of your things. You never do the preventative maintenance. Why are you surprised when things break? You don’t deserve nice things. You can’t even afford to fix the things you have.” Blah, blah, blah…
But I fought back this morning because I decided that I didn’t want my feelings to move in the direction that the critics were pushing. I basically said to the critics, “I don’t have time for your garbage this morning. I have much more important things to do than to listen to you and feel anything but my best. You need to get lost. I am working now, and you aren’t important. Buzz off, little flies… before I get my flyswatter…”
4 Easy Steps to get Back on Track
This process of redirecting one’s Negative Thoughts takes a little practice, but here are four easy steps to get yourself moving in the direction of being able to keep your thoughts under your conscious control:
1. Recognize that the thoughts we think are the result of CHOICE. We can change our thoughts in the same manner that we change the channels on the television.
2. Recognize that the Negative Thoughts that come from our inner bullies and critics is NOT helpful. Tell them that the remarks they make are invalid and unimportant and that you are making a choice not to listen.
3. Shift your attention to something positive and distract yourself for a while.
4. Notice that your mood has stayed in the positive. Congratulate yourself on this new-found control over a very powerful personal resource. You may find that you have a fresh perspective on the problem or incident that set things off. Run with it! Enjoy the energy that is created when you feel empowered!
No one likes the way that they feel when they are thinking Negative Thoughts. Hold onto moments when you are able to transform your thoughts and feelings into a more positive state. Remind yourself that positivity is always a better choice. I can’t change that fact that my vacuum cleaner is still sitting in the middle of the living room, unusable. But I have parts on the way and repair knowledge in hand. My vacuum cleaner and I will be back on the job in no time at all!
Clear your Space – Recharge your Self – Direct your Life
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It’s hard to come by educated people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
I’m a licensed massage therapist by trade, but I’ve also done a lot of reading on the topic of fitness. I’m always open to learning more! Thanks so much for reading my blog!