Take A Timeout

This week I let one little negative thought settle in my mind and it created very sour mood. I was tired and indulged in some crankiness. Before I knew it I was drowning in defeated thoughts. Negativity is like a virus. If you don’t fight it off immediately it’ll settle in and grow outrageously fast. Negative thoughts drain you physically, emotionally, spiritually. They don’t inspire you to change in fact they can stop you in your tracks because you lack the energy to dream and act.

Negativity is a matter of perception. It’s ignoring the present moment and looking at your situation as it really exists. Some aspect of negative thinking is always a result of comparing your situation currently to where it should be. Focusing on the “should be” blinds you to what exists now and sometimes its not as bad you think it is. It was for me. I had to stop thinking for awhile and come back to the present moment. Once my mind stopped spinning with all my worries I was able to see that I wasn’t in such a bad spot.

By observing situations or life as it really is creates a solid foundation on which to build. It’s touchstone for you to come back when you loose your way. When you catch yourself being swallowed by negative thoughts, stop. Stop thinking. It may not be possible to replace those dour thoughts with optimistic ones immediately, but you can stop thinking . Consider it a timeout. Do something to get your mind off things. Take a walk, see a movie, talk to a friend. It’s important to change the energy and the best way to do this is to distract you from your thoughts. I ended up taking a walk. Being in the open air and sweating through some of it got my mind off it. When I came back I actually had to try to remember why I was brooding. I soon found my answer and my mood completely changed for the better.

Once you stop entertaining a negative frame of mind you’ll be able to look at a situation for what it really is. Often you’ll find your imagination is worse than reality. Seeing the situation as it exists opens the doors for solutions and peace of mind.

Lisa Radke is one of the owners of Wild Natural Beauty natural and organic beauty essentials. Please visit our website at www. wildnaturalbeauty.com.