Choose Your Thoughts

I’ve talked about this in previous posts, but I thought it was worthwhile mentioning it again in a bit more detail following my post, 3 Ways to Improve Your Life. 

Each one of us perceives a situation/event/person’s behaviour in a different way.  The situation/event/behaviour is just that and nothing more, until we put meaning to it.  The meaning we put to it can be based on numerous factors including our race/colour/creed, our current mood, what’s happened to us that day, previous experience of a similar situation, our learned behaviours, our general view of the world etc etc and is usually done on a subconscious level. 

As you will know if you read my posts regularly – I had quite a lot to deal with last year and it actually came down to two choices, I can either see it as a massive negative and let it consume me and drift in to helpless negativity, or I can use this situation to empower me, to learn from and to hopefully use my experiences help others.  Which do you think is the more empowering option?  The second obviously otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this!

We often can stop a situation happening, but do have full control over how we feel and what we do about it.  Whether we see it as a positive or a negative, whether we take the learning and move forward or let it engulf us, it’s a choice, our choice, no one else’s.  A situation is basically neutral, it’s the meaning that we put to it depending on all the factors mentioned above (and more) that make it positive or negative.

So the next time something happens that is uncomfortable or upsetting take a step back and choose how you see it.  Could it mean something else?  What can you learn from it and what can you do differently to stop it happening again?  Ask yourself better questions and consciously change your perception and you’ll find that your feelings and emotions will change as a result.

Jo