We all know that stuff happens. Unexpected things. Things that trigger emotions of all kinds.
The thing about it is, once the event has happened, we get to choose what we do with it.
Do we have a long conversation about what’s bad about this? Do we play the experience over and over in our mind? Do we make a comparison list of all the similar unhappy experiences?
These ways of handling unexpected experiences are learned. We learned by observing someone else who handled their experiences that way.
The issue with handling unexpected experiences this way is that it keeps us in the lower emotions.
There is another way.
When something unexpected happens, and once you get over the initial surprise of the event, you can choose another line of thinking.
What if you want on a mental journey looking for ways to finish this statement?
“What’s really cool about this is…”
For example, you loose a twenty dollar bill. Sure it sucks to be out that money, but what’s really cool about this is, that $20 is probably helping someone out who was in a real bind. What’s really cool about this is I probably really made someone’s day.
I remember a few years ago I was heading to the airport to catch an international flight. You’re supposed to be there a couple of hours early. I hit every kind of traffic jam or delay there could possibly be. I barely made it there before they closed the flight. What was really cool about that? The delays stopped the minute I walked into the airport. I went through every process quickly! Plus, because I got there at the last minute the only seats left were first class. I paid for an economy ticket, and flew first class…all because of the traffic jams. When I got to LA, guess which story I told? I certainly was not reliving the traffic jam. I was reliving the first class seat!
When you first begin playing this game, you may come up with (what you consider) lame answers, but that’s OK. You’re practicing. More often than not the lame answer still feel better than replaying what wasn’t cool.
Have you ever had the thought that you wish you could just turn your mind off? That’s because replaying what’s not quite right is NOT your natural state. Even your mind knows there’s a better way.
Our minds are one of the most powerful tools we have available. We just need to give it better information. It will only work with what we give it. That’s it. You choose the input. What didn’t work, or, what’s cool about what didn’t work.
Here’s another analogy for you. I you cook with rotten food, no matter how good of a cook you are, you’ll still be serving rotten food.
Give your mind something healthy to work with, and the output will be something healthy.
There are always cool things we can discover about anything. It can be a fun game to play, if you choose to look at it that way.
What’s cool about playing this game is that you’re taking charge of your own mind, and your own life. The events of living are no longer leading the way…you are!
Dream BIG!
Velma Gallant
The Queen of JOY!
PS ~ Your Mind is a beautiful tool when you learn how to use all of it’s potential! Learn more about your mind’s potential at JOY made EASY!