Mindset Reflection: What if it all works out?
What would you estimate as the amount of mental headspace that is spent residing in worry? Percentage wise, you say... 10% - 50% - 80% - 0%? One of the gifts of my role as wellness coach, therapist, way-shower - is the gift witnessing first-hand the landscapes of others internal worlds. For me, this view from "behind the scenes" is an honor, a privilege and a teacher. It allows a sort of front row seat for coming to know the individual and collective vibes of the world at a given time. One thing I have observed in this role is the way thought streams of worry, fear and self-doubt impact, and at times dominate our internal worlds. These streams of thought are primal in their nature, rooted deep within our nervous systems, and in truth, they advocate for us - always intending to keep us safe and alive. In simple terms: Worry - is often intending to prevent problems from arising in the future. Fear - is often looking out for threats to our health and wellbeing. Self-doubt - often attempting to shore up our confidence and ability for coping looking out for areas of personal weakness. Though each of these thought streams intend to advocate on our behalf, in truth their skewed perceptions limit us from accessing trust in our surroundings, acknowledging what is going well, and recognizing the truth of our already developed strengths and skills. Witnessing these thought streams in others has allowed me a unique angle to notice even the most subtle streams that exist within myself. At times this has been a challenge. Overtime, with support and practice I have come to see this part of my experience as simply "part of the curriculum." Thanks to some incredible teachers, I have learned and chosen to adopt a mindset that supports me in perceiving the moments of my life as rich offerings of opportunities to grow and learn. As we move through this life, we face steady streams of change. Due to our survival drives, the unknown inherent in this triggers our nervous systems to be on the lookout for danger and risk – hence the worrisome thought streams.
Tip: Play with Curiosity
It isn’t all doom and gloom; the cool thing is that when we become aware of this we can sort of ‘plan ahead’ – deciding to practice a new lens through which to perceive our daily exposure to the unknowns of change. This starts with increasing our skills for staying present to the truth of the moment like grounding into the body or becoming aware of the breath and continues with practicing intentionally shifting the way we are relating to our experience. Did you know that you can choose your mindset?
Mindsets create our perspectives. Perspectives serve as lenses through which we experience and form relationships with our life experience in our day-to-day worlds.
As I play with this practice in my own life, curiosity has become one of my greatest tools, opening the door trying on and experiencing life through a more trusting lens.
One day I received a letter in the mail from a dear friend which supported the cultivation of this… In the envelope was a sticker, the shape and image of a flower overlayed with a question which read, “What if it all works out?”
In applying it since, this question alone has held the power to open an incredible door to a mindset of possibility, a perspective of trust and a whole new vibration - largely free of worry, fear and self-doubt. It has become a cornerstone of support as I life in this world.
Interested in trying on some new mindsets to discover how they may positively impact you? We're cultivating a judgement-free community, within which we encourage such types of play :) you can join our Facebook group here.
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