Emotions are natural reactions. Every experience creates an emotion. We will all, at some point, experience happy, angry, confusion, anxiety, and bliss. Sometimes, there is a need to let that emotion exist for a short time, but the important part is that we don’t need to live in that emotion and we have the ability to change our state at any time.
You cannot control what people do to you or how they treat you. You cannot control those things that happen around you, but you CAN control how you respond to those things. That decision of reaction is a decision that will change the course of your life. Here are 4 ways to create and maintain a positive mindset.
1. Do not react. Reactions come from our primitive brain and are usually not beneficial. Pause, breathe, take time to respond.
2. Change your physiology. Remember the super hero stance from a previous Spark? Stand up straight, chest out, chin up, and breathe deep.
3. Watch your language. We know the power of words. Make sure that only positive words are coming out. Don’t hold in the negative, but reframe it to see the positive.
4. Change your focus. Don’t focus on the event/person/thing that caused you to feel negative. It’s not about what you DID do, it’s about what you CAN do!
When I coach people, we never ignore those negative emotions. It's completely healthy to experience all the different emotions. We must, at some point, experience anger, loss, frustration, or confusion. We must deal with them, but we are not going to live in them. Instead, our wonderful nervous system has already designed ways for us to choose which emotion we want to live in.
Live with love, live with passion.
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