How are you feeling? Good? Bad? Happy? Sad? We get asked this question all the time but we rarely ever answer honestly or even accurately. How can we when the model we use to gauge our emotions is so one-dimensional.
Have you ever met someone with the “Eeyore” type personality? I bet you’ve joked around with them and in that moment they felt happy even if their overall mood was negative. How about a person who is always energetic and full of life? I bet you’ve seen them when they are sad.
It is my belief that there are two main types of emotion. Major state and Minor state. Major state is the overall attitude and view you have of the world and for simplicity’s sake can be divided into two basic states; Negative and Positive. Minor state is the more immediate “current” emotion (but seen through the “lens” of the major state).
Major state tends to change slowly if at all, in most people. Minor state fluctuates rapidly. If major state does shift rapidly from (for example) Negative to Positive, the emotional disparity between those states can cause extreme excitement and one tends to “spiral” upward.
If one spirals too high they eventually become emotionally exhausted. This leads to a major state shift from positive to negative and the emotional disparity between those two states causes one sadness and exhaustion and they tend to spiral downward.
So if you are caught in that cycle or just have a negative major state, how can you achieve a healthy positive-balanced state?
Meditation is an excellent tool for this, but if you find it hard to sit still or “think no thoughts” then go out for a walk, or go on the bus, or listen to music, etc. Whatever method you decide to use, try what to do what I simply call “observing”.
People sometimes have a hard time “not thinking” because like I mentioned before they are trying to “think no thoughts” which is (keyword: THINK no thoughts) still a thought. So instead of focusing on not thinking, try “Observing”. This is how I start observing(this applies to whatever method you choose):
Start by thinking about time. What is the past? It is a memory and a memory is a thought. What is the future? It is expectation and expectation is a thought. The only part of time that is real and tangible is the present.
The present can not be measured because where does it begin? Where does it end?There is only one eternal moment that we are always at the apex of. This is not to say that yesterday didn’t happen or that tomorrow will not come, but simply that they do not exist right now. And now is where we always are. So be in this moment.
Start to take everything in; the sights, the sounds, the smells, etc. Observe everything all at once without focusing or reflecting on it. Just notice. Be in the moment and notice how much more detailed and vibrant everything is. You should start to feel balanced and when you decide to start thinking again, think positively. Your emotional states should be “tuned” (or tuning) to Positive(major) and Balanced(minor).
A tip of advice for people who achieve a positive state when you are used to a negative one. When you go to sleep you may wake up to find your major state has shifted back to negative. Do not worry and do not let yourself spiral downward. Simply just keep meditating/observing. It may take some time for positive major to become your “default” state.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Power of Positive Thinking
The mind is a powerful tool and we all have the capability of using it to be more positive and attract the lives we deserve.
‘Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions”. Albert Einstein.
We’re all familiar to some extent with the law of attraction- If you think positively, you’re more likely to draw positive things into your life and vice versa, but what exactly does this mean? Some things are just out of our control and it would be false to suggest otherwise. We always have the choice to choose our attitude though and if we choose a positive outlook, chances are we’ll attract positive feedback.
‘Mans search for Meaning’ is a book written by Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl who experienced 4 years trapped in several concentration camps during WW2. He asked the question, “How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?” He quotes Nietzsche in his book. “He who has a why to live for, can bear with almost any how”.
Frankl states that many of the men trapped in the camp would die shortly after Christmas due to false hope. They were living for their release on a particular day and when this never came, they no longer had a reason to live. The men who survived were the ones that had created meaning in their life through focusing on the face of a loved one, their home, being free again… and they really felt what it would be like once out. They had also created a purpose. Flankl’s was to write his book.
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”. Victor Frankl
So, you can’t always control what will happen in life, but you can choose how to respond. This of course is easier said than done. The law of attraction is supposed to work when you really feel what you’re thinking or imagining as if it were the real thing. Set the scene in your head, focus on what you want to happen in your life and believe it.
Understandably, a lot of us run busy lives and have demanding work schedules which can make positive thinking feel a bit tough sometimes, but make it a priority to put at least 10 minutes ‘me’ time aside each day. You could meditate or visualise the positive things that are already in your life. Perhaps you could make a list of things you enjoy such as listening to music, painting or relaxing in a hot bath. And make time to do them; you’ll thank yourself in the long run.
Setting yourself affirmations is always great and requires minimum effort. If you’re prone to angry outbursts, you get stressed or irritated easily, perhaps you could use the phrase, ‘I always remain calm in a crisis’. Affirmations must always contain positive language and be repeated several times each day. Try to focus and visualise yourself being calm as you say the affirmation and with time, you will start to see the affects.
Children have great imaginations. Do you remember playing ‘make believe’ games as a child? The dullest of places could be transformed into magical and interesting spaces of wonder. I’m not suggesting you go as far as pretending your office space is a time machine although it could be fun, but be enthusiastic and train your brain to be believe that things can and will get better.
Only visualise favorable situations. Use positive words when talking with others and smile because it helps to generate positive thoughts. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.
‘Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions”. Albert Einstein.
We’re all familiar to some extent with the law of attraction- If you think positively, you’re more likely to draw positive things into your life and vice versa, but what exactly does this mean? Some things are just out of our control and it would be false to suggest otherwise. We always have the choice to choose our attitude though and if we choose a positive outlook, chances are we’ll attract positive feedback.
‘Mans search for Meaning’ is a book written by Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl who experienced 4 years trapped in several concentration camps during WW2. He asked the question, “How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?” He quotes Nietzsche in his book. “He who has a why to live for, can bear with almost any how”.
Frankl states that many of the men trapped in the camp would die shortly after Christmas due to false hope. They were living for their release on a particular day and when this never came, they no longer had a reason to live. The men who survived were the ones that had created meaning in their life through focusing on the face of a loved one, their home, being free again… and they really felt what it would be like once out. They had also created a purpose. Flankl’s was to write his book.
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”. Victor Frankl
So, you can’t always control what will happen in life, but you can choose how to respond. This of course is easier said than done. The law of attraction is supposed to work when you really feel what you’re thinking or imagining as if it were the real thing. Set the scene in your head, focus on what you want to happen in your life and believe it.
Understandably, a lot of us run busy lives and have demanding work schedules which can make positive thinking feel a bit tough sometimes, but make it a priority to put at least 10 minutes ‘me’ time aside each day. You could meditate or visualise the positive things that are already in your life. Perhaps you could make a list of things you enjoy such as listening to music, painting or relaxing in a hot bath. And make time to do them; you’ll thank yourself in the long run.
Setting yourself affirmations is always great and requires minimum effort. If you’re prone to angry outbursts, you get stressed or irritated easily, perhaps you could use the phrase, ‘I always remain calm in a crisis’. Affirmations must always contain positive language and be repeated several times each day. Try to focus and visualise yourself being calm as you say the affirmation and with time, you will start to see the affects.
Children have great imaginations. Do you remember playing ‘make believe’ games as a child? The dullest of places could be transformed into magical and interesting spaces of wonder. I’m not suggesting you go as far as pretending your office space is a time machine although it could be fun, but be enthusiastic and train your brain to be believe that things can and will get better.
Only visualise favorable situations. Use positive words when talking with others and smile because it helps to generate positive thoughts. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)