Have you ever thought about your mindset or thought patterns? I took a Sports Psychology class in college and remember the tools we learned that were applicable to athletes. Visualize yourself standing at the free throw line and making the shot. Feel how your muscles move as you glide down the slopes and to the finish line. See the ball rolling across the green and dropping into the hole each time. I even wrote a thesis on the psychological effects of athletic injuries and how mindset and visualization improved recovery time. We are taught that things like this are meant for athletes or certain situations, not for everyday life. But why is that? I’m here to tell you it is very important to understand how your mind works, understand your thought patterns, and how to fix things if you don’t like what you uncover.
Last time I mentioned how clearing out energy in the body/energy field impact the other areas. If you live in fear or feel unstable, that shows up a certain way in life. A little story...about 1.5yrs ago I did a live video challenge to speak about something I wanted fixed in the world. I chose fear because it was relevant for me, as I was speaking to myself. For that 4 minutes I was terrified. I’ll bypass the antics I went through to psych myself for it, but I shook the entire time, and cried after. Sounds pretty dramatic, huh?
I admit it was, but after pulling myself back together I had to ask what all my internal fuss was about. I was afraid of being seen, heard, judged, being right/wrong, and everything else. I was afraid to live, let alone out loud. It was that inquiry that led me to also think about where I was limiting myself in my life and then I got mad. What was wrong with me? How could I do this to myself? How could I fix it?
The next 2 chakras primarily deal with things like courage, confidence, comfort in your own skin, creativity, and love. These mighty chakras are the solar plexus and the heart. This is what I needed and you know what...I cleared those bad boys out! Not to say all is solved, but want an easy example of how I know this stuff works? THIS POST. And any other post I’ve done on this topic. I’ve done videos about what I’m up to and am no longer living in complete and terrified fear of what people think. And even when there is fear, it doesn’t lead to paralysis. It leads to recognition that it’s there, thanking it (yes, I thank the fear), and telling it I’m going anyway. Of course some decisions take a little more time to act on, but there is movement.
One of the things I like about Reiki, but all energy work, is it’s about helping others, coming from a place of love and respect. Reiki actually has principles if you choose to apply them to your days: Just for today, do not worry; do not anger; earn your living honestly; show gratitude for your blessings; be kind to your neighbors and to every living thing. This isn’t about religion either, let’s be clear about that. This is about remembering that everything is okay, being respectful, not beating yourself up, and showing compassion. It’s about forgiving yourself today because tomorrow you can try again. Who likes to beat themselves up over inconsequential things? Some of which aren’t even ours to begin with. My hand is raised! We all do it, but how fast can we recover from it? Spinning on such negativity that will bring a person to their knees. When you are aware of your thoughts you can remember that you’re likely doing the best you can and that there’s no real reason to beat yourself up over things.
So how did I start thanking my fear? When you clear some of the energetic gunk you can see that’s only doing it’s job. Our bodies are primed for fight or flight response, so when there’s a threat, guess what happens? We get scared and our bodies respond. I thank the fear because I know my sensor is working, it’s alerting me of “pending danger” even though it might be something like an action out of my comfort zone, not being chased by a lion who thinks I’m dinner. I also look at things in my life in addition to those I don’t yet see because I know they are coming. I thank them for being there, shaping who I am and becoming.
Have you ever taken a look at your life and felt real appreciation for the things in it? That you have a roof over your head, food to eat, or a job that pays you regardless of the amount? It’s neat to really look at things, see how they add to your life, and truly be appreciative of their contribution even if you aren’t where you want to be yet. Magic is waiting after that mindset shift.
This can lead to increased confidence and an expansion of what’s possible for yourself and your life; dreaming and helping others do the same. Not that you didn’t dream before, but the shift to believing you can actually achieve something you have held back for years. In health coaching I really like using the term “self-efficacy,” which is one’s ability to believe they can complete a task and on their own. I am expanding my own confidence to see possibilities in my life I didn’t before and increasing my self-efficacy because I see expansion can be scary, is necessary but possible. Really believing there is something within yourself that can make that dream happen or even that you can have access to resources that will connect you to what can help make that thing happen if you don’t see directly for yourself. Changing the conversation from “wouldn’t that be nice…” to “what would it take for me to make that happen for myself?” How do we all do more of that?
What are the types of thoughts you think most frequently? If they aren't quite where you'd like them to be, what would it take to change them?