Transforming Thoughts

Another cool and dark morning, so welcoming compared to the heat from the day before and I look up and I catch my breath as I take in a bright and sparkling sea of stars.  I don't know what it is about a dark sky filled with stars that puts me in a pure state of bliss and awe.  For whatever reason, it brings me great peace along with a gentle morning sea breeze.  These days life can seem so hard.  So much we inadvertently let weigh heavy on our minds.  We're so funny like that.  Our minds consider potentialities, we make thousands of assumption near completely in the negative and that creates for us an untenable state of worry and anxiety.  What if we found a way to circumvent the negative thoughts before they could take hold and generate energy through negative emotion?  What if we could become hyper aware of our thoughts and decide to add to our long chains of thinking and pondering potential positive outcomes coupled with a beautiful reality of presence, breath and peace?  Well, the good news is that we absolutely can.  The bad news is, it takes concerted effort and one has to be willing to give up the bad habit of continually borrowing trouble in order to generate an adrenaline buzz.  Yes, that's right.  An adrenaline buzz.  Sometimes we seemingly become so rote in our daily actions that we actually crave something to get some juices pumping and so we allow the negative thoughts in so we can create the rush of adrenaline.

Some can get this fix participating in daring feats such as sky diving, bungee jumping, hang gliding or other sports with an element of risk.  We don't often realize some of our behaviors have become an unhealthy addiction - and I'm talking about holding negative thoughts.  It requires a lot of effort to take a brain that is used to generating negative thoughts and get it to cooperate by allowing to flow a stream of positive thoughts.  There is one trick I have learned to getting there and that is through finding beautiful things to behold.  Sometimes you have to look hard for them or create a space in which you will allow yourselves to see them.  A walk on the ocean, getting up early to watch the sun rise, staying up late to commune with the stars, finding a garden to walk in or planting your own, taking pictures, going to an art gallery or museum or even something as simple as watching children play in a local park can all be tools to help ease your mind into a more positive flow.  There is so much beauty in this world and if you allow yourselves moments to look for, see and appreciate these things, you create a positive and loving flow of energy within you that can be powerful enough to circumvent negative thoughts and worry.  I promise you that the rush of energy from viewing something beautiful is by far more rewarding than the exhausting adrenaline rush of worry and fear. 

There is something to add here very important as well to restore that flow of good and healthy energy.  Something so simple as diet and exercise.  Eating foods healthy for your body helps to create positive energy flow.  Add raw fruits and veggies, limit fatty foods and sugars and make sure that you are consuming enough fluids during the day.  That one thing alone, consuming the proper amount of fluids, is so important.  Your muscles and joints work better when there is enough fluid in your body to facilitate their use.  Further, your organs can function more properly when you are eating enough fiber, drinking enough water and getting exercise.  The chemicals your brain produces while exercising and for a good amount of time to follow really helps promote a stronger sense of well being that can over-power anxiety and worry.  Again, one has to be willing to trade the behaviors that create worry for those that create a sense of wholeness and peace.  It is work.  We can't take a magic pill, read a wonderful book alone or go to some magical healer to make it all happen.  In fact, there is a lot of high-priced snake oil being sold out there as the sure way to gain serenity and peace.  You don't need to buy anything to get there.  Everything you truly need to get there is already within you.  You just have to be willing and open to creating the space for positive change and take the steps one at a time.

I pray this day finds you seeking peace, engaging in healthy behaviors and activities so that you can lead a more rewarding and fulfilling life for you.  ~Blessings of great love, healing and transformational thoughts!

(c) Jaie Hart (photo, random internet find)