Did you ever have one of those days where things just weren’t going your way? We all have. It’s a part of life. But did you know you can shift the energy and get different results? Doesn’t sound like much but it’s huge. You have a choice to direct how your day goes. Even if things seem to be going in the ‘wrong’ direction, realizing that and deciding, ‘enough is enough’ is powerful. I use this tool all the time. You can too!
Here’s an example of what happened to me recently. The other day, I went down to the basement to get something and I saw a puddle of water by the freezer. Sorry for the pun, but the freezer had a melt down. Of course this happened the day after doing a big shopping at Costco. Next, I had a flat tire. After that, the air conditioning tech cancelled, and it was sticky, hot, and humid outside.
That’s when I decided to shift my energy. Sound impossible? It’s not! It’s a shifting in mindset from ‘what’s going to go wrong next’ to ‘how can I change my day to a productive one?’
I literally thought to myself, I’ve had enough of things going in a negative direction. The minute I noticed my thoughts going in a nonproductive way, I made a conscious effort to shift my energy and mindset.
I agree with Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, who sums it up when he says, “I found that when you start thinking and saying what you really want then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction. And sometimes it can be that simple, just a little twist in vocabulary that illustrates your attitude and philosophy.”
For me, that’s “Taking Command of Your Life.” What have you got to lose? Life is too short to fill our time with stress, impatience, and a non-resilient attitude. When you know there’s choice, take it and embrace it. There are too many times when things are out of our control.
Understand that thought patterns, even those we’ve had for many years, can be changed if we train ourselves to think a different way and form new habits. Because a few things go wrong, doesn’t mean they have to continue to go in that direction. Shift your mindset to a more productive mantra such as, “I’m shifting to making this a great day and nothing’s going to stop me.”
When I noticed my negative thoughts I knew I had to change my reactions and act differently. I needed to keep things in perspective. So when I saw the puddle of water I decided to salvage what I could, then, couldn’t, and what I can’t, oh well.
When the tire pressure indicator light went on in the car, and it showed the air pressure go from 32 to 0 in a few seconds, at first I had a slight panic feeling, and then I calmed myself down with the thought that at least I’m close to home and I’m safe. And when the AC tech called to cancel, I thought, okay, my allergies aren’t that bad, so I’ll make do.
How do you view things? By shifting your thoughts, you can shift your energy and the day can have a better outcome. The freezer was fixed the next day. I found out after talking to the car dealership that I had an ‘MBO’ tire which meant you can ride on a flat for fifty miles. I was able to drive the car to the dealership and didn’t need a tow truck, and because the AC tech cancelled, I was able to get a new tire that afternoon, not to mention it was nice and cool at the car dealership. Funny how things work out.
As Eckhart Tolle, a well-known spiritual teacher and author says, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.”
Build your resilience level. In the face of stress, be aware of your feelings and learn how to manage your emotions. Remember, emotions are not static. They change. Being aware of your emotional state can help you regain your equilibrium. For example, if you respond in a certain way to stressful situations, try a different approach. A client that I work tells me he has a very low patience level and it doesn’t take him long to go from zero to one hundred in adverse situations. Learning my positive self-talk strategies, in addition to meditation and breath work, he has learned to slow down, pause, and react in a calmer way.
The next time your day doesn’t feel like a bed of roses, keep the situations that show up in perspective. Shift to the glass half full metaphor. Calm your thoughts, take a pause or a breath, and shift your mindset and energy to being productive. It’s always your choice!