Reflection: Do you have a solid sense of the ideas that are whirring through your mind at any given moment?

Are you aware of the impact those thoughts may be having on your experience of the day?

I know where my mind goes, and it’s not always to the most helpful places.

Join me on a little mental review and consider these questions.

• What if we stopped scanning our world for bad news and no longer stayed on high alert for stressors just around the corner?
• What if we thought less and talked less about the stress in our lives?
• What if we stopped swapping ‘poor me’ stories that focus on how overwhelmed or exhausted we feel or poorly we’ve been treated?
• What if we stopped concentrating on where and how we hurt – physically and emotionally?
• What if we stopped holding so tightly to real or imagined slights and slurs?
• What if we stopped picking at life’s stressors like a wound that just won’t heal?

Action: What if, instead, we started looking at and talking about these things?

• The ways we’re lucky to be where we are with what we have.
• The health and strength that makes it possible to get through our days and do the things that matter.
• How talented we are in some areas of life – and fortunate to be able to put those talents to use in the service of others.
• How wealthy we are in many of the ways that count most.
• How supported we are by kind-hearted souls and well-intentioned people in our lives.

What if we stopped depreciating our circumstances and started appreciating our good fortune?

How many of our stresses, strains and troubles just might fade into the background?

Quotes Of The Week: Give your stress wings and let it fly away. – Terri Guillemets

On even the most stressful days, magic is still sitting quietly in the corner, waiting to be noticed. – Dr. Sun Wolf

Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life. – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Is everything as urgent as your stress would imply?  – Terri Guilllemets

Somewhere within you is a huge supply of happiness, always there, patiently waiting for you to reach out and grab it. It’s yours for the asking. And you ask by giving it your attention.  – Elle Sommer

Resources Of The Week: There are some very helpful suggestions for minimizing the impact of stressful thoughts in these two Psychology Today articles by Melanie Greenburg:

• 9 Ways To Calm Your Anxious Mind
• Feeling Stuck or Anxious? Change Your Story To Move Forward

You might also check out this recently published article on my website: You Know Your Life is Good When…

Readers Write: In response to the recent message, Fine Tune For A Fine Year, Pause reader DO writes:  Such a great message and perspective you shared. In a constant pursuit to be more, do more, and have more (or less at this stage of my life), I sometimes forget to be and do what is effortless, joyful, and meaningful for the long-term. And sometimes, I forget to pause to reflect and celebrate. It’s often the simple and easy that get overlooked.

News: As your organization or association works on 2019 plans for professional development programming and conferences, do keep in mind my services as a speaker and trainer. I’d love to speak with you about how my programs on Rekindling Spirit, Boosting Energy, Fueling Enthusiasm,and Inspiring Insight might fit into your programming direction this year. I’m happy to travel anywhere across Canada to work with your group. Give me a call or drop me a line and we can put together a plan.