We have all been at a crossroad where we want to make a change and do something different with our life, but taking the uncharted path seems too scary and uncomfortable. Doubt, worry, and self-criticism creep in leaving us stuck and afraid to take the next step. We are consumed with pesky negative thoughts that stem from past failures, or worries about the uncertain future. We begin to focus on our negative qualities instead of our strengths and start comparing ourselves to others who are more successful. When we start to think this way we may begin believing we aren’t good enough or worthy of reaching the success we desire. Fortunately, we can learn to recognize these pesky thoughts when they appear. As we learn to notice these self-limiting thoughts we can start to separate ourselves from them and realize we are not our thoughts and that they don’t have to drive our behavior and decision making. So how do you begin making more intentional and conscious choices? By cultivating mindfulness in daily life, and breaking away from your default, automatic responses. The practice of mindfulness is like a reflective mirror. It allows people to learn about the state of their mind, body, and emotions in an objective way. We can start to add space between “who we are” the thoughts that come and go. We begin to recognize we are not our thoughts.
Episode #12 – Using Mindfulness to Break Free from Negative Thinking
Today’s show is about cultivating present moment awareness through mindfulness to help us release identification with limited and negative thinking.
[audio: http://traffic.libsyn.com/shakeoffthegrind/Using_mindfulness_to_break_free_from.mp3]Highlights of the episode include:
- The four pesky thoughts that trap us.
- These thoughts are worry about the future, regret about the past, the limited “story of me”, and comparisons to others.
- The ABCs of mindfulness.
- Attitudes that support mindfulness.
- A guided mindfulness meditation to practice acknowledging and separating from pesky thinking.
Relevant articles: – How to Meditate: For the Type-A Personality – Free Yourself By “Letting Go” of What You Can’t Control – What Are You So Afraid Of? I hope you enjoy the podcast!
