To be a living soul is to think.
The average human being fires off over 60,000 neurological impulses a day! More than 90% of those signals are mainly about our own needs, wants and concerns. The majority of those signals we CANNOT control as the are genetically coded for our survival, yet they also happen to guide the bulk of our decisions and behaviors. Call it nature's way of trying keeping it real. But as we'll see today, many of the thoughts we have embedded deep in our subconscious mind simply aren't real. So we're diving in to seven real life strategies for keeping it real, staying real to yourself and beating incessant negative thoughts through self-realization and practice techniques.
Let's go.
Imagine for a moment your brain as a bowl of water filled with all of these 60,000 thoughts at the end of the day. You lie in bed at night literally swimming in this bowl- which may explain why after a stressful day or right before another one, you have trouble sleeping. Relationships, worry, responsibilities, excessive cortisol and spiraling thoughts fill your bowl, sometimes spilling onto the sheets and rubbing off on whoever might be next to you. Now, take a deep breath and picture yourself swimming, absorbing and playing around in a sea of positive, self-serving and optimistic emotions. Feels better right? Now close your eyes (but not if you're driving) how does your swim session taste? Are you having trouble calming? Take another deep breath. Ask yourself a question: how are my thoughts serving me? Do I really, deep down, want to be in flow with the water instead of adding in reasons why I need to cling to the shore?
What does it really mean to go with the flow? This phrase has been beat down the pages of recent history by poets, scholars and writers. To really feel the “flow,” you first have to recognize and the accept where the flow comes from. Determine the source of the river, find it's mouth and jump in!
But wait, you're already there!
You've always been there, since you were born. Whether or not you follow quantum physics or believe in the scientific facts that we're all connected together on an molecular level, tapping into the unified mindfulness, combined with our genuine intentions, this is what creates flow in our lives.
When we're in flow we don't have control, so the key to remember, is that you don't have control! So surrender, not because you're giving up, but because you're giving in to the flow. Because the sooner you do the sooner you can rest and let the water take you where you want to be.
The biology of this flow is captivating:
Messages travel on an afferent and efferent electric system through neurons measured in milliseconds all over the human body. Every second there are important cues for us to do or do not such as hunger, tiredness, soreness, sexual excitement, romantically inclinations, cautiousness, being off-balance and a multitude of others that push us along our day. As you sit or stand right now, become aware of how the thoughts you CAN control served you today?
It's important to recognize the power of thoughts because they truly become things.
Let's explore the science:
In our ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) made up two branches: one sympathetic and parasympathetic, it's our sympathetic dominant society where most working professionals tend to lean towards in a state known as “fight or flight,” we have literally filled up our bowl with water hazards!
People that are continually stressed and angry need to start walking around with a bio-hazard t-shirt on because that will let the rest of us know just what kind water they have poured for themselves. These asleep, or unconscious individuals, negative thinkers then try to maintain afloat in this sea of excitability by using arm floaties; a metaphor for stimulants and drugs, that level them out again, when really what they all need to do is just let the water flow. Have you ever been in an amazing mood and you have just one encounter with someone who is toxic? The minute you are around them you can feel them trying to dump their toxic water onto you. It takes some major self-realization of how you want to feel to repel their flow. Next time this happens, instead of putting up a damn to keep them out, try just letting their energy flow into you and out of you! Easier said than done yes, but the more you practice the better you will get. Remember the afferent and efferent messages? They are connected to synapses in the brain that either grow stronger or weaker depending on how much you recruit them. By staying positive in the face of negativity, you are literally re-programming your brain for stress reduction! How do you think that will play out in your wellness, health and any quest for fat loss or muscle gain? Yup, you're right!
Here are my top 7 strategies this month for repelling negative energy and staying true and strong to who you really are.
1. START YOUR DAY WITH PROTEIN AND FAT WHEN YOUR BODY TELLS YOU IT'S READY TO EAT- First thing or not in the AM, let your body decide. The leptin mechanism in our endocrine system will provide satiety from fats and protein for a much more prolonged state when compared to the standard low fat yogurt and granola American crap breakfast. Want better energy which leads to more positive thoughts? Eat more fats and meats!
2. PERFORM A MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES OF DAILY SPIRITUAL RECOVERY BY YOURSELF- Do what makes you breathe and smile. Keep it simple and keep it positive. Yoga, meditation, Tai-Chi, breath walking, massage therapy and basically anything that puts you in a state of emotional recharge. Make sure it is done alone or in the presence others who respect you! You need to spend time with yourself in order to know yourself and your needs that aren't being fulfilled. Just breathe.
3. EVERY WEEK, FORCE YOURSELF TO TRY ONE NEW MOVEMENT THAT YOU MAY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO- By creating new message pathways in your neurons, you will reinforce the already positive changes you've made in your life and you'll achieve new connections with other like minded souls on their quest for fulfillment! Ride a bike, fly a kite, sing in public or do whatever you'd like- the time is now!
4. ONCE A MONTH, EVALUATE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS, WHETHER CLOSE OR DISTANT, AND ASK HOW YOU ARE BOTH SERVING EACH OTHER. IF NOT, JUST LET GO- There is a major difference between helping a friend in need and carrying their emotional load on your back. Ask yourself how you are truly serving your friend and how they are making your life better. If you can't think of any way in which you both ENRICH each others lives then the time may be ahead to just let go. You'll feel hurt at first because of the psychology of dependency but in the long run you are serving them by letting go! Think of how much you'll both grow from it and release.
5. PLAY! No explanation needed. Playing helps your mind let go of negative water. Just float on today.
6. PRACTICE LETTING NEGATIVE ENERGY FLOW THROUGH YOU- Test yourself in situations where you know a person in your life is challenging your positivity. Prepare yourself beforehand by practicing your technique. This technique will usually start with complimenting them, remaining nice when they are rude and finding just one positive thing about the interaction between the both of you. Keep your emotions of anger at bay. When you are about to leave their presence, remind them of that one positive thing and make it the focus of your departure. “Great talking with you today, I loved your comment about ______.” They will trip out, be educated by you and you can go about your day in stride.
7. FIND THE LOVE- Call your mom, she loves you. Telling family or friends you love them activates the reward mechanism in the Limbic brain. Love feels good and it feels good to feel good.
Find the love more.
Questions? Start here
