On New Year’s Day many of us stop and reflect on how we want
the coming year to be, what we want to accomplish, how we want to live, and
what we want to do for others. We want the way to be open for ourselves. With that
in mind, I’ve put together a popular phrase list for myself, that I want to
share here.
It’s all small stuff.
I always loved the phrase from Richard Carlson, PhD; “don’t sweat the small stuff --- it is all
small stuff”. Though Dr. Carlson passed
in 2006, this teaching of his continues to permeate philosophical and
therapeutic discussions. While this is a
good edict, I also know that there are sometimes situations that come up
that seem insurmountable. http://dontsweat.com
That is why I also love another suggestion; “Expect
Miracles!”
Expect miracles.
The whole concept of a miracle is appealing to me. When something good happens against all odds,
a miracle is born. Miracles don’t require
any special belief system. They do not
require that you ask for a miracle, but I also believe that positive thought
and positive intentions can help. While
I am not sure if Joe Vitale wrote this phrase, he popularized it through his
books, workshops and coaching sessions. http://www.amazon.com/Expect-Miracles-Missing-Astounding-Success/dp/1596592826
Think positive thoughts. Positive thoughts help ease our minds. As an hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, I
have watched lives transformed by changing our thought patterns. We can change the way we think.
Be open to learning about yourself. Being critical of others may give us insight
into our feelings about ourselves. It is
so easy to be critical of others. I
remember attending a weekend workshop many years ago, and have read many things
since about what is really happening when we are critical of others. It is often the things we feel that we lack
ourselves that cause us to be critical of others who stir up that recognition
in ourselves. This brings me to my next
phrase…
Be gentle with yourself. I always have to remind myself as I remind my
clients to put yourself on that list of people you love, people you take care
of. My sister Nancy gave me a little
frame that holds the phrase “I love myself unconditionally at this moment in
time” which derives from the key phrase of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique),
more popularly known as Tapping; "Even though I have this ___________,
(whatever the condition or difficulty) I deeply and completely accept
myself." http://www.emofree.com/eft-tutorial/tapping-roots/what-say.html
How good is that? – or How bad can that be? My
sisters and I quote the fabulous Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, ALL THE
TIME! It always puts a smile on my face.
I find that using these and other positive little phrases
help short circuit negative thought patterns.
Fake it till you make it. And one of my very favorite people to quote
is Dr. Bernie Siegel, champion of those with catastrophic illness, and founder
of ECaP (Exceptional Cancer Patients). Dr Siegel encourages people to fake it
till they make it. He says, “at first,
it won’t seem real that you can heal, but after a while you start to accept
your ability to live and heal from your illness.” http://berniesiegelmd.com
Do the dishes to do the dishes. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese philosopher, author, peace activist and founder of Plum Village (in France), dedicated to unity and peace throughout the world. In his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Master Thich says “do the dishes to do
the dishes”. A loose mindfulness
interpretation asks us to be present in what we are doing, all the time, rather
than losing ourselves. To be present,
mindful, is to be awake to ourselves and to experience life. http://plumvillage.org
Be here now.
Mindfulness Master Ram Dass, who has since passed away, kept it
simple. He was a man before his time. He suggests, as does Thich Nhat Hanh, that we
be present in our own lives. https://www.ramdass.org
The moment is in our right brain. Jill Bolte Taylor’s Ted Talk, My stroke of insight, (https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight?language=en
) shares the mechanics of our brain and
how we tend to reside in the left or work part of the brain, when we should try
to enjoy being in the pleasurable right brain, which is of the moment. During Dr. Taylor’s stroke she observed the
joy that is available through being in the moment. As a brain scientist, Dr. Taylor is uniquely
suited to explaining how the brain works, and was able to observe the effects
of stroke in her own brain, mind, body and emotions. Dr. Taylor suggests that we need time to rest
in the moment, and enjoy life. She
contends that the neural pathways can be rerouted to happiness, peace and joy.
Love one another.
Though this teaching is attributed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament, it is a philosophy embraced by people of every walk of life, of every faith, and by those who do
not believe in God. By loving each
other, treating others with love, we love and respect ourselves and make the world a better place.
May the way be open to you!