The day starts and ends with you. Have you ever thought about it that way? When you wake up in the morning YOU are in charge of what you feed your consciousness. Much of our day can be dictated by the demands of life, kids, work, school, and so on but YOU can make a conscious decision on all the extras.
In an article published by the National Science Foundation, it was found that 80% of thoughts are negative. No wonder life feels heavy and overwhelming. Of the 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts experienced each day, as many as 98% of them are the same thought as the day before. If the core elements are predetermined, what can you do to infuse positivity into the rest of your day?
What pops into your head when you first wake up? Instead of tricking yourself with 8 more minutes of interrupted semi-sleep, try turning off the alarm and opening your mind. First, find gratitude. This can happen by just saying it out loud, THANK YOU. Thank you for a chance to make something cool happen today, thank you for all that I have already, thank you for the opportunity to do more with my life….
Next, clear your mind and take in a couple of big breaths. Since you bypassed the snooze you have a little extra time. Focus on one thing you can do today that will bring you joy, help you achieve a goal, or make an impact on the lives of those around you.
Instead of letting all the things you haven’t done flood through your mind pick ONE thing you can do to focus on. This can be as simple as making pancakes for your family or getting to your meeting in time for bagels and coffee. The point is ONE thing to get your day started.
During the day, start observing how you spend your time, eating, social media surfing, procrastinating, watching TV, being angry and so on. Is there an opportunity to maximize ONE moment? Where can you infuse a healthier alternative that can help you regain your power? Something that might challenge your mind. An activity to help you relax, organize your thoughts and bring you joy.
You have the power to take back some of the control and to assert your authority over your thoughts. Start small, ONE thing can easily turn to TWO, then habits will form and THREE and FOUR will be a cake walk. Before you know it, you’ll end your day thankful for all the positive extras you experienced and hopeful for the next day!
CHALLENGE: So I challenge you to evaluate your morning routine and try something new. Find gratitude and what’s important to you, take time and shift focus to capture more opportunities throughout your day.
I know YOU can do it!