Faith at Work “Get Out of Thought Ruts”
You have the power to change anything, because you are the one who chooses your thoughts and feels your feelings. ~Think Different
Greetings Royal ☥ Nation,
Did your inner-spirit stir after reading the quote above? I certainly hope so. I am witness to the fact that when it is well with ours souls, we have the fortitude to navigate successfully through surroundings and events that attempt to infiltrate our inner peace. If we really take time to think about it, “thought ruts” are the root cause to much of our anxiety and exacerbate the challenges we encounter. These “thought ruts” develop from our perspective. Meaning, the way we view things or people. They come from an individual’s learned thought process formed on their own, or influenced by someone else. We often refer to people with those views as having a closed mind or being narrow minded.
Nevertheless, we must understand that whatever transpires in our lives is a direct result of what’s happening from within, is because of how we feel or think about it . For example, I have always used the Android and preferred it over the iPhone until recently when I switched. I know that because I never liked Apple, I am having a hard time converting and enjoying what many consider a spectacular phone. Although my daughters can and do assist me, I am inadvertently and willingly cockblocking my mind from embracing this gadget. Please chuckle out loud. My beloved Royal ☥ Nation, I shared that to tell you I am a witness that we must recognize these “thought ruts” for catacombs blocking us from experiencing new things and new people, or they will cause us to delay or abort accepting our new skin and our spiritual rebirth. That said, let’s examine 5 “thought ruts” we subscribe to and 5 ways to counteract them because… we have the power to make them “get out!”
1. Catastrophizing:
we imagine the worst possible outcome and maybe think it’s the only outcome. “I’m never going to be able to do this pose and I’ll probably get hurt trying it.”
Counteract catastrophizing with Trust. We can honor our feelings in the present without allowing ourselves to predict the future. We can add realistic odds too. “I’m going to trust myself and only go as far as I feel comfortable. Odds are, with practice, I’ll get it.”
2. Shoulds:
We form strict rules and unrealistic expectations. “I am going to feel so great after this yoga class today. My pain should go away.”
Counteract that thought with Non-Striving meaning we can practice flexibility and forgiveness , and RELEASE our expectations (for progress, for efficiency, etc.) altogether. “I am going to try my best to be present. Present for whatever comes up. If my head still hurts, I will be present for that.
3. Filtering + Magnifying:
We filter out the positive and magnify the negative… like looking through tinted binoculars. “I kept doing the wrong moves. I was out of sync with everybody. I don’t belong here.
Counteract this thought process with Letting Go: we can practice holding our thoughts in attention and releasing them instead of focusing upon negatives. “I am learning through mistakes and through these thoughts. I can notice all that I am doing right too!
4. Emotional Reasoning:
We decide that if something feels true, it must Be. “I am so bad at this. This is horrible. I am just of incapable of doing this.”
Emotional Reasoning can be counteracted with Patience: we can notice an emotion and identify it as such, experience it, and let it go. “I am having feelings of embarrassment and frustration. I’m not being objective. I can just breath through these feelings now.”
5. Polarized Thinking & Labeling: we make blanket positive/negative assessments for whatever comes up. We name-call to limit our perception even further. “Yikes I am such a clumsy ox!”
You can prevent this with Non-Judging: try to step back instead of reacting to everything. To start, think in shades of gray, spectrums, or percentages! “I am just seeing where my body is today. Plus I held that pose for two breaths before I fell over!” ~Think Different
Makes you hum, “Ooooh child things are going get easier.” Please chuckle out loud and try not to fight yourself during the process of counteracting “thought ruts” because this will not be easy at first. Royal ☥ Nation it is an andragogy. As an adult, you must relearn each new dimension your spirit man grows into, and it takes disciplined practice reprogramming your mind. The tips I shared are designed to be done while on a yoga mat in silence, as a method to learn to control your thoughts and open your mind to receive spiritual transformation. I seek guidance, strength and comfort from scripture to mediate on throughout the day. But as always Royal ☥ Nation, do what works best for you!
In closing Royal ☥ Nation, I hope you receive the type of peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray always that you receive much ❤❤❤ (love) and many blessings from above. Selah!
Lady Shannon
Lady Shannon Whitney
Host of “Unapologetic Queen Talk”
& Co-Host of “Chatting With The Whitney’s”
on Impact Radio USA
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https://pod.co/blessed-4-life-ministries
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Get Out of Thought Ruts
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