Everything depends on the focus of your attention
If you find yourself feeling low, exhausted and sore, or anxious and stressed, it may be a sign that you are spending too much time in your mind and not enough in presence and connection.
Observe the stories you are telling yourself. Most of our thinking goes on unnoticed and unchallenged. Neuroscience tells us that 80% of our daily thoughts are negative, and 95% are repetitive. We are wired to focus on the negative.
Can you tell a different story with the same facts, one that energises and uplifts you rather than drains and exhausts you? Can you refocus on what brings you joy?
Can you take a few deep breaths and return to the present moment? Can you pause long enough to let life inspire you with something wholesome and beautiful? Step outside and notice that nature is full of beauty and vitality if we care to pay attention.
A moment of sitting in the sun, listening to birdsong, or simply noticing the freshness of the air, or the lushness of plants, can restore and inspire us.
There are only two places you can be at any given time, the virtual reality in your mind, or present and aware in the here and now.
The sooner we notice our negative thinking and learn to refocus our attention, the more we train our minds to remain present, and the more beauty we begin to notice.
Learning to slow down, to be open, still and receptive to life in the here and now, is a practice in itself.
In the present, we return to connection, curiosity and joy, qualities that abound in children but are often lost beneath the burden of the mind.
Remember, everything depends on the focus of your attention.
If something is making you unhappy, remember that you have a choice. You may not be able to change everything, but you can choose what you pay attention to and, therefore, cultivate in your life.
With you,
Maya