Hi Friend
This has been a short and long week. In its honor, I’m going to make this a short Instigator. I know you’ll be thankful. 🦃 🙂
I’ve had the most interesting mental exercise happening. I daily have thoughts that are challenging a commitment I made to myself. My regular posse of friends know this decision. It’s hard to sustain on my own. However, I’ve discovered a practice that has helped me tremendously.
The thought that comes basically says “you should do this thing that you want to do but have determined not to do.” I’m not joking when I say it shows up roughly 15-20 times a day. At first it was tormenting, and I figured I’d succumb to it eventually because it was just not leaving me alone. Ever have that kind of ambush? It’s annoying and exhausting. If I let my guard down, I could very easily give in to its suggestion.
GRATITUDE
The practice that I’ve put into motion is this: I simply say out loud “Thanks for the invitation. I’m going to pass.” It’s saved me loads of mental anguish. Sometimes we think the thoughts in our minds are ours. They’re not. They are all just invitations for us to grab hold and dance with, making them ours… but until we do that, they don’t get to take a place in our mind space. Expressing appreciation for a thought I don’t want as if it’s asking me to RSVP, gives me the freedom to continue on unhindered by the weight of fighting with it. Whew!
Many are tormented by their thoughts. Often our minds run out of control because we accept every invitation. I promise we can settle our minds by this simple tactic. Try it. I’m sure you too have many invitations that could weigh your soul down. When emotions surge attached to those invitations, it’s even more important we reject them.
DECISIONS DECISIONS DECISIONS
I told Monica and my mom this week I don’t believe in bad or good decisions. I believe decisions have consequences that produce positive, negative or neutral results – which give us a chance to make another decision. This also is freeing.
There is only one bad decision – INDECISION. Not making a decision is the only surefire way to create a result you will be dissatisfied with and can’t do anything about, because you didn’t participate in creating it. There might be a large part of the population who choose indecision and their lives reflect that. It’s ironic that indecision is a choice since it inherently embodies fear-to-make-a-decision. That’s the trickery of fear. It will deceive us into thinking not making a decision is the safest bet, when really, it’s the most treacherous!
I suspect you are basking in gratitude and full of leftovers. I hope as we’ve turned the corner into the last stretch of 2023, you will pass on unwanted invitations and be bold about making decisions. Your freedom and future will thank you!