It’s Just A Thought, Just A Thought…

It's been a long day: hours of teaching dance, no time for food and low on sleep and I just want to crash. But I walk in the door and go upstairs to find my favorite tiny humans.

I open the playroom door… and want to explode like Mount St. Helen’s. My smiling, giggling children greet me from the middle of what can only be described as a Wizard of Oz worthy-tornado of blankets resembling some type of fortress. A landmine of toys stand between me and kissing their joyful faces.

Full disclosure here: My first thought isn’t, “My kids are so cute and creative." I wish it were, but I'm not a Stepford mom. In that moment, the real me dreads the mess, the clean up and I'm debating an adult meltdown that they yet again, disregarded the one bin of toys at a time rule.

I'm not proud of it, but my real thought in this moment actually sounds like, “Why do my kids seem to enjoy making my life harder?”

My thought is crucial to my reaction. If I follow the downward spiral of my unintentional thoughts, they are going to lead to feelings like stress, overwhelm, frustration and maybe even anger. Then the actions I take will probably involve tears and raised voices, and while the playroom might get clean, it won’t be pleasant. And in the end, my thoughts have created an environment where we all suffer.

Our thoughts are what generate our feelings about everything in life. When we choose thoughts that serve us, emotions that we want to feel are more available to us. This will have a direct correlation on our behavior and how we show up in our day to day life. Ultimately, how we think, feel and act will determine the results we get in life.

So if we want to change our results, we can start by changing our thoughts. One thought I’ve been working on choosing intentionally lately is, “I am the creator of my life.” It helps me to take ownership over my thoughts, even when things in life may tempt me to feel out of control or overwhelmed.

Taking control of our thoughts and choosing them intentionally is the one of the main tools I work with clients on in my life coaching practice. It’s empowering for people to not only understand this concept, but learn how to apply this principle in real life situations.

You may be choosing thoughts that don't serve you. If so, give yourself grace and try again today. Remember, the choice is ALWAYS yours and starts at the level of thought. Choose them wisely, my friend.

Let’s Live Our Best Life,

Brittney   xo