Intention Setting with Mindful Attitudes

Posted on June 29, 2020September 19, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

Living With Intention

When you’re ready to have things in your life improve or align, it’s essential that you learn about the energy you put into your world. The energy put into your intention is what gives it the power to make shifts in your life. When you go through the motions of your day on autopilot you are missing out on opportunities to tune in.

Tuning into your experience creates the possibility for you to respond with intention. This doesn’t mean that you have to change up every decision you make, you may very well keep them the same as they’ve always been. What’s important is that you pay attention to what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and the energy you bring to each task, This makes all the difference when you’re working toward or already have a goal of self-development.

Intentionality is bringing a particular kind of awareness and attention to an experience you are facing. When you set an intention for the day or the week, you are essentially choosing an anchor to ground you when life starts to speed up. In order for you to successfully set and follow through with an intention, it’s important that you gain clarity on how this intention will serve you. Start by becoming aware of the part of your life that you’d like to see improvements in. What needs to be improved about your attitude? How are you struggling in this part of your life?

Setting Intentions

Setting intentions at the beginning of your day is like looking ahead and anticipating how you’ll need to show up. Whatever intention you set will begin to show up in the form of opportunities, challenges, and obstacles in what would normally be seen as everyday things. Bringing intention to your thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and ways of navigating through the world allows you to change the way you see things.

Although you cannot control what’s happening outside you, or what may be thrown in your path each day, you can control the ways in which you respond. By setting an intention before your day begins you have something to anchor into in the moments you experience overwhelm, stress, or anxiety.

Before you decide on which intention to set for the day it’s good to get in tune with what you are in need of most. Life has seasons and each season will invite different levels and types of difficulties. What’s important to remember is that this intention is suitable and appropriate for you to ground into when life gets cloudy. Some seasons call for the same intention until you’re feeling capable of moving on to something else. Other seasons call for you to connect with how you’re feeling each day and work from there.

Without energy, an intention is just another set of words, an empty affirmation without the force to back it up. Bringing energy into your thoughts and words gives life to your experience, and that energy continues to flow. The more powerful the energy is the stronger the intention becomes. The more in tune you are with the energy you bring to your experience, the more intentional each of these experiences becomes. Although you can’t always control outcomes and circumstances, you can control the energy you choose to respond to your inner and outer world.

At the beginning of your day visualize what lies ahead for you. Bring into your mind’s eye the typical challenges of the day-to-day, whether they’re massive or minuscule they’re all opportunities. From beginning to end, run through the people you’ll interact with, the places you’ll visit, and the energy you plan on bringing. It’s important to be realistic when looking ahead into your day, while also grounding yourself into your personal power to respond intentionally.

Check out this 5-minute video on How to Set an Intention

How to Set a Daily or Weekly Intention

Become aware of what area in your life you would like to improve. Allow yourself to practice accepting the attitudes, choices, and behaviors in this area of your life. Don’t judge yourself for where you are, just notice the patterns and decisions that got you here. Once you make peace with anything that may be unpleasant about your current experience, start getting curious about what ways could make this experience better for you.

What attitude would help enhance your life?

What attitude would help you gain clarity?

What attitude would align you with your higher self?

Consider the opportunities throughout your day that you could potentially practice applying this intention.

How often will these opportunities come up for you?

Setting Intentions with Mindful Attitudes

Beginner’s Mind

To acquire a beginner’s mind is to practice freeing yourself of expectations and assumptions about how life should unfold. Expectations leave little room for infinite possibilities.

Patience

Those who practice patience experience less stress increased empathy and are more likely to achieve their goals. By deciding to view every frustration as an opportunity to practice patience, you will start to shift to more open and positive perceptions in life.

Acceptance

Acceptance essentially means to receive the reality that is unfolding before you. Acceptance implies there is resistance present, so the question to ask is what circumstance or reality are you currently resisting?

Letting Go

Our thoughts, beliefs, and ideas become stronger with the attention they are fed, creating an attachment. Practice letting go. There is profound power in practicing awareness of thoughts, each time bringing a sense of neutral observation. Rather than latching onto what arises in the mind observe the thoughts as they pass.

Non-Judgment

Your beliefs begin as thoughts, therefore a belief is a thought you continuously practice. The reason to acquire a nonjudgmental attitude is to create a fresh perspective in place of familiar beliefs. Notice the labels you place on experiences and the limits they create.

Non-Striving (being)

Start prioritizing time to be still. Being is our natural state however it no longer comes naturally anymore due to all of the stimuli we experienced every day. Practice being in-between each task you switch to throughout the day.

Trust

Develop an inner trust in your decision-making and in the path unfolding before you. Practice this when you find yourself in doubt or fear of unknown circumstances.

Gratitude

Gratitude is the answer to living a happy life. The best way to practice gratitude is to find the good in what frustrates you and what you view as a problem. Everything is an opportunity to practice patience and growth. If you can begin to shift your perspective to thinking this way you are making progress.

Generosity

Practice a kind and generous way of thinking, being, and living. The way you treat yourself will reflect on the relationships you form in your life. Bring attention to negative self-talk and practice a more compassionate inner language.

These are the attitudes that make up a mindful mind. By embodying one of these you are slowly adding drops into the bucket of conscious awareness. It’s not intended to be a quick process. Instead, it’s intended to be practiced daily, or weekly, as your life transitions from phase to phase.

The more you anchor yourself into an attitude intentionally, the closer you bring yourself to being at peace with yourself and those around you. As you begin to move into this peace of mind you’ll begin to experience shifts in the ways you perceive your life. May you exist with compassion in your heart, gratitude in your soul, and an open curiosity that fills you with faith and love.

Love. Heal. Grow.

MindBody

The MindBody Connection

Posted on June 8, 2020January 21, 2021 by Sabrina Renee

I taught a deeper lesson on mindbody wellness in this video!

white petaled lotus — Photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com

Before you dive deep into this article, ask yourself “How am I feeling right now?” A common answer is “I’m fine” or “Doing alright, and yourself?” because it’s one of those questions asked without the intention of truly checking in with how we’re feeling.

Most people will ask this question to their mind, waiting for a cognitive answer to surface. This answer will be the sum of your thoughts on an experience, but not necessarily how you’re feeling. This is a true testament to just how powerful the mind truly is. Even though it’s not where feelings are experienced, this is where the question is answered.

Another way to check in with how you’re feeling is to ask yourself “what’s going on in my body right now?” Weird right? I bet you wouldn’t think to check in with how your body about how you’re feeling today.

The truth is that’s where the sensation of your feelings are being experienced. But before you understand the body, let’s venture into your mind.

Thoughts

Everything originates from a thought. Your beliefs, ideas, assumptions, and worries all begin in the mind. Therefore what you think you then become. But what if you’re not paying attention to what you think?

Well, your thoughts are creating the life unfolding before you, whether you are aware of that fact or not. Of course, the goal is not to suppress your thoughts or control them, but instead, learn to guide them in the direction that aligns best with your desire.

A good place to start practicing this is detaching yourself from thoughts, seeing yourself as the observer of the experience rather than the experience itself. By understanding the power held behind your thoughts, you’ll begin to appreciate the personal power of the mindbody connection.

Imagine your thoughts as cars speeding down a highway, while you, the observer, sits quietly on a bench watching them pass. Watching for the first time will absolutely be overwhelming. Your natural instinct is to jump in because you identify yourself with the mind and feel the urge to control these thoughts, their speed, and their intensity.

These thoughts surface within you but are separate from who you are because you are not your thoughts. You are the awareness of those thoughts. At first, it may feel extremely difficult to watch the speed and intensity that these thoughts are forming at, you may even feel compelled to attach yourself to one trying to stop it.

These thoughts have always been going at this speed, with this amount of intensity, the only difference is you are just now tuning into that experience. You have the opportunity to become the observer of your experience each time an intense emotion pops up, leaving you with two choices. Either reacting with emotion or responding with awareness.

An emotional reaction to something is a sign that you’ve been consumed by the emotion you are experiencing. That emotion decided to take the reins and decide the next best course of action.

This means if you were observing thoughts of anger you’d follow the urge to attach yourself to that thought, leading you into more anger. When you choose to respond, however, you recognize that emotion is a part of your experience, but you are not that emotion.

In other words, you are feeling anger but you are not anger. If you were observing thoughts of anger you would continue to until it dissipates or transcends to another emotion. To respond to a situation means to first become the awareness behind your experience so that you may decide what to do rather than be led by that emotion.

Practicing mindful awareness of your thought patterns and the ways you choose to handle them is a simple and challenging practice. Simple in its nature of just being with how you’re feeling rather than doing something about it.

Challenging because it’s the opposite of what you’ve trained yourself to do all these years. Each time you observe, detach and respond you are strengthening the mindbody connection by separating yourself from it.

Physical Sensations

Let’s revisit the question “how are you feeling today?” a question exchanged so often from person to person that you can answer on autopilot. The question itself asks you how you’re feeling yet people rarely take the time to check in with what they’re feeling.

Instead, they are likely to rely on what their mind tells them about how they’re feeling. Now that there is a separation from you and the mind, and you understand the difference between reaction and response, it’s time to move onto emotions in the body.

Emotions appear in the body as physical sensations, arousals, or reactions to what’s going on in the mind. These emotions show up differently and in many different forms, but the sensations are quite similar. Heart palpitations, dry mouth, tight chest, tingling sensations, and clenching just to name a few.

For instance, if you were to have a negative thought pop up you’d likely be fixated on the narrative in your mind and forgetting about the body you’re in. When you finally bring your awareness back to your body all of the sensations will overwhelmingly hit you at once. When you take the time to sit with each physical sensation as it arises you are awakening to how your body experiences your emotions.

This simple practice helps you gain clarity on your emotions, how you’re feeling, and the power of their presence. Without practicing awareness of how your mind and body are connected you may miss opportunities to get ahead of your emotion and you end up allowing them to dictate your day.

Identifying The Connection

Practicing mindful awareness with your thoughts and physical sensations takes patience and consistent practice. As you begin to identify the connection between your mind and body, you’ll also begin to identify who you truly are.

Because you are not the mind that creates the thoughts, nor are you the thoughts that you think. Just like you are not the body you have and the sensations you experience. The mind and body will always be a part of who you are, but it is not who you are.

Each time you choose to become the awareness behind your experience you create more space between what is happening and your response to what is happening.

MindBody Practice

Identifying the connection and separating yourself from the experience are both simple practices that can be very challenging. A great place to begin cultivating this practice is by identifying your dialogue separately from your bodily experience.

This is best practiced when an emotion is present but not too overwhelming, this will be the practice for the overwhelming moments. An emotion we are all familiar with is feeling anger, so let’s use anger as an example.

With most intense emotional states you will likely find yourself tangled up in the dialogue going on in your mind, so let’s begin by bringing attention into the body. Notice the sensations you are feeling in response to anger and where these sensations are showing up.

Once you’ve tuned your focus on the body use the tool of a deep inhale and a long exhale to relax into the moment. Repeat as many breath cycles as you need to before finding a sense of inner calm, even alongside your anger.

Now that you’ve brought down the intensity and separated yourself from the experience, turn your attention toward the mental chatter. If this too feels intense for you come back to the breath as your guiding tool of relaxation.

A helpful tip is to place your right hand on your belly as you witness the rise and fall of your breath. This can act as a tangible representation that there are constant fluctuations happening within you, the rise and fall of the belly, the ever-changing sensations in your body, the rapid moving thoughts in your mind.

Once you’ve invited an inner calm into the dialogue of your mind, you can begin asking yourself proactive questions. Rather than focusing on what you don’t want to feel, turn the focus toward how you would like to feel.

Start by asking these questions:

What am I thinking right now?
How am I feeling right now?
How is it appearing in my body?
Am I holding my breath or breathing deep?
How can I accept what has already happened?
What action can I take to create change?
What is the next best step for me to take?
How will this action bring me closer to how I want to feel?

Be patient with yourself as you ask questions with unpleasant answers and bring a genuine curiosity to this moment. This practice may seem simple, and possibly uncomfortable, but it is a very important step toward a happier and more aware version of self. The beauty of this practice is that it is always growing with you.

Be gentle as you begin to discover parts of yourself for the first time, show the compassion you would a friend going through a lifestyle change. Practicing mindful awareness is portable and the right time is always NOW.

Remember all change starts with becoming aware and they all begin with you.

Love Heal Grow

Growth, Personal Growth, Practices

How to Float and Sting: A Champion’s Guide

Posted on April 20, 2020May 13, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

Recently ESPN has been playing reruns of old sporting events, keeping their viewers nostalgic for the good ol’ days. Personally, I think that’s a genius idea, watching greatness in any form is the exact reminder people around the world need right now. My husband is a fan of boxing so he’s been tuning into the Muhammad Ali matches. Although growing up I heard his name all the time I never saw him in action until now.

So for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been able to witness him in his prime, strong, focused, confident, and a true champion. Although I’m not much of a boxing fan even I can appreciate his effort, his talent, and his overall greatness. It’s incredibly inspiring to get wrapped up in, truthfully. And that got me thinking about what it means to be a champion.

Sure maybe some people are born with an undeniable purpose to fill the shoes of greatness, but being a champion is also a set of qualities or traits one can adopt. While this historical 1st of 3 fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier played in the background all I could think was

“How does it look to be a champion outside of sports?

How does it feel to be a champion in your own life?

What’s it like to believe in yourself so devoutly that you don’t accept the possibility that anything could stop you?”

A few answers began to surface. Champions never quit because their mind doesn’t see that as an option. There are even some scenarios where an athlete’s body has suddenly quit on them and they somehow, miraculously push forward laser-focused on their mission to win. Champions are built to keep going so their mind is programmed to always find a way to the end goal, always adapting and improving.

Imagine the powerful shift this attitude would create for the pursuit of YOUR aspirations and desires, approaching the road ahead as a champion. Not ever thinking that it’s too late for anything, always giving everything you have inside, and keeping faith in the outcome even when your chances are slim.

How miraculous would your life be if you became the champion of it?

A Champion Lifestyle

All of the greats in sports like boxing, basketball, and football are known for their obsessive training. They view each day as the perfect opportunity to improve their skill set. They are excellent at prioritizing their time to hone in on their craft, reflecting on how they’ve improved, and setting high standards and even more scrupulous goals along the way.

A champion’s attention to detail is fine-tuned because it’s a mental muscle they use often, it’s their job to anticipate and prepare themselves for all scenarios without losing sight of the winning outcome.

Once becoming a recognized champion, each person receives an entire team of people to help them achieve their goals. A fitness trainer provides a wellness strategy, a specialized coach to build up their weaknesses, and a person scheduling their practices and real-life matches or games. Although champions naturally keep themselves accountable with their internal drive for more they still have someone nudging them along with wisdom and guidance.

All of these structures hold in place the intricacy of their routines, finding balance and coordination in their training and their life. But there once was a time when this individual had to show up and do that work on their own.

Champions are made, not born. Even if someone has breathtaking talent from the moment they arrive earth-side, mere talent alone doesn’t win championships. There are a myriad of habits that must be cultivated, discipline that must be learned, a passion that must be fueled, and, of course, the time to develop the talent to championship level. If every champion waited for the coach to show up and the trainer to push them, the world would have a shortage of clips recalling greatness.

Champions worked for it even when no one else could see the end goal. They fueled their faith muscles and shrunk their doubts, moving forward with the best plans they could create until they learned to improve. Champions worked hard when no one was watching so they could prevail for all to see.

So, what makes a champion?

Environment (what/who you surround yourself with, by)

The people and places you are surrounded by are going to have an incredible impact on the person you become. Circumstances shape a person, and even if you can’t cut certain people out of your life or move your location right now, you always have choices. Champions choose to practice over party, to work hard over being lazy, to get back up after the entire world knocks them down.

Vision (focus)

Having the ability to create a specific outcome in your mind’s eye is a significant part of training in a champion’s life. They have their eye on the prize even when the odds are stacked up against them and this comes with practice. Focus, in an instant gratification world, is a tall order but it’s just as possible for you as it is for a boxing champion. It’s all about what you continue putting your attention on.

Champions know the importance of cutting out distractions and being aware of when they’ve become distracted. Each time their mind wanders is another opportunity to train in focus, bringing themselves back to the vision they’ve painted of success, winning, and overcoming.

Persistence(never giving up)

Champions have any talents and traits that lead the way to their greatness, persistence may be the strongest one. To have a quality that doesn’t allow you to quit on yourself or your dreams means you will get there. It may look different from how you picture it, it may be harder than you planned, but as long as you never stop going after it there’s always a chance.

Persistence is so strong because it’s a combination of knowing who you are and what you’re capable of, mixed with your mindset and mind’s eye goals. If you can think it you can become it, champions know this at their core and will persist until the end of time.

Structure (prioritize your time and energy)

Having a solid structure throughout a champion’s life is the glue that holds the entire operation together. It may not be one of the more sexy traits but it’s absolutely essential to have a schedule. In an athlete’s season, and yours too, there are times for rest and time for work, times to refuel your energy and time’s to explode with it.

The conditions of your life will continue fluctuating, your structure while strong will also need to be flexible for the changes you find yourself facing. Extra time cannot be found so it’s important to use each moment appropriately and to plan ahead for things that may unfold. Energy is generated within you, so it can always be replenished but only when you’re away from depletion.

The structure is more than just setting goals and making them happen, it’s about tuning into what’s best for you right now and adjusting accordingly.

Attention to detail (caring about the big and small stuff alike)

Although some aspects of life may be seen as more significant than others, nothing is seen as unimportant in a champion’s lifestyle. From the way they eat and the clothes, they train in, to the music they listen to and the times they complete their routines. Each of these things serves a purpose and is chosen particularly with conscious attention and effort.

Champions leave nothing for chance, whether their decision comes from within or they seek outside counsel for insight because they know the importance of being decisive and attentive. Making their way to their desired outcome won’t happen if anything is left to probability or coincidence, they understand the importance of input and don’t hesitate to apply it.

Balance (enjoy and execute)

When Muhammad Ali said, “float like a butterfly sting like a bee” he simplified the beauty of balance, gentleness, and confidence, be light yet strong, smart yet forceful, knowing when to align and when to take action.

This way of living, fighting, playing, and being is cultivated over time and consistent practice. Learning when to push and when to pull, applying all of the traits and habits that make a champion, witnessing how they unfold, knowing when to go along for the ride and when to take the wheel.

Experiencing balance originates in the mind, being able to find a confident and calm stillness within you is the first step to allowing balance to surround you. You’ll know it when you feel it, and even more so when you don’t.

Be The Greatest

Whatever your calling in life or purpose on this planet, choose to be the greatest at it. Being the greatest in this case doesn’t mean comparing your success to the levels of anyone else, in fact, you are your only competition. The person you were at the beginning of this venture is who you’re competing with, proving it to, making you proud, and using as an example that anything is possible for you.

Showing up as your best self is going to look different for every person, in every changing season of life. Muhammad Ali as a 20-year-old is an incredible athletic machine, while years down the line his greatness took a different form. He grew mentally and physically, so it was important that his craft adapted to those changes. Whatever youth took from him physically he replaced with the wisdom and experience of being in the ring all these years.

Each of us has an innate wisdom that will help carry into our desired outcomes, along with a set of champion-lie traits. This means you have the capability to become the champion of your life today just by applying a champion mindset to your life. Become aware of your environment and how it’s shaping you, continue fueling your vision by practicing holding your focus on what matters most, and never ever quit on what you believe in because it’s always possible to achieve. I

t’s important to have a structure that holds all of this together, making sure you’re managing your time and energy efficiently, giving complete attention to detail, and never overlooking one bit of where your time goes. Finding balance will come in time, the more you practice tuning into your experiences, feelings, and results, the deeper you’ll get to know internal struggles. When peace is found within nothing outside can rock you.

Imagine how powerful the shift in your life would be if you decided to tackle all roads with the mindset and determination of a champion. All that’s left is to decide which part of your life have you not been showing up as the champion of.

Start taking stock of which traits have you been allowed to slip through the cracks over the years, or maybe always struggled with. Begin to visualize what being a champion looks like in your personal and professional life, think about who would benefit and the ripple effect of goodness shared. The best place to start is by dreaming big without limits, begin visualizing what greatness feels like to you, and never stop seeking clarity on it.

Remember all champions have to start somewhere, so start here, today.

Thanks for checking out this post! I think you may also like this podcast episode:

5 Questions to Get to Know Yourself

Healing, MindBody

Practices of a Healthy Mind

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Sabrina Renee

What is Meditation?

“A quality of high attentiveness and concentration. An attitude of open mindedness and curiosity.”

Meditation is the disciplined practice of concentration and focus, whether it be on the breath, a movement, a repeated phrase or an object. It can be done while sitting in a chair or on a mat, standing, lying down, practicing yoga or taking a walk. Essentially, it is the act of paying attention and increasing your focus muscle, inviting a sense of calm and clarity to the mind. This is often misinterpreted as clearing the mind of all thought, but that’s definitely not the point of meditation. It’s about practicing the art of slowing down both mentally and physically.

There is no end goal to meditation. It is a practice meant to be applied throughout your life. The more you practice the better you become at practicing stillness. It’s important not to become discouraged by any difficulty in the beginning. One of the biggest challenges when starting a meditation practice is that there is no instant gratification. The world we live in thrives on immediate answers to questions and solutions to problems. Moreover, our emotions are lacking regulation because we simply don’t take the time to experience them as they occur. It isn’t easy to face the reasons why we feel pulled in 6 different directions at one time, however it is important to get in touch with those reasons.

Slowing down and paying attention is exactly what we need to balance us out in such a fast paced society. It allows us the chance to be present and appreciate what we have in the midst of striving for more. The mind won’t function at a higher rate with the same mentality that burns it out. The definition of insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting new results.

So what is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice of awareness. Practicing awareness is bringing your focus to either your thoughts, physical sensations or breathing, whatever is occurring at this moment. When you are being mindful you are utilizing the traits of patience, acceptance, forgiveness, nonjudgment and having a beginner’s mind toward yourself and others. Whether in the form of anxiety or a difficult emotion, we need to start paying attention to our emotions and learn to regulate them in the moment.

Although mindfulness and meditation are both practices they are not one in the same. Mindfulness incorporates the principles listed above and can be practiced at any moment. It is the simple act of paying attention to the minor details that are normally glanced over. Brushing your teeth, showering and walking out of your house, just to name a few. For instance, have you ever driven from one place to another and didn’t remember the actual driving process? After learning how to drive it becomes habitual. The mind kicks in when it’s necessary, like an emergency brake or when traffic breaks so we speed up. But for the majority of the time we allow our autopilot to take over.

If we can allow our awareness to shut off when we are operating a vehicle daily,

how many other vital moments are we missing?

Mindful Awareness Meditation

This is a simple discipline that will both challenge and change you, combining both mindful awareness and meditation into one very powerful practice. First you need something to focus on and in this case it will be your breath. The only way to know when you are distracted is if your attention is on one thing to begin with. The breath is portable, easily accessible and always in the present moment-making it the ideal single point of focus.

Next you’ll need to find a comfortable posture. If you’re choosing a chair I would recommend one without arms to practice proper posture, feet flat on the floor. Placing your palms on your knees, facing the ceiling or resting on your lap (pretend you’re holding a giant imaginary wheel.) Remember you can also lay down and practice on a mat. I wouldn’t suggest doing so on your bed; your body understands that comfort zone as place to sleep, not pay attention.

Finally set a duration of time, preferably 10 minutes to start, and focus on your breath. Your thoughts will absolutely interrupt you and pull you away from your purpose. Some may be unpleasant or fantastical, continue to remind yourself gently why you are sitting here. Keep coming back to the breath. Losing your train of thought is just another form of practicing patience with yourself. Don’t attach expectations of disciplined stillness onto this practice when this is something you’ve never done. And don’t give up at the first sign of frustration!

Struggling to sit in stillness for 10 minutes is why you should continue to practice sitting still.

Practicing Discipline and Responding to Distraction

When you first begin to meditate your thoughts will be running wild. Your mind thinks this way 24/7. The only difference is now you are paying attention to those rapid thoughts. That’s a HUGE step in the direction of progress. Remember meditation is a disciplined practice. Be kind, patient and forgiving toward yourself when losing track of the breath. Keep coming back to the breath over and over and over again.

The time of day you choose to meditate varies for each person. Most of the books I’ve read recommend doing it first thing in the morning to set the tone of the day. I’ve found it helps pairing meditation time with a responsibility or chore. My morning practice takes place after I brush my teeth. I sit on a chair or mat for at least ten minutes, focusing on my breath and visualizing the day ahead. On the days that I am extremely distracted struggling to stay still, I gain the most from my practice. With that experience in mind I know it’s important to continue checking in on my moods and thoughts throughout the day.

Keep coming back! This advice can not be said enough. Come back to your breath, the chair, the reason why you sat still to begin with. Only then will responding to the mental distractions become easier. It’s not about clearing your mind but rather working toward peace of mind. Committing to meditation, even just ten minutes a day will build your awareness of self and increase your ability to regulate emotions.

TRY THIS AT HOME!

If there were a way to slow the chatter of your mind, learn to control your moods, and ultimately become a better person you’d jump on the chance. Meditation is that practice. It is not a quick fix because it’s the journey that is meant to change you. Only in experiencing moments of discomfort are you pushed to fulfill your potential. Practicing stillness makes you grow through what you go through.

Whatever success looks like in your life meditation will only help you get there. Commit to your future self’s mental health and practice meditation for one week, 10 minutes a day. Pay attention to the challenges, not with a judgmental mind but with an open awareness- get to know the real you.

Meditation is not just for religious people, spiritual people, or those who believe in something higher. It’s for those who wish to function optimally in an ever-changing world.

MindBody

How to Manage Your Energy and Own The Day

Posted on September 27, 2019September 19, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

There will be days that you wake up ready to take on everything with a positive attitude and assertive attitude. There will be days that you wake up focused on the tasks and responsibilities you’re reluctant to show up for.

If the energy of your day is left to chance or fleeting moods, you’ll surrender your power to the environment, people, and happenings that surround you. You’ll be led by their intentions, their agendas, and you’ll be swallowed up in their world. Meanwhile, you’re feeling lethargic and misaligned, chalking it up to just another bad day. But the truth is your approach to the day is what labels it positive, negative, or indifferent.

Thought Management

Thoughts will lead the way if they are given the power. Considering the fact that most people are unaware of their thought patterns or even how to notice their thought patterns, it’s likely the thoughts are unconsciously calling the shots. Mindful awareness is a practice of bringing nonjudgmental attention to who and how you are being in this moment. Practicing mindful awareness is the bridge between the discontent you’re experiencing inside your mind and making a conscious change in your mindset.

Becoming aware of the thoughts you are constantly focusing on is a simple task. Start by noticing the first 5 thoughts you have in the morning. Sounds easy right? Actually, it is! The challenging part is bringing attention to them without judging them by placing labels like a negative, positive, or indifferent. Instead, practice choosing an approach of curiosity. Rather than allowing the feelings related to these thoughts to morph into the mood you choose for the day, practice choosing a thought that is aligned with your higher self.

Without getting too deep into spiritual teachings, your higher self is the very best version of who you already are. Each of us has innate goodness within, which is all deserving of an abundance of well-being and joy. The more life you experienced the harder those feelings of goodness came naturally, and the more they become undone and interrupted by the stimuli being consumed daily.

As you got older it seemed easier to adapt the defeated attitudes that excuse you from doing the difficult stuff, and that began taking a toll on your overall well-being. The higher self version of you is simply waiting for you to take off the layers blocking your success, but only you can take action and begin removing what no longer serves you.

The higher self is the version of you that’s in alignment with what is best for the mind, body, and spirit’s health. Every person’s higher self is essentially a more evolved and wise version. Although you are the same person, there is a path of growth and change separating you. That path begins with the awareness you choose to bring to the parts of you that are burdening your progress. The opportunities to make progress lie in your thinking, choices, in the daily habits and behaviors you choose every day.

Thought management becomes easier to understand and digest once you’ve accepted that you can absolutely control what you focus your attention on. If this concept is difficult to accept I encourage you to make a conscious effort to focus your attention on how you want to think and feel.

Managing your thoughts does not mean falsely believing the opposite of your current thought, and it’s certainly not about ignoring the emotions that surface as a result. Thought management is becoming aware of the thinking pattern that already exists within your mind, releasing judgment of it, and learning how to choose a different route of thought.

Remember the speed and intensity of your thoughts are not new, you’re just finally deciding to tune in, which is the first step toward taking back your control. After you’ve practiced noticing the patterns and the judgmental labels attached to them, it’s time to shift your attention to how you want to feel. Maybe you don’t know yet, and that’s the beauty of self-awareness, there is always more ground to cover.

Energy Management

Throughout the day the energy you experience is influenced by a multitude of factors. Nevertheless, the energy you experience is entirely your responsibility. Specifically, if you are wearing different hats throughout the day (partner, parent, boss, employee, student, friend) you have to hold yourself to a higher standard of energy.

The type of energy you bring into a work meeting is extremely different from the type of energy you bring home to your family. In order to manage the energy, you’re experiencing, as well as prepare your energy levels for an approaching task, you need to know how you want to feel.

There are a few ways to get to know more about your energy. You can start by getting in touch with the energy you are already experiencing, and get curious about how you feel and what it took to get to this point. When transitioning from one task to another, it’s essential that you check in with the energy you are bringing.

Be intentional about the energy you are expressing with yourself, with others, and emitting out into the world. Start by asking “How do I want to feel?” and “How do I want to invite others to feel?” If you’re experiencing happiness or joy ask yourself what thoughts and/or experiences brought you to this level? After you experienced something did you continue to fuel those thoughts and ignite the flames generating more intensity around the emotion?

Another way you can understand your energy better is by reverse engineering. Start by focusing on the energy, feeling, and/or emotion you want to feel. For some people, it’s easy to jump right into that state just with the thought of it, while others struggle with matching that feeling. If it’s difficult to shift break down what it would take to get you into that state, starting with effective questions such as:

How can I get closer to an elevated mood?
What thoughts will bring me to increase my energy?
When I struggle to stay in this state, what should I bring my focus to?
What word, phrase, or thought could I use as an anchor in this feeling?
It’s also important to dive deep into your answer because saying you want to feel good isn’t specific enough.

Let’s Review

Life circumstances can rarely be controlled, if ever. Your personal power lies in how you show up and the response you choose. Working to improve both your mindset and vitality is the greatest investment of your time. The reward will be a healthier mind, an energized body, and a fulfilled soul that impacts the lives of those they encounter.

Thoughts create things and energy never dies, it only transforms. Both thoughts and energy will lead the way if you surrender internal power. But if you consciously choose to make time and energy management a priority, the reward will show up in your life ten times over. Stop leaving your days to change and start preparing for the days of lower vibrations and negative emotions. Don’t wait until the building is on fire to think of an exit strategy, stay two steps ahead of the stimuli around you, and always consider what serves your higher self.

Love. Heal. Grow.