Welcome to today’s post, dear reader! I’m glad you’re here, because this one really has the potential to change everything for you.
While it’s true that some problems are out of our control, the one thing that is always within our control is our reaction to those problems.
I remember when this ongoing global pandemic first reached American soil. I was gripped by panic for a good week before I realized my panic wasn’t going to change anything. While I knew I couldn’t do anything to personally change the situation, I knew I could at least follow the safety guidelines at the time. Know I was doing all I could brought calmness back to me.
Practically a year later (happy almost-bday, lil ‘rona!) and I still find myself calm about everything because I’m still taking charge of my reactions.
Today, Five Minutes in the Morning suggests we take responsibility for our reactions to life. When you take responsibility for every.aspect.of.your.life it has no choice but to bend to your will.
Start today’s prompt by writing down whatever it is that’s got you feeling out of control. Is it your weight? Your workload? The ongoing global pandemic? Whatever it is, write it down.
Next, list the ways you could resolve the situation. Begin each statement with I can choose… You could write I can choose to walk to work or I can choose to talk to my boss or I can choose to stop following Auntie Leslie on facebook so I don’t have to see her ill-informed, fear-mongering posts anymore.
Write for five minutes, then reread each statement out loud.
Here’s what I wrote:
I am not making the most of my time outside of work.
I can choose to start working from home sooner.
I can choose to be more focused in what I do before & after work.
I can choose to have a plan of what I want to do each evening.
I can choose to be more flexible.
I can choose to get to bed earlier.
I can choose to focus on me.
I can choose how to spend my time.
I can choose to devote my time to improvement.
I can choose to be easy on myself.
Yes, I know it can feel like you’re locked on a merry-go-round of horrors, where the horses are unicorns and you have to sit on their horns, but you get to choose how you react. You get to choose your response.
And if you still choose the old way that has proven to be ineffective in the past, at least do so with mindfulness. That will make all the difference.