Need to have your mind tickled?
We all need a gentle shove once in awhile to get us out of our stale mental ruts.
That’s why today I’m asking you to put on your thinking cap because I have some very thought provoking perspectives I want to share.
These viewpoints will stretch your mindset and push you to ponder life more thoroughly.
But, these salient observations are more than just teasers. If you let them, they’ll lead you to discover new attitudes for living and as Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
Let Your Mind Be Provoked
Again, I read these myself so, I can’t take credit for any of them. I’m simply passing them along. Where I know the original source, I will provide it for your edification.
Here are five thought provoking things to ponder:
1. What Screws Us Up Most in Life Is the Picture in Our Head of How It Is Supposed to Be.
The truth in this statement is huge. We are so sure of ourselves and yet, so often, we are dead wrong. We regularly expect the wrong things out of life and out of the people around us.
We have the wrong picture in our heads about marriage and it leads to divorce. We have the wrong picture in our heads about ourselves and we lead small, insignificant lives. Our expectations or false views blind us to the truth. As a result, we constantly run into walls.
In fact, if you reflect on a recent difficulty in your life, and if you are completely honest, you will likely see how the picture in your head of how things are supposed to be contributed greatly to the trouble.
“I myself am entirely made of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” This statement is the kind of humility we need to embrace in order to save ourselves. Regularly questioning the picture in your head of how things are supposed to be will save you a lot of grief. If you want to learn more about expectations and how to manage them, then read What Do You Expect? for more insight.
2. If You’re Always Racing to the Next Moment, What Happens to the One You Are In?
Busy, busy, busy. Have you noticed how important it is to always be rushing to the next thing? Even if you aren’t that busy, when someone asks, you likely feel compelled to imply that you are. And it isn’t just busyness, it is also insatiable desire for more. I recently asked, When Is Enough, Enough? When do we ever slow down and just enjoy what we have?
We know that the greatest moments in life are just that moments. If you are always racing to the next moment, then isn’t the last moment just lost and forgotten? And if that’s consistently the way you are living, then aren’t you just dwindling your life away chasing the next thing? Impatience, agitation, frustration and stress rule the day. These steal your happiness and drain the goodness out of every moment.
Slow down. I know you’ll say you can’t, but you can. You can choose. Think about it. Oh, but that would require you to stop racing.
3. Some People Are So Poor, All They Have Is Money.
There is a difference between poverty and being poor. Poverty is an external circumstance. Being poor is an internal condition. You can have all kinds of money and still be poor. On the other hand, you can live in extreme poverty and have great joy in your heart. You’ve seen it in pictures. The child from some remote village smiling ear-to-ear without a care in the world. We are mesmerized by these pictures because we want what that child’s got on the inside.
Are you spending too much of your time and energy pursuing material possessions? These will leave you feeling poor. They will never fill up that emptiness inside. Perhaps, it is time to seek out some true wealth.
4. Heaven on Earth Is a Choice We Must Make, Not a Place We Must Find.
I believe this one is from Dr. Dwayne Dyer and it is often discovered at the juncture of the three things above. We get a picture in our heads of what heaven on Earth is supposed to look like. We race frantically in pursuit of this lifestyle. And, at some point, we wind up emotionally and spiritually bankrupt as a result of our misguided efforts.
How do we avoid this calamity? Well, we have to realize that fulfillment isn’t found in external circumstances. It isn’t about how much money you have or your job title or where you live or getting your spouse to do what you want. No, heaven on Earth is found in our choices. You can choose to be happy and grateful for what you have or you can constantly be wanting for more. You can choose to love and cherish your spouse or you can be angry and resentful all your life. You can choose to fully engage in the work before you or you can forever be trying to buck the system.
What choice are you going to make?
5. You Are Only One Thought Away From Changing Your Life.
Finally, Rita Schiano reminds us that it is all about our thought life. It is all in your head. Get your head straight and your external circumstances will fall in line. It is funny really. When you let go of the misguided expectations in your head and start to accept the way things are, that’s when life smooths out and more of what you really want starts coming your way.
I’ll say it again. It begins on the inside. Until you figure this out, you will continue to spin your wheels. We waste tons of effort and emotional energy trying to force our external life to conform to that picture we have in our head. We believe that if we work just a little harder or plan a little more thoroughly or race a little faster or become a little more disciplined that we’ll eventually conquer the mountain. When in fact, we need to give up on most of that and focus instead on the inside. Get your thought life right and the rest will fall into place.
You are one thought away from changing your life. Will you make the leap?
Did these thoughts provoke any new perspectives for you today? If so, then please let me know.
