You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind.
Courage To Change — October 5, 2019
Life will hit you with all the cheap and nasty shots it can. If you’re an ACOA or you have a qualifier in your life that makes Al-Anon a no-brainer, then it goes double for you. Despite all that however, you can’t live a positive life with a negative mindset. It just won’t work. An attitude of gratitude is a good starting place at remedying things, seeking the joy in life and consciously choosing to let go of the shit that’s drying to suffocate and drag you under.
Quick Disclaimer: The readings in this post are literally taken wholesale out of the book entitled Courage to Change. You can find it at Amazon, Here. The portion entitled Alleged Insight, well that mess is all me.
Photo Credit – Pexels on Pixabay
Today’s Reading
Sometimes I become so bogged down with dis-satisfaction that I can’t see where I am or where I’m going. When I take the time to “Think,” I realize that negativity keeps my life at a standstill. Al-Anon has helped me discover that, while it’s good to acknowledge whatever I feel, I have a choice about where to focus my attention. I’m challenged to find positive qualities in myself, my circumstances, and other human beings. As I attend meetings, list the things I am grateful for, and talk with other Al-Anon members, these attributes become apparent – if I’m willing to see them.
I believe I have a beautiful spirit that has been created for some purpose. The people and situations I encounter each day also have beauty and purpose. I can begin to look for the positive in everything I do and see. The perspective I’ve gained by doing so has shown me that some of the most difficult times in my life have produced the most wonderful changes.
Today’s reminder
It may be difficult to break a long-established pattern of depression, doom-saying, and complaining, but it’s worth the effort. I’ll replace a negative attitude with a positive one today.
“Sometimes I go about pitying myself
And all the while I am being carried across the sky
By beautiful clouds.”
Ojibway Indian Saying
Alleged Insight:
Some days you open up one of these readings and wish that you had instilled it a week earlier into your patterns and mental space. It’s been one hell of a week here at Castle Chaos. I’ve been getting ambushed by demons coming and going. My older kids are picking up on the constant issues. Hell, my physiology is picking up on it. I’ve been suffering anxiety attacks and other such miserable issues for days and days now.
I am in introverted over-thinker by nature. Not communicating is kinda my thing. Assuming I have all the needed information to a situation, trusting that my interpretations of the lay of the land is correct. Usually this isn’t a huge issue. When, due to my nature, I get something wrong on a project one of my team-mates will straighten me out.
At home is a different story however. I am guilty of building a story around events to support my feelings of the events.
What I keep forgetting is that there are two people in every interaction. I sure as hell don’t have a solid understanding of what I am all about, so why should I assume that I understand what the person (usually my wife) is all about.
The problem is that I do assume such, and then construct reasons to support my assumptions of other’s motives. How nuts is that? Today’s reading highlights doing exactly this and why we shouldn’t do so. Holding a shitty negative mindset will generally mess up your day, and all futures points as well. Choosing to think otherwise, also known as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, being aware of what’s going on inside your head, instead of just subject to it, will help you get back on track with living the most awesome life ever.
Closing thoughts:
In the immortal words of Bill and Ted:
Be excellent to each other!
Remember, this includes being ‘excellent’ to yourself as well. You’re pretty frikin’ awesome, even if you can’t see it right now.
Every morning you wake up is another 24 hours you get to practice and even start over if needed, but God keeps giving you another day, don’t waste this one being in a bad mood.
Duke.