What are You Rehearsing?

I realize as I look back at my life, the things that light up the strongest in my memory banks are the things I have rehearsed in my mind.  And those things from my past often direct my future. So I must be mindful of what I am going to rehearse.  It may leave a mark. What I rehearse on the screen of my mind I will live out on the stage of my life.

With perceived ‘negative’ events having more emotional impact than perceived positive events, it takes a lot more intention to see and be impacted by the positive.

In fact, if no effort is made and we just drift through life allowing what comes. Then often before we know it, we are living life that is less than we’d hoped for. But how did we get here?

What develops in us is a tendency toward negativity as we age. 😩 Ugh, the prospect of being a bitter cynical old woman is so detestable to me.  But unless we become aware, understand the trends and make a conscious effort to change it, we are doomed.

Let me explain…

The negativity bias, also known as the negativity effect, is the notion that, even when of equal intensity, things of a more negative nature (e.g. unpleasant thoughts, emotions, or social interactions; harmful/traumatic events) have a greater effect on one’s psychological state and processes than neutral or positive things.

In other words, something very positive will generally have less of an impact on a person’s behavior and cognition than something equally emotional but negative. The negativity bias has been investigated within many different domains, including the formation of impressions and general evaluations; attention, learning, and memory; and decision-making and risk considerations. (Wikipedia)

And there are consequences:

Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create chronic stress, which upsets the body’s hormone balance, depletes the brain chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system. Chronic stress can actually decrease our lifespan.

So though I have been made fun of and criticized for my consistent effort to guard my heart and mind from negativity, I have considered my choices. So although I have been called a Pollyanna, fantasy chaser, unrealistic, living in a bubble, etc., I will take it.  The alternative? Re-read the above.

Now I do have to work at this daily with my own mental fitness training that I wrote about in my last email.

In fact, as I look back, I have seen how rehearsing my negative memories has not only exacerbated my anxiety and depression at times but is also actually a trap.  My future will be formed by my past if I let it. So how I see my past is pivotal. That is why we work at creating proper reframing of your past here in our community because of its impact on your future. And yes, I needed to learn from them, but I also needed to let them go and give as much credence to the blessings in my life. There is a reason for all the research pointing the power of gratitude.  And now with fresh eyes, when I have the courage to look back, I see so many powerfully positive events in my life.  And truth be told, we all can do that.  But not unless we make an intentional effort.

So now when I look back and am looking for those blessings, I am seeing now more clearly my God-given strengths and enjoying using them daily. I treasure who God made me to be and I am excited to rise above a life trapped in mediocrity because of the weight I have given to my negative memories.

This work is absolutely mind-blowing and continues to amaze me and to build my faith!

And the most exciting news is that women of all ages, backgrounds, races and beliefs are finding it possible to write a totally new chapter for themselves.  They are writing perhaps the most significant chapter of their lives to date – one they have exercised their gift of choice to design.

We have just 3 spots left for our upcoming Fall Mastermind.  If you know you can’t keep thinking the way you do and therefore living that way, then set up your Vision Session now. Even that session will blow your mind about what is possible!

There is a huge difference between living life making decisions through a lens of faith and opportunity vs. fear and obligation in how things turn out.

What are you rehearsing? 

May your faith and opportunities be abundant.