Fear is a darkroom where negatives
develop.
~Usman B. Asif
Tennessee is facing extreme cold temperatures over the last week. I needed a walk, so I bundled up to embrace the 22° morning. A friend called me on FaceTime from another state and was surprised to see how wrapped up I was. He has made up that because it's usually sunnier where I live, it must be warmer too, compared to where he's at.
We tell ourselves stories all day long, consciously sometimes, but mostly unconsciously. And then we act on the story in real life, based on the fiction we’ve accepted as truth.
If we have the power to tell ourselves stories that we are going to believe, then, number one, we need to intentionally tell ourselves better stories. But the biggest lesson I want to point to today is being aware when we’re telling ourselves stories.
In my meditation practice, I am cautioned to be aware of what I’m thinking, because it’s the thoughts that go unchecked on auto pilot that can be most concerning. Thinking during meditation isn't bad at all, as long as we're training our minds to know when we are thinking and to be more active participants in our
thoughts.
Thoughts are so powerful that we need to make sure that we are directing them, and not letting our unconscious thoughts direct our lives.
Pay close attention to when you start telling yourself why someone did or didn't do something, or said or didn't say something. Making up those stories and then acting on them can really get us into trouble!
Today, If you’re willing, grab a piece of paper and see how many times you can catch yourself telling yourself a story. A story is defined as something we can’t know is 100% true. It might be probable, but that doesn’t make it true, which makes it a story for this exercise.
One false story I told myself already today was that it was probably too cold to walk today. That was a story because I decided to do it anyway and I was toasty warm with all the layers I put on. So that is story number one debunked for me.
Second story, I didn’t sleep great last night and I've been thinking I won't have the energy for all I want to do today. I've decided to just show up to the next thing, and the next, and the next. I’ll take breaks when I can as
needed, but I will likely prove that was a false story as well. I may not have all of the energy I want, but I will have all that I need.
That’s two stories from me and I have barely started my day. Your turn! I’d love to
hear how many stories you catch yourself telling yourself today, big or little, and how often you decided to explore reality instead. Keep a tally and let me know in our FTG Readers Group.
Enjoy a day of truth because the truth really can set you free!
