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June 2014 ~ Get Curious, Not Furious
June
2014 ~ Get Curious, Not Furious
How many of us have gotten angry or frustrated or discouraged when our day goes badly? Sometimes, it seems that things just continue to go wrong all day long.
This month’s article provides a way of seeing things differently. When we adjust our thinking and see things differently, we allow ourselves to let go of anger, frustration and negative emotions that can ruin our day, damage our relationships with others and even make us physically sick.
Suppose you overslept one day and were late work. Is that a bad thing or a good thing?
Another perspective: Perhaps, if you had you woken up "on time" and been driving to work at your usual time, you might have encountered a drunk driver and gotten into a serious car accident. If that had happened you would have been even later to work, if you made it all.
Suppose you had to wait for your lunch at a local restaurant longer than usual. Is that a bad thing or a good thing?
Another perspective: Perhaps, one of the cooks got sick and if they had made your lunch instead of going home sick, you might have caught what made them sick. Getting sick would have been far worse than waiting a few extra minutes for your lunch.
Suppose your phone went dead just as you were expecting an important phone call. Is that a bad thing or a good thing?
Another perspective: Perhaps, someone might have misunderstood your intentions on that call and caused you some grief over something you said. It might be far better for you that you were able to meet with the person in charge in person later in the day and they did understand your intentions correctly.
Suppose, after having that bad day, you go home and just want to soak your feet in your new foot massager and it didn’t work at all. Is that good thing or a bad thing?
Another perspective: Perhaps, the new foot massager had an electrical problem and would have blown out all the power in your house if it had turned on. That would have been far worse for you than the small inconvenience of returning the faulty product to the store.
Next time you ‘think’ things are going badly or that the world seems ‘out to get you,’ Get Curious, not Furious. Stop and think about what might be some other reasons that you benefited from whatever was not working the way you expected.
When you can adjust your thinking in this way, your anger and frustrations will dissipate quickly. You can relax and know that sometimes, what ‘seems’ bad at first is really something mysterious working on your behalf.
This month, take time to see another perspective when something doesn’t go as you expect and be grateful for what life does give you. You may never know all the really bad things that you missed because something unexpected happened. Be grateful for all that you have, rather than upset over not getting what you expected.
Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Rev. Sandy Moore for the title and to friend Lorene Smith who sent an email this week that inspired this article.
Internet Resources
- How to Change Negative Thought Patterns http://www.wikihow.com/Change-Negative-Thought-Patterns
- 7 Little Habits That Can Change Your Life, and How to Form Them http://zenhabits.net/7-little-habits-that-can-change-your-life-and-how-to-form-them/
- 15 Practical Ways to Adjust Your Attitude http://www.pursuingbliss.com/15-practical-ways-to-adjust-your-attitude/
- Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life http://www.slideshare.net/sahilwhiteday/change-your-thinking-change-your-life-by-brian-tracy
Books - Disclosure:
We get a small commission for purchases made via links to Amazon.
- Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Wayne Dyer. Hay House, 2009. ISBN 978-1401917500
- How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life. John C Maxwell. Center Street, 2009. ISBN: 978-1599951683
- Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life: How to Unlock Your Full Potential for Success and Achievement. Brian Tracy. Wiley, 2007 ASIN: B008L047DC
- Awaken the Inner Shaman: A Guide to the Power Path of the Heart. José Stevens, Ph.D. Sounds True, 2014. ISBN 978-1622030934
- Transforming Your Dragons: Turning Personality Fear Patterns into Personal Power. Jose Stevens. Bear & Co; (July 1994) ISBN: 1879181177
- Income Without a Job: Living Well Without a Paycheck. Michael Jay Anthony, Barbara J. Taylor. Lulu.com, 2008 ISBN-13: 978-0-557-00377-8. Website: www.income-without-a-job.com. Tap into your own creativity and use your full potential. Learn how to see opportunities that others miss.
Articles
Related newsletter article:
September 2006 - the Power of Thought
April 2011 - Remembering What's
Important
February 2009 - Staying Inspired
May 2008 - Work-Life Balance
October 2002 - Reducing Stress in the
Workplace
September 2004 - Stress Busters:
Managing Stress in the Workplace
The Lighter Side
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another ... William James
It's not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it ... Hans Selye
Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life; it's your choice whether you let it affect you or not. ... Valerie Bertinelli.
About our resource links: We do not endorse or agree with all the beliefs in these links. We do keep an open mind about different viewpoints and respect the ability of our readers to decide for themselves what is useful.
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