I look for a recipe on my phone, and I notice something clever and new.
I’m not the best cook to do this.
I always mess these up.
I’m such an idiot.
I buy the ingredients and make it.
No one will eat this.
I should throw this away.
I should taste it first.
I enjoy eating.
Sound familiar? This difference between acting and thinking can be an internal battleground for a lot of people. By paying attention to our thoughts and choosing which ones will impact our actions, we can work towards maintaining a higher self -awareness.
In this example, my thoughts could have stopped me from even buying the ingredients. By choosing to ignore those thoughts, I took action and bought the ingredients to make the recipe. So many thoughts can paralyze us and stop us before we even start.
After the recipe was made, my thoughts could have prevented me from even tasting what I made. Choosing to pay attention to the last thought “I should taste it first” allowed me to have an unexpectedly enjoyable experience eating what I made.
Throwing it away was a negative thought that was replaced by a more positive productive one.The more we notice our thoughts in the moment — the easier it becomes to distinguish the difference between their intent.
My Top 5 Mindful Quotes
Saving these quotes on screensavers or posting them on mirrors helps remind me to stay present in the moment.
Have your thoughts convinced you that something is impossible? Empowering yourself with choice is life changing! Reduce the number of mindless moments that do not move you forward towards a positive direction. Pay attention and choose the best thoughts for your actions.
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Originally published at www.citybornsouthernliving.com on May 3, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com