"You don't find peace, you choose it
By what you ignore
By what you release
By what you stop giving energy to...
Thats the shift"
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee’ s quote offers a solution to relieve much of our suffering: Stop giving energy to that which makes you hurt. Struggling against things we have no power over causes us to experience frustration, overwhelm, and angst. The more we learn to recognize what we cannot change (other people, places and things) and instead choose to focus our attention on what we can change (ourselves, our attitudes, our behavior) the less we will suffer. What has already happened cannot be changed and sometimes past events do leave us with scars. Let them be healed scars not open wounds, and choose to move forward by reminding yourself that you are in charge of how much attention you pay to something. Events or people’s behavior can trigger reactions of anger or fear that pop up unexpectedly, and while we can’t always be in charge of what pops into our head, we can determine whether those thoughts and feelings just visit or make a permanent home by how much we feed them.Thoughts of guilt, resentments, and the refrains of ”I shoulda” and “If only I had" invite negative feelings and behaviors to unpack and stick around. Choosing to learn and practice acceptance, kindness, and forgiveness for yourself as well as others invites a more peaceful stare of mind.
We all experience difficult times, and reactions to them differ. Some people seem to be suffering from difficulties all the time, while others seem calm and unflappable no matter what is happening. And sometimes people feel so overwhelmed by events that those events become their identity and they are rarely able to step outside that role. Releasing resentments, regrets, guilt, worries and the accompanying emotions of fear and anger allows more time to enjoy life. One of my clients expressed it as “I got tired of continuing to run their movies in my head, so I changed the channel.” If someone hurt you in the past and you still spend a lot of time thinking about it, they still have power over you, and perhaps now is the time for you to change the channel. Start by making the decision to release whatever thoughts lead you into trouble or make you feel bad. And then learn how to do that, asking for help if you need it. Use your tools in a daily practice and recognize that change requires commitment and support. Old habits tend to resurrect when we don’t pay attention, so when you find yourself feeling bad, ask yourself what you are thinking. And change those thoughts to ones that serve you better.
By what you ignore
By what you release
By what you stop giving energy to...
Thats the shift"
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee’ s quote offers a solution to relieve much of our suffering: Stop giving energy to that which makes you hurt. Struggling against things we have no power over causes us to experience frustration, overwhelm, and angst. The more we learn to recognize what we cannot change (other people, places and things) and instead choose to focus our attention on what we can change (ourselves, our attitudes, our behavior) the less we will suffer. What has already happened cannot be changed and sometimes past events do leave us with scars. Let them be healed scars not open wounds, and choose to move forward by reminding yourself that you are in charge of how much attention you pay to something. Events or people’s behavior can trigger reactions of anger or fear that pop up unexpectedly, and while we can’t always be in charge of what pops into our head, we can determine whether those thoughts and feelings just visit or make a permanent home by how much we feed them.Thoughts of guilt, resentments, and the refrains of ”I shoulda” and “If only I had" invite negative feelings and behaviors to unpack and stick around. Choosing to learn and practice acceptance, kindness, and forgiveness for yourself as well as others invites a more peaceful stare of mind.
We all experience difficult times, and reactions to them differ. Some people seem to be suffering from difficulties all the time, while others seem calm and unflappable no matter what is happening. And sometimes people feel so overwhelmed by events that those events become their identity and they are rarely able to step outside that role. Releasing resentments, regrets, guilt, worries and the accompanying emotions of fear and anger allows more time to enjoy life. One of my clients expressed it as “I got tired of continuing to run their movies in my head, so I changed the channel.” If someone hurt you in the past and you still spend a lot of time thinking about it, they still have power over you, and perhaps now is the time for you to change the channel. Start by making the decision to release whatever thoughts lead you into trouble or make you feel bad. And then learn how to do that, asking for help if you need it. Use your tools in a daily practice and recognize that change requires commitment and support. Old habits tend to resurrect when we don’t pay attention, so when you find yourself feeling bad, ask yourself what you are thinking. And change those thoughts to ones that serve you better.
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