This country was a very weird place to be this week. Without going into the weeds of personal thoughts, I felt the weight of the world was a bit heavier. There was grief, elation, disbelief, sighs of relief, and complete chaos. The emotional rate, if weighed on a scale, was off the charts. My 8 year old son told me his third grade class was even divided into people who wanted this candidate to win and those who wanted the other. Are you kidding me? What do they know about politics? And since when do you have a playground fight about being republican versus democrat? Crazy times. All I did on the playground at his age was giggle about who was going under the big oak tree to pretend ‘get married’. And then take off running to do flips on the monkey bars. I never remember spouting off about a presidential election. Thank goodness.
I digress. My post was intended to focus on mindfulness. Which I practice every day of my life. Ever find yourself thinking stupid things? As small as, ‘Crap, what do I have to make for dinner tonight? I have no groceries in the house. We had junk last night. And for the love of all that’s sacred…I don’t want to go over to so-in-so’s house tomorrow. Why can’t I just say I’m busy?’ Thoughts such as these dance like sugarplums in my little brain a lot! There’s no goodness to be found. I have to redirect them to positive things, such as going through a plan of what I’ll make and how easy it’ll be. ‘I’ve got this. It’s going to be fine. I love just eating with my kids. Who cares if it’s breakfast night. Everyone likes pancakes.’ 🙂
Or, ‘I hate these shoes. Why do I consistently put these ugly things on my feet?’ If I don’t watch it, this type of stinking’ thinkin’ roams freely in my head. I have to consciously think better things. It’s called mindfulness thinking. Steering my thought to good places. Being the driver of them, not the passenger. ‘These shoes may be ugly as sin, but they’re broken in and feel good. I’ll just stay behind my desk a little more today!’
All of my thoughts are not the truth. I have to remember that one, too. Has your child ever been late and instantly you think you’re going to receive a call from the police telling you they’re in a ditch? Yep, that’d be me again! My mind is full of these fun gems. And that’s why I have to take the wheel and steer them to better places. And it works! But boy is it tiring.
So in a world that is so divided right now, I have to pull my energy to find all the goodness. And when you look for good and think for good, it will find you! Just try it yourself!
