I have used affirmations in the past to help me become something I wanted to be. I used affirmations about being a good student and ended up receiving the Distinguished Student of the Year award when I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree for the College of Health Sciences at the university I attended. I used affirmations to lose 15% body fat and get to a svelte 14% body fat in 12 weeks. Why is it that I find something that works... and then stop doing it?
Affirmations and visualization go together and are powerful tools in our brains. Think of the advertisements you know for Coca Cola, Toyota or Taco Bell. I can come up with slogans for all of these and I haven't had cable or local television stations for over three years. Advertising is powerful. Repetition works.
I am guilty of allowing other people to advertise in my brain and not intentionally putting things in that would help me or those around me. Listening to the radio on the way to work may seem like an innocent pass time, but it really is not. I am allowing someone else to put thoughts in my head. Rather than allowing this, I will go on a 30 day morning media break. During this time, I will learn a language or play the affirmations I have recorded.
Affirmation 1 "I am a strong, flexible, healthy woman and love to work out. I love the way my body feels when it is strong. I love the sense of flow I get from working out every day."
Affirmation 2 "I am intentionally adding things to my life that make it deeper and richer. I also intentionally free myself from things that could shrink my life by creating fear or protectiveness. I give all I can to others and find that my joy is full."
These may change a bit over time as I find the things I need help motivating myself to do. I will try to update them in real time. I will use my affirmations twice a day along with visualizing the thing I am trying to create. Do you use affirmations? If you do, what has been your experience?
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Intention and FLOW
In the last few weeks, I've been going on about my goals and how I want my health and future to go. But, sometimes things are not under our control. Like getting sick. It was certainly not in my plan, nor my intention to get sick this week. You would think in health care, that I would be sick a lot. But, the opposite is actually true. After the first year of getting everything every patient brings in, you tend to get sick a pretty average amount. This is the first on my back sickness in about 4 years other than headaches.
When you are sick, you can't remember what it was like not to be sick. This week has been horrible for goals and for all things health related. I did not get anything done on my goal list. It makes me grateful for my health. I realize that I may have a stroke at any moment, but it is easier to deal with than being sick in the here and now. I also realize, upon review, that every time I have improved my health, it has followed an illness. What does this say about me?
Perhaps like anyone, I have to have something tangible to remind me that I could, indeed, feel worse than I normally do. This year is going to be about INTENTION. I want to do things that improve my life intentionally. I want to be well intentionally. I want to create a space here to gather and disseminate knowledge that will help people with great intention.
Health is about more than the absence of disease. Health is about living my best life, in the best way I can. Not only about being the best for myself, but about giving away the best of me. Helping others to become better helps me.
In order to become the best I can, I have to confess a huge source of anger. I am angry at the Affordable Care Act. I think it has been a dismal failure. It has horribly increased costs for many hard working people including me. I don't want to be angry. I can't be angry every day as patients come and tell me of the failure of this law, but I have been. It exhausts me to reach out with compassion and not have any answers for them. I would like to channel the anger to something more helpful. Creativity and helping to show the way toward healthier people. We can no longer afford to be sick. So, let's decide to be well. Starting with our focus.
Happiness. The entire country of Bhutan is striving to increase the gross domestic happiness, rather than the gross domestic product. How great is that? (From the documentary Happy) In the same documentary, the research showed people who experience FLOW, that state of being immersed in an activity, feeling energized and clear, the most often are the happiest. I think that is why I write, I find FLOW in the action. I remember feeling FLOW with running, which is why it calls me. Once upon a time, I felt FLOW in my job. Before the ACA. I will work to find a place I can experience FLOW in my work again. I am going to strive to be intentional about the activities I engage in this year to increase how often I feel FLOW. Flow will help me to be a happier person, and increase the reserves of energy and creativity I have and can use to better the world.
So, the plan for this week is to come up with some recipes and a shopping list for the next 1-2 weeks. I will write out my affirmations and find a space and time to meditate.
When you are sick, you can't remember what it was like not to be sick. This week has been horrible for goals and for all things health related. I did not get anything done on my goal list. It makes me grateful for my health. I realize that I may have a stroke at any moment, but it is easier to deal with than being sick in the here and now. I also realize, upon review, that every time I have improved my health, it has followed an illness. What does this say about me?
Perhaps like anyone, I have to have something tangible to remind me that I could, indeed, feel worse than I normally do. This year is going to be about INTENTION. I want to do things that improve my life intentionally. I want to be well intentionally. I want to create a space here to gather and disseminate knowledge that will help people with great intention.
Health is about more than the absence of disease. Health is about living my best life, in the best way I can. Not only about being the best for myself, but about giving away the best of me. Helping others to become better helps me.
In order to become the best I can, I have to confess a huge source of anger. I am angry at the Affordable Care Act. I think it has been a dismal failure. It has horribly increased costs for many hard working people including me. I don't want to be angry. I can't be angry every day as patients come and tell me of the failure of this law, but I have been. It exhausts me to reach out with compassion and not have any answers for them. I would like to channel the anger to something more helpful. Creativity and helping to show the way toward healthier people. We can no longer afford to be sick. So, let's decide to be well. Starting with our focus.
Happiness. The entire country of Bhutan is striving to increase the gross domestic happiness, rather than the gross domestic product. How great is that? (From the documentary Happy) In the same documentary, the research showed people who experience FLOW, that state of being immersed in an activity, feeling energized and clear, the most often are the happiest. I think that is why I write, I find FLOW in the action. I remember feeling FLOW with running, which is why it calls me. Once upon a time, I felt FLOW in my job. Before the ACA. I will work to find a place I can experience FLOW in my work again. I am going to strive to be intentional about the activities I engage in this year to increase how often I feel FLOW. Flow will help me to be a happier person, and increase the reserves of energy and creativity I have and can use to better the world.
So, the plan for this week is to come up with some recipes and a shopping list for the next 1-2 weeks. I will write out my affirmations and find a space and time to meditate.
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