Oct. 21 - Shifting Perspective

If you read my last entry, you know I'm working toward better managing my thoughts. The first key step being AWARENESS, in order to then decide to shift the thinking!

So, I find myself contemplating the concept of PERSPECTIVE. Contemplating the concept of "changing my story." And, it reminded me of a 'blog-type' entry I wrote over a year ago.

I'll get right to it .....

(From May '09)
Perhaps you could indulge me as I write a bit from my life, a bit about what came to mind for me after my day:

After spending an 11.5 hour day with my lovely and oh-so-rambunctious 16-month-old little girl (I'm mainly a stay-at-home mama these days) ...
After having a good ol' chat with a great friend about the challenges and truly rewarding aspects of close relationships ...
After stepping outside to indulge in a sometimes weekly (sometimes monthly .. no matter) vice of having a cigarette on a beautiful. mild, summer-like night ...

I look up at the sky.
The first thing I see is the Big Dipper constellation.

I ask myself for what seems like the hundredth time .. how is it that I always see the Big Dipper first? And often, it's the only constellation I see.

The first thought was this ... it is what I know (not knowing much else about constellations in the sky)

The second thought(s) went something like this:
What do we CHOOSE to see? What do we allow ourselves to notice and/or focus upon?
You see, in the midst of a city environment, where the neighbor's bright and buzzing street-like lamp shines bright each evening (a source of angst at times), and after my conversation with my friend, and after my day with my daughter, I was again struck by how we see what we want to see. We see what we may be accustomed to seeing.
That is to say when we're not seeing with as much AWARENESS as we are certainly capable.

And so tonight, the Big Dipper, while familiar to me, served to shift my focus.

In the midst of this city environment, where my focus might sometimes be on that buzzing light, or on a 'challenging' day spent solely in the company of a 16-month-old (as amazing as she is, and as wonderful a TEACHER that she is) ... I can still look up and see stars. STARS! Even if not as bright as other times ... it brought a shift in focus indeed.

The wonder. The beauty. The immense-ness of this life.
And then there is US.
Our often obsessive thought a blip in the grand scheme of the AWEsomeness of the "big picture." And in the same breath ... how power-FULL and bright each of us IS in this grand scheme.
Really! How very much power each of us has in how we view and perceive our day to day.
How very much each of us creates.
How very much each of us affects 'the other."
How very much each of us ... when tapped into our hearts ... is tapped into the WHOLE.

Ah, it may seem cryptic. Though I don't think I could attempt to clarify without a good ol' face-to-face chat.
Regardless, my heart is warm as I put this into words that can't possibly due justice.

Suffice it to say ... I'm glad for the Big Dipper.
I'm glad for my family and friends.
I'm glad for the challenges (relationship, parenting, career, health, greater mindfulness .. to name a few that may resonate) that life brings, albeit most are made more so by our lovely and oh-so-overactive brains .
I'm glad we're all here together; Doing the best each of us can, and hopefully, at times, reminding ourselves that it is ONLY US that can choose where we want to put our focus and energy.

LOVE.
Julie
http://www.papillonlife.com/

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Though I dig all of this little blurb that pretty effortlessly poured onto the page ... it's the last line that I'd like to focus on today.

IT IS ONLY US THAT CAN CHOOSE WHERE WE WANT TO PUT OUR FOCUS AND ENERGY.

Yeah!!!
And, how beautifully power-FULL that really is ... because as pondered last week, our focus determines our experience.

And given this ... Don't you think some good ol' diligent "work" and discipline is warranted?! (to first be aware of our thoughts/story ... and then, to work toward positively shifting our thoughts/story to bring about a more Perfect-for-Us experience?)

I'm going to answer not just with a YES, but a Hell-Yes!

A few ideas re: the work/discipline for Awareness:
*Journal
*Quiet Time
*Book and pen next to your bed for those late night musings (or late night obsessions)
*A BOAT-load of compassion, self-care, non-judgement!
*Ease Up / LAUGH

A few ideas re: the work/discipline for Affecting Positive Shift:
*Write out your NEW ("perfect") story
*Vision Board / Mind-Mapping
*Mantras, Mantras, Mantras - turn every "old/no-longer-useful" thought into your NEW THOUGHT
*A BOAT-load of compassion, self-care, non-judgement!
*Ease Up / LAUGH

OK ... Enough Already! wink and smile.
GREAT THINGS ARE ON THE HORIZON!!!

LOVE and SMILES.