Thoughtful Thursday

Do you enjoy being you?  Have you ever taken the time to really get to know yourself? What if you were to pause and strip away all the distractions in your life and just be alone with yourself? It may seems scary at first. The ugly thoughts about yourself may be revealed. I would invite to consider 5  things as you begin to get curious about your relationship with you. First , everyone questions their value.  At one time or another, we find ourself believing the false idea that other people are better than others. We need to remember that we are all different and that there is no hierarchy. We are all valuable and worthy. Second, we need to remember to celebrate our wins and forgive our mistakes.  Our brains give so much weight to the negative. Remember, it isn't about perfection. It is about practice. It is about learning, growing and becoming. We will always need the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And, we will get more leverage by being curious of our shortc...

  In order to grow and improve we have to be willing to feel uncomfortable. Growth stretches us and pushes beyond where we are now.  It allows us to become. Become more of the person we want to be. The next best version of ourselves. It has been said, "Discomfort is the currency to our dreams." As we become more open to experiencing discomfort, we have a greater chance of accomplishing our dreams and goals.  It requires commitment. Commitment to do and feel whatever is necessary. It requires courage. Courage feels terrible. It's uncomfortable.  But if the goal is worth reaching, We are willing to feel uncomfortable. This courage leads us to develop skills and increase our capability. This creates confidence in our abilities. Dan Sullivan calls these the 4 Cs. Commitment. Courage. Capability. Confidence.  Recently, I committed to a new weight loss journey. I have been using a thought to help me manage the discomfort. "I will either be uncomfortable...

  I would invite you to consider the phrase "I don't know." Have you ever wanted to try something that you have never done before? Have you ever had a decision to make and you were conflicted? Have you had a difficult conversation coming up with someone in your life? Have you wondered how to stay motivated in your weight loss journey? Then that thought comes into your mind. "I don't know." It seems harmless. But it is actually a very poisonous thought. It stops your higher brain from thinking about that conversation. That decision. That solution. Instead we eat a snack. We stay busy cleaning. We watch Netflix. We scroll social media. Our brains want to conserve energy and delegate as much as it can to the lower brain. Using our lower brains allows us to just go through the motions without much thought or struggle. "I don't know" also is used by our brain to protect us from rejection. People may reject us and that is scary for our brain. But her...

  This week I was on an airplane and for about 10 minutes of the flight we had the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon from the air.  . Breathtaking. . A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hike from the north rim to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. . It was an awesome experience but one of the hardest things I have done physically. . Especially the last 6 miles. . The trail going up the mountain was steep and switchbacked. . There were times I wondered if I was going to make it to the end.  . As I was looking out the window of the plane remembering what it was like in the bottom of the canyon, it got me thinking about perspective.  . You know that thing that you have been thinking and worrying about? . That problem you are facing. . That mountain that you are in the middle of climbing. . Imagine viewing that problem from another vantage point. .  Does viewing it from a distance feel a little less overwhelming?  .   What about viewing it fro...

Have you ever really considered the story you tell about yourself? Your life? Do you go to your past to find the answers? Your accomplishments? Your family? Trying to find evidence of who you are by how other people think about you. By what you have accomplished. But that doesn’t define you. You are only defined by how you think about yourself. We are so convinced of who we think we are, we don’t realize that we can change who we are by what we think about who we are. The good news is we get to decide how to define ourselves. I invite you to consider writing a new story.  This has a new title and a new hero journey that is you that you want to be. There aren’t limits to who you want to be. You don’t have to consider anyone else’s opinion or what they think of you. You don’t have to consider your past or your abilities now. You get to pick your new story based simply on desired true possibility. Take your time. Include as many details as you can.   Enjoy this process. Here are ...