ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Taking Yourself Too Seriously? - Suggestions for Reclaiming Your Perspective
"We can change our circumstances by a mere change of our attitude." - William James, 19th Century American psychologist and philosopher I've noticed I often take myself, my work, and my life way too seriously. I blow events out of proportion, demand perfection, and generally behave as if my needs are at the center of everything. I agonize over small decisions, worry about personal interactions, wrestle with each word of a simple e-mail, and wake up at night with my heart pounding in anticipation of tomorrow's presentation or with angst about what happened today. Was I good enough? How can I get this right for a change? Why did I say THAT?! The minutest detail is not too small to escape scrutiny when I'm in this frame of mind - when life becomes very, very serious. When this happens I lose my self, my center, and my perspective. I step out of the precious present moment and into anxiety about the future or the past. I forget that there's nothing I can control except right now, right here, this moment and my availability to it. Happily, remembering this personal truth is what shifts me back into the present. I begin to breathe again and slip seamlessly into the realization that right now, at this moment, I am okay. Sanity returns as I focus on what is at hand. Vibrant and Joyful I practice a martial art called aikido, whose flowing and graceful movements belie the power behind them. Aikido is based on principles such as centered response and utilization of energy, and it has practical applications in the world of conflict resolution and self-management. Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, called it the Art of Peace, and said that we must "always practice the Art of Peace in a vibrant and joyful manner." Aikidoists try to remember this as we throw each other around the mat, smiling and having fun while we work to perfect our technique. As we push on into the first decade of this new century, it is likely that life will become even more complex than it already is. Here are some suggestions that might help when you become separated from your perspective: - Acknowledge - Often all it takes to change your current stressed out state is to notice it. As you bring your awareness back to the present moment, you regain a sense of perspective and possibility. - Center - Breathe. Smile. Be. - Call someone and talk about it, better yet laugh about it. - Read a poem. - Listen to music. - Take a walk or go for a run. - Dream up some practices of your own. Use your growing awareness to lighten up, smile, live and love in a vibrant and joyful manner. And stop taking yourself so seriously! -------------------- © 2005 Judy Ringer, Power & Presence Training About the Author: Judy Ringer is Founder of Power & Presence Training, specializing in unique workshops on conflict, communication, and creating a more positive work environment. Judy is also a black belt in aikido, and is writing her first book on the connection between aikido, conflict, and living a more purposeful life. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit http://www.JudyRinger.com Note: You're welcome to reprint this article as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the 'about the author' info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to judy@judyringer.com.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fear -- Feel It and Keep Moving Many of us allow our fear to stop us in our tracks. All it takes is a less than encouraging word, a negative facial expression, or a less than positive opinion, and we give up before we even get started. We're afraid of: What Do We Choose? Life is an enigma...It starts without our knowledge, grows without our suggestions and ends without our consent. Life is not about 'either-or', its all about 'this-and-that.' Enhance Wellness by Doing Something Different. Many people would say that it is absolute madness to keep on doing the same thing, time after time, expecting to get a different result or for something different to happen. Alternatively, many people, especially those in the personal development and wellness fields of varying natures, would describe it as intelligent to have a goal and be wonderfully flexible about how you go about achieving it. Do You Believe What You Think? If you work toward what you dream, the dream can come true. You can achieve success. You can tell others one day about your success story. Positive Attitude is Not Enough Contrary to the popular saying "attitude is everything" attittude is not enough. You can have the right attitude and all the motivation in the world and still wind up playing "dead atheist." Do You Love Yourself? So, do you love yourself? Management of the Almighty Anger Apart form the Emotions and the attitude, Anger is a quite unsolved thing. we become angry when things are not according to us or not as we want, or not up to our expectation. We just simply becomes angry to satisfy & gratify our ego, super ego and false ego. Positive Affirmations Never used 'em. Not likely to start now. Our Worst Enemies Most of us love to think that our problems are the result of the actions or in-actions of others, economic conditions, timing and any number of other things outside our control. These things do in fact have a bearing on our situations. They are not however, the root cause. The real problem lies within! Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life I was always somebody who felt quite sorry for myself, what I had not got compared to my friends, how much of a struggle my life seemed to be compared to others. I was caught up in a web of negativity and needed someone or something to help me to escape. Community After Tragedy One Friday in November, I began a journey from New Jersey to downtown New York City to visit old work friends. It was my first visit since the tragic September 11th attack. Although I've traveled this same route--the commuter train to the Hoboken station from 1996-2000--there were now, of course, changes in the environment when I got to Hoboken. A Good Joke Can Lighten the Mood A joke is a way of getting people to laugh. It is a great opener for a speech or in a social gathering to break the ice. Laughter is the best medicine and very often telling someone who is sick a funny joke gets them laughing and for a minute or two they forget about their illness. Children love jokes, especially Knock, Knock jokes and once they find one they like, they tell it all the time. Mental Fitness For Confidence And Winning In Life Studies show that men and women profit most with having self-confidence and by building up their psychological strength. Self-Recovery from Addiction: Taking Responsibility for Your Life I've had several coaching clients come to me who, while they wanted to move forward in life, were actually stuck in a self-destructive addiction. Of course, I cannot directly confront them about their addictions, as they had to open up to me that it was part of the problem that was keeping them in the same rut in which they found themselves day-after-day. As we worked together to make plans and open doors, the addiction was left open for them to examine and realize that they needed to overcome the situation, and cut loose that anchor to move forward to a fulfilling life. Practice Gratitude to Improve Your Life Today As I swooshed down the Zoom Flume water slide at Shipwreck Island, my two-year-old son Gareth yelling "Fun! Weeee!" from his spot on my lap, I felt pure jubilation. The sun kissed my skin, water splashed up around me and the breeze carried a salt tang from the ocean mingled with the scent of sun screen. I could taste joy as it tingled in every cell of my being. Mastering Your Moods: How To Take Charge Of Your Feelings John Ryder awakens feeling rested, refreshed, and sensing a calm vibrancy surging all through him. Hopping eagerly out of bed, he showers, dresses, and with a gleam and sparkle in his eye, goes downstairs to his kitchen and puts on some coffee. Change Your Perception and Your World Will Change! Introduction You may be Shocked to Hear This What I mean of course is, to appreciate life through the eyes of a child. Remember your unbounding joy when you received your first tricycle or bike with training wheels or visited Disneyland for the first time. The awe you felt was partly because of your innocence. You saw only the good in those times and you felt an unconditional love coming from those who gave you the gift or took you to visit Mickey and Minnie.I'll bet you didn't even notice the other park visitors. If you did you were unaware or unconcerned with the color of their skin, race, size, language,clothes, hair etc. The feeling of unconditional love and the innocence we all experienced in our youth are the antidote to many of society's ills-prejudice, hatred and selfishness,consumerism etc. Where Do You Get A Positive Attitude You Asked? How are you? Where do you get a positive attitude you asked? Perspective Is Everything Ever witnessed an incident that needed to be reported to the police? It's amazing how much the stories from each of the eye-witnesses varies from others who experienced the same event!
|
|
|
|
|
