Monday, July 25, 2011

Day Ninety-Eight ... Changing States

Today I got back to reading the Mike Robbins book "Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation". I did an exercise from the book to "change my state". It is one of the steps to banish negative thinking. The suggestions for changing your state are to:

  • get up and walk around
  • laugh out loud (Off the cuff? At will? Can you do that?)
  • yell at the top of your lungs (I'm having trouble picturing myself doing this ...)
  • do something physical
  • listen to uplifting music
  • look at something that makes you happy (a picture, or photo perhaps)
  • pray or meditate
  • think of someone/something you love
  • think of a specific happy memory

So there I was, sitting down reading, and starting to feel sluggish, even sleepy. I did not even feel like doing the exercise. Which, of course, meant it was doubly important to not pass it by.


I combined a few of Mike Robbins suggestions. I got up and went over to my rebounder where Trinity was sleeping on a big pillow. After petting her and listening to her purr I did some push-ups. Normally I would jump on the rebounder to get in some physical activity however, I did not want to disturb Trinity's peaceful napping. Or her purring, which is an uplifting or soothing sound to me all the time. I did some more push-ups because that definitely made me feel less than sluggish.


After I did those things I sat back down to note it all in the composition notebook I bought for working with this book. At the start I wrote down I felt sluggish and a little down. After the exercise I felt renewed. It worked. While I did not actually time it I believe that no more than three minutes had passed. I can't do that many push-ups ... 


This book really is a great how-to guide for changing your thoughts, your moods, etc. The greatest part though is as I read it there are so many coincidences ... Mike Robbins' mentor is Richard Carlson who wrote a book called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". I have had this book for nearly ten years now and I cherish it, yet have been unable to read it because it was the last gift my Aunt Joni gave me before she passed away. It must be time to open it up now.


There are other such coincidences throughout the book that are fairly uncanny and it reinforces my desire to finish it and appreciate it while I read it.


I hope you'll try changing you state if you need to!
-Nicola Byrne


Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It's absolutely true that, "Wherever you go, there you are."
— Richard Carlson (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and it's all small stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life)

2 comments:

  1. Loved this post. I think I will want to buy the book and change my state. And I love the quote from Carlson! I think I need to steal it and post on FB! :)

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