Dark thoughts sometimes come to me “out of nowhere”. In my heart I know they don’t reflect who I really am. It’s like that image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Harsh thoughts and judgments pass through my active mind often, and I may go in and out of this mode many times each day.
This really came to light for me during the fury of the recent presidential election. People on both sides had strong beliefs, strongly held. Some were very active on Facebook and at times I cringed at what people were posting and how they were characterizing people who thought differently. This put my “harsh thoughts and judgments” into overdrive. Although I did not usually respond on Facebook, I had my own “judgy” dialogue going on in my mind…and I didn’t like it.
I can easily decide to get off Facebook or un-friend that crazy relative, but that doesn’t change the dynamic of my reaction…it just changes where I get triggered. Life is a triggering event!
While these thoughts don’t define me, they do impact me on some level. The more time I dwell in negativity, the more my life sinks into negativity. It can become a vicious cycle. It’s a cycle I actively work to change in myself.
Escaping the dark thoughts
How can I escape this cycle of negativity? By noticing I am in one! This gives me the chance to pause and to look at it with curiosity. I simply take note. I then have the choice to stay where I am or to make a shift. Here are a few ways that help me to get back on track to a positive frame of mind:
- I mentally put my hand up in front of me and say “STOP”. Sometime is takes a dozen or so times. I then choose something that is in sych with what I want to be thinking or feeling. It may be a shift to thinking about something I love. Or to a great song. Sometimes I just repeat “love, love, love…” until I get out of rhythm with the discord.
- “You are seven deep breaths away from serenity.” I learned of this Oneida saying from a very wise woman. 1…2….3…..4……5…….6……..7……..
- When in business meetings, I doodled inspiring words. I wrote one letter at a time and printed the next letter over the previous one. The result was a black dot that centered me and reminded me of what mattered.
The more conscious we are of our thoughts, the easier it is to make choices to raise our experience to the level of joy!