An Incredibly POWERFUL Message

Life is good. Thank you!

OH my gosh today was a long day. I kept with my eating as planned. I wanted and still want chocolate.... It is a temporary fixation that will go away. I will drink water as I dream about it. My legs are very sore from a hill treadmill set program run. Tis okay.... I was in a funky mood today though and must say thank you for those video snips "infinity, spartan run and the one that I saw yesterday that I reviewed again". They are a good moral boost of energy. I am going to sit in a hot soak for the muscles. Keep visualizing my 3lb goal for this week and positive mindset. It was absolutely beautiful this am. May everyone's dreams be wonderful, sleep be healthy and repairing!

Big Strong Vibes of Success are being sent to all.

Have a good night.

Diana

In thinking about mindset the one word that always pops into my mind is choice. I always have a choice, but it is up to me to remember that rather than just react.

Just wanted to share as I have struggled with this in the past quite a bit and have truly benefited form the concept.

That self-mastery quote really speaks to me... I encounter negative attitudes from people I work with every day, and it is exhausting! It is so easy to let the negativity get to me, but if I can use my interactions with them to teach me how to be a more positive person myself, that's amazing! Thanks for that insight!

Tracy, I agree ... here's something that speaks to your post about CHOICE. It's a tough one to remember at times, isn't it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FitPro "Love yourself enough TODAY, where you are at right now in this very moment, to take the steps necessary to create the best version of YOU for tomorrow." ~Michael Albrough~

This has been such a critical lesson for me that I felt compelled to call attention to it by quoting it.

Before I started my Transformation journey, I was filled with doubts and guilt and struggled to hang onto motivation. I worried, and I judged myself harshly. All of that self-hurt was totally unnecessary.

Looking back on the way I was, I can't help but think that any form of self-judgment is really just a pointless comparison against a distorted illusion. Take any statement of the form "I'm not <...> enough" or "I'm too <...>" or "I can't <...>" and examine it, and you'll find that you're comparing yourself against an ideal, a fantasy of perfection. My feelings of shame, guilt, self-loathing, depression, etc., all stemmed from my failure to accept myself. And guess what? Those feelings didn't do a darn thing to change who I was, for better or for worse. All they did was cloud my thinking and get in the way of my ability to recognize that I am free, in any given moment, to take actions of my choosing.

It's pointless to try to deny who and what we are. We're all full of miracles and imperfections, unique traits, faults, gifts, limitations and blessings. We get the "good" with the "bad." So, what's stopping you from celebrating the good? In fact, take a moment to recognize a few things about yourself that you like and allow yourself to feel gratitude for those things. Go ahead, it's OK.

All those other things--the stuff you might be tempted to think about as "bad"--release your negative attachments to them. There's no reason to regret the past because it cannot be changed. There's no reason to be ashamed of your choices because they're just a reflection of how you reacted to the curves life threw at you. If we all knew how to make the right choices all the time and never make mistakes life would be boring and we could never learn or grow. There's no reason to fear failure because it doesn't exist. We will continue to make mistakes, fall short, and take wrong turns once in a while, so get over the notion that you should know better. You won't, and that's cool. That's just life.

What we can all do is get in touch with our values, live in the moment and act deliberately. Avoid forming expectations, and instead learn to observe outcomes like a student. If I expect that giving my best over the next few weeks will result in my meeting all of my challenge goals then I may set myself up to feel disappointed for any results that don't measure up to my expectations. However, if I simply believe that I have the power to move toward those goals (and maybe even past them), and if I honor that belief by consistently taking action, observing outcomes and course-correcting, then I can celebrate whatever progress I make regardless of how it happens to measure up at the end of the challenge. That's really just "giving my best" anyway, except with a slight shift in mindset that will allow me to enjoy the journey and appreciate the results more.

Cheers!
Chip.

Well said, Chip.
And now to internalise these thoughts and make them real in our lives too!

Excellent insight for the day.

Inspiring song by Jason Mraz...


It's never too late to save the only life you can save, carry on, be a phenomenon...

The Only Life You Can Save - Jason Mraz - Farm Aid part 02 - YouTube

Thank you for that very powerful video, Michael! That is a message I need to be "programmed" with!

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebestversionofme In thinking about mindset the one word that always pops into my mind is choice. I always have a choice, but it is up to me to remember that rather than just react. Just wanted to share as I have struggled with this in the past quite a bit and have truly benefited form the concept.

Perfectly said! We have a choice, and we are in control of the choices we make!

Oh this is what I so needed and to change how I think and hold myself back. I cannot stay where I am and I guess I was not saying to myself I am the victim of my circumstance but I am the person I can imagine myself to be

I saw this video today and thought of this wonderful group of Transformation Masters (is that what we're calling ourselves? about to embark on a new transformation journey. It's a little long, but it's a beautiful, inspiring story that will remind all of us to approach our lives with NO EXCUSES! Hope you enjoy ...

A Beautiful, Inspiring Story ... NO EXCUSES!

Have a great day, all!

Kari

I could not make the call last night unfortunately. Would any kind soul have the time to summarize for me?

Thanks!
Tracy

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpeleoFool This has been such a critical lesson for me that I felt compelled to call attention to it by quoting it. Before I started my Transformation journey, I was filled with doubts and guilt and struggled to hang onto motivation. I worried, and I judged myself harshly. All of that self-hurt was totally unnecessary. Looking back on the way I was, I can't help but think that any form of self-judgment is really just a pointless comparison against a distorted illusion. Take any statement of the form "I'm not <...> enough" or "I'm too <...>" or "I can't <...>" and examine it, and you'll find that you're comparing yourself against an ideal, a fantasy of perfection. My feelings of shame, guilt, self-loathing, depression, etc., all stemmed from my failure to accept myself. And guess what? Those feelings didn't do a darn thing to change who I was, for better or for worse. All they did was cloud my thinking and get in the way of my ability to recognize that I am free, in any given moment, to take actions of my choosing. It's pointless to try to deny who and what we are. We're all full of miracles and imperfections, unique traits, faults, gifts, limitations and blessings. We get the "good" with the "bad." So, what's stopping you from celebrating the good? In fact, take a moment to recognize a few things about yourself that you like and allow yourself to feel gratitude for those things. Go ahead, it's OK. All those other things--the stuff you might be tempted to think about as "bad"--release your negative attachments to them. There's no reason to regret the past because it cannot be changed. There's no reason to be ashamed of your choices because they're just a reflection of how you reacted to the curves life threw at you. If we all knew how to make the right choices all the time and never make mistakes life would be boring and we could never learn or grow. There's no reason to fear failure because it doesn't exist. We will continue to make mistakes, fall short, and take wrong turns once in a while, so get over the notion that you should know better. You won't, and that's cool. That's just life. What we can all do is get in touch with our values, live in the moment and act deliberately. Avoid forming expectations, and instead learn to observe outcomes like a student. If I expect that giving my best over the next few weeks will result in my meeting all of my challenge goals then I may set myself up to feel disappointed for any results that don't measure up to my expectations. However, if I simply believe that I have the power to move toward those goals (and maybe even past them), and if I honor that belief by consistently taking action, observing outcomes and course-correcting, then I can celebrate whatever progress I make regardless of how it happens to measure up at the end of the challenge. That's really just "giving my best" anyway, except with a slight shift in mindset that will allow me to enjoy the journey and appreciate the results more. Cheers! Chip.

Thanks for sharing Chip. Much of what you said resonated with me. Find something good about myself that I like? hum, 20 pull ups sounds easier. Get over the notion I should know better....oh lol, yup you are sure talking to me. That last paragraph is awesome! I'm going to have to do some thinking on what is my best effort. I seem to have trouble knowing. A good example of this is on the treadmill I have a hard time hitting a 10. I either berate myself for not doing better or I push myself so hard I hit a 13. Skipping right over 8,9,10,....straight to trying not to lose my lunch.

Trap your ANTS


Deprive them of Oxygen ...


Extinguish Them!!




Do You Have an “ANT” Infestation?


How to Deal with


Automatic Negative Thoughts

How do you deal with negative thoughts and limiting beliefs?
Are you aware of your self-talk and thinking patterns?
Many people suffer from an ANT infestation, which stands for Automatic Negative Thoughts. Our self-talk is often automatic and can be difficult to notice. We go through life making decisions and behaving based on these automatic thoughts, and instead of controlling what we think about, our thoughts control us.
The thoughts than run our life are often self-defeating, irrational, and simply not true. Negative self-talk leads us to believe we must be perfect, that we’re helpless, or that we’re a victim. If we’re not careful negative self-talk will lead to anxiety, worry, and depression.
You can learn to identify your ANTs and begin to separate and rationalize your negative thoughts before reacting to them.



Four types of ANTs



The worrier

Do you ever think, “What if something bad happens?” Worrying promotes anxiety and tends to magnify problems. If you’re always focusing on and preparing for all the bad things that “could” happen it makes it very difficult to have any joy in life. Remember that 95% of what we worry about never comes true, so if you’re going to use your imagination to tell stories, you might as well make them positive.



The critic

The critic is our ANT that tells us we will never be as good as someone else and that we might as well quite. When we judge and criticize ourselves it leads to a sense of low self-worth and we tend to ignore the positive traits we all have. Be careful not to always compare yourself to others, and be willing to cut yourself some slack and validate how you feel.



The victim

When you encounter an obstacle do you believe you can make progress, or does it seem too difficult to work through? We have all played the role of victim in our life. It comes out during those times when we feel helpless and out of control about something. It’s easy to tell ourselves “I can’t do this!” Playing the victim role can lead to feelings of depression because we feel hopeless and incapable of making change.



The perfectionist

Are you good enough? Have you achieved enough? This ANT is always pushing you to do more and do it better. The perfectionist is never satisfied and always expects more. This is the voice that tells you you’re no good when you get second place instead of first, or you get a 95% instead of 100%. The perfectionist ANT leads to burnout and chronic stress, and will always steal your happiness despite wonderful achievements.



Learn to question your negative thoughts.

It’s time to terminate these ANTs and replace them with positive supportive statements. You can learn to take a step back, rationalize, and create effective mental habits.
You are going to be attached to these thoughts, but you must realize that despite how attached you feel, the validity of these thoughts are based on how they hold up under scrutiny.
Develop some counter statements that can offer a more realistic and empowering perspective.
If you notice any of these ANTs infesting your life, ask “What is the evidence for this?” Develop a counterstatement that can help you bring your thinking to a more rational place. One where you know you can handle it and that you’re good enough.
The negative statements from the worrier, critic, victim, and perfectionist have little basis in reality. Once you can discredit these ANTs you can begin to incorporate more positive and supportive statements.



Develop mindfulness

Anytime you are feeling vulnerable or stressed it can impact how you respond and what you think about.
So, developing greater self-awareness will help you to recognize what’s leading to negative self-talk and help you stay focused and present in order to manage these thoughts.
Mindfulness is being fully aware of what is happing internally with our mind and body, and externally in our environment. In essence, it is as if we are stepping outside of ourselves and becoming an objective observer of our self and surroundings.
Learning to develop mindfulness of thought is a little more advanced stage of mindfulness practice, though when you’re able to do so, it offers a chance to gain greater awareness and simply experience our thoughts without having to react emotionally.
As you begin to direct your attention to the thought processes taking place you will see how quickly your thoughts and feelings shift from one moment to the next.
We often live such busy lives we don’t pay attention to the signs of our emotional response.



Ask yourself:

What was going on in the environment?
What were you thinking? Did you have worry thoughts?
What were you feeling?
What were your actions?
Paying attention to the feeling or the valence of our emotions can be a great signal into the type of thoughts you are having. Do you feel positive or negative? Is what you’re feeling pleasant or unpleasant?
When you feel unpleasant don’t get caught up in this. You can relax and step back instead of unconsciously brooding in this state. You can simply acknowledge how you feel and bring your attention back to your body or breath.
You can begin to go below the surface of the tumultuous waves of the mind, where there are calm waters, and develop peace and serenity by learning to be in control of your mind as opposed to the mind controlling you.

Ant Stomp - YouTube

Should we smash them like that?

Wow, This sure puts everything into perspective, doesn't it? Thank you for taking the time to care & share Michael. Found myself a couple new quotes in here too. BONUS!