What GLASSES Are You Wearing?

Happiness and inner peace are what most of us look for, but sometimes it just seems elusive, unless of course you are like my mom, who sees everything through ROSE COLORED GLASSES.

The opposite of mom would be the wearer of BLUE GLASSES, the stinkin-thinkin practitioner.  Go ahead laugh, but there are those people who immerse themselves in negative thoughts all day long.

What do you think about as you drive?, as you sit on the train?, wash the dishes? Do you slip into mind conversations with yourself? Are they filled with frustrations, disappointments, and judgments?

Thoughts are things. They carry energy; they take on a life of their own and they can and do change the course of our days; sadly maybe even our lives.

So, are you poisoning your feelings with negative thoughts?  If you answered yes…you better become more aware and change your way of thinking. Angry thoughts make for high blood pressure, headaches and needless worry.

If you’re not happy with your life lately, ask yourself, “What have I been thinking about?” Be conscious of your thoughts. If they are negative, change them. Focus on what is good in your life. No matter how miserable our current life situation, it will hopefully be a flash in the pan. If we think about it as little as possible, we STOP its power; if we stop thinking negatively, we stop feeling negative emotions. It’s simple really, but not easy. STOPPING the habit of mental grumbling takes some effort. But it’ll be well worth it. 

Unbeknownst to many of us, we often engage in these internal conversations with ourselves yet many of us don’t even realize we’re having them; and then we let these conversations take on a life of their own. If we’re thinking bad such as  “Ugh I’m fat and ugly…I have no friends, I hate my job and my boss etc”…you’ve got the BLUE GLASSES on; you’re ‘stinkin thinkin’, the total opposite of wearing the ROSE COLORED GLASSES.

Those unhealthy mind conversations will work against us so we must bring these self-discussions back to positive so as not to get stuck in a perpetual doom and gloom quick sand. Concentrate on clearing your mind; tune into a life situation for which you were grateful and feel the happiness from it.

ARE YOU A BLUE GLASSES THINKER?

1. Black or white, good or bad thinking: If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure

2. Overgeneralization: You see a single negative event, a minor rejection or a career loss, as a never-ending pattern of defeat

3. Mental Filter: You dwell on the negatives, ignoring all the positive stuff

4. Discounting the positive: You reject your positive experiences by insisting that they weren’t good enough

5. Jumping to conclusions: You always interpret things negatively…you never see the positive

6. Magnification: You blow things up and out of proportion, and/or minimize the good things happening in your life.

7. Mind reading: You assume that people are reacting in a negative way towards you without any ‘substantiation’ to back it up

8. Fortune telling: You predict that things will turn out badly, for no other reason than "they always do"

9. “Should” statements: You criticize yourself and others; personalizing and taking all the blame…should have, could have, would have…if only he did this or that

10. Labeling: The all-or-nothing thinker; I’m a loser, an idiot, a fool, a failure, a jerk.  You label others; he/she’s an S.O.B., a clown, or much worse

Look, our thoughts and beliefs create our feelings, and those feelings affect our body, behavior and actions. If our habitual thought pattern is one of self-doubt, negativity, fear, etc., then the feelings brought on by those thoughts will be negative and energy sapping. These negative thoughts WILL sabotage your ability to function productively.

Far too often we simply blow things out of proportion when they may not be going our way. But 'Stinkin Thinkin' is not a helpful pastime. Imagine all the extra energy and creativity we could display if we weren't bogged down by our BLUE GLASSES; hindered by negative thinking.

LISTEN to yourself; pay attention to your mind conversations. Learn to develop thoughts that are energizing and more useful, you’ll find that positive thoughts, feelings and behaviors bring you happiness, confidence, and better health!

Over time, you’ll get the hang of wearing the ROSE COLORED GLASSES…it just takes positive thinking and practice, practice, practice.

Sara-Lynn Reynolds has a Degree in Health Education from UMASS Amherst and is currently the Development Manager for BLISS Healthcare, Waltham, MA. ( www.blisshealthcare.com ) Her columns will include advice, tid-bits, and stories, all with pertinent information in regards to healthcare, wellness and fitness