Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 18th

Beware the Rattlesnake of the Mind. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Nobody can bring you peace but yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

On a Friday night in November, the author asked a friend to do her a favor.  Going to bed tired, the author awoke around 4:30am and saw a text from her friend saying they needed to talk that weekend.  From that moment, the author’s mind spiraled out of control.  Every bad or negative thought that could arise in her mind did even to the point she was crying because she was so upset.  Later that Saturday afternoon, she talked with her friend and the outcome was nothing the author imagined.  

Another friend and the author were talking recently and they termed this brain phenomenon “spiraling”, which is where the mind creates an unending number of unique stories based on the circumstances the individual is encountering.  A great metaphor of spiraling is a rattlesnake.  The mind creates these stories and they coil around the mind and fully engulf an individual.  As they continue to repeat over and over in the mind, it is like the rattlesnake squeezes the life out of the individual.  The mind can only be tamed with determination, fortitude and patience.  

Over the last couple of months, the author has seen this spiraling occurring in her life more frequently.  One night, the author’s mind was spiraling out of control due to stress at work and in her personal life and the additional irritant of exhaustion.  When the author became frustrated with a friend who did nothing wrong, she knew she had to take control of the situation.  At that moment, the author made the decision to take time for herself, refresh, recover and reassess the situation.   

If you are proactive about controlling the direction of your life, then you must control the way you think. - Lanny Bassham, With Winning in Mind

CHALLENGE:  Control the rattlesnake.  The mind is the greatest asset or hindrance in accomplishing our dreams and goals.