They say HOPE is everything to those who have nothing – and it seems this may well be true for some, especially at this present time with all that’s happening in the world.
And I’m not just talking about this crazy pandemic or the madness that two full-blown lockdowns have caused this year☹.
There are so many other challenges being faced right now, some as close as on our doorstep – from worrying about keeping up to date with the household bills to managing our way out of a drawn out period of emotional ill health, either at work or home or God forbid, in both environments.
So Pooh’s advice this week, to ‘keep looking up’ seems to be very sound advice indeed. As you know, Winnie the Pooh is one of my all-time favourite Disney characters (aside from Piglet, obvs ) and taking heed of his wisdom would be a smart thing to do at the best of times, and none more so than now – as you begin to focus on the future and turn your attention to more positive outcomes and those things that are within your gift &/or circle of control.
As Pooh reminds us here: ‘not EVERYTHING is cancelled’ and there are always things around us that we have total control of. For Pooh, it’s anything from dancing to kindness and from reading to taking naps! So, we too should start to focus on what we CAN control, rather than fester on what we CAN’T as we move into the New Year ahead, when a ‘new normal’ way of working and living starts to emerge.
Worrying about the things we can’t control is what causes stress. When we’re so outside our sphere of influence, those feel-good endorphins are drastically reduced – and a lack of serotonin, dopamine &/or oxytocin is what impacts our mood and our emotions in a massively negative way.
So how CAN we cope with the things that are totally outside our control?
Well a good starting point would be to….
Control the controllables!
I think this lovely Serenity Prayer says it all…
“God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”
Serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, these words impart a little bit of wisdom for us all. We all have to come to terms with the fact that we can only control our own actions (and reactions) to any given situation.
It is only then that we can begin to find peace of mind.
Recognising the difference between what we can control and what we can’t, puts us firmly in the driving seat. The great news is that YOU get to choose. YOU get to decide. The choice and the decision (and therefore the POWER) is yours and yours alone. What a comforting thought!
So let’s look at a dozen quick & easy things we CAN control…..
1. We can CHOOSE our thoughts
2. We can CHOOSE our beliefs
3. We can CHOOSE our feelings
4. We can CHOOSE our attitude
5. We can CHOOSE our behaviour
6. We can CHOOSE how we respond to a situation
7. We can CHOOSE our friends
8. We can CHOOSE to smile
9. We can CHOOSE to appreciate what we have
10. We can CHOOSE to be kind to ourself and others
11. We can CHOOSE to be non-judgemental
12. We can CHOOSE to be happy
The more we focus on the things that are within our control, the more empowered we are, which means we feel less stressed and better able to cope with whatever comes our way.
And right now, that can only be a good thing – wouldn’t you agree!?
For more ideas on focusing on those things you CAN control, click on the link below and discover Lori Deschene’s wisdom (she’s the founder of Tiny Buddha) and 50 simple ways that will help you reclaim your power: https://tinybuddha.com/blog/50…
You can also take the tour around our Resource Centre right here on our website for more ideas…just click on the tab at the top of this page and swipe & deploy any useful, helpful FIT tips, hints or hacks in our downloadable Success Blueprints or watch any of our Bitesize Video Training Sessions, or take a look in our Knowledge Hub, where you’ll find lots of interesting articles to read – all FREE to access, with our compliments!
So, enjoy being in control this week and in the meantime – stay FIT!
Best regs,
Marie X
