This is Water

I frequently talk to clients about the ways that changing their thoughts can influence how they feel. "You have to learn to select your thoughts the way you select your clothes every day." --(Richard from Texas in Eat, Pray Love).  We literally build and strengthen pathways in our brains with our thoughts-- either positive paths, or negative paths. Like trails in the woods, the ones that  get more use become easier to travel. 

I love David Foster Wallace's commencement speech "This is Water", because he puts such a thoughtful spin on the concept. He does such a beautiful job of illustrating how we aren't just dealing with inner thoughts about ourselves, we're constantly making assumptions about other people as well. To put it differently, we are constantly telling stories. About others, about ourselves, and about the world (and about God-or whatever it is that we're worshipping. See full transcript of the speech for more on this).  

We rarely examine the stories we tell and believe. What is amazing is that taking the time, moment to moment, to reexamine and reframe the stories, can change a moment completely. -It can take a small moment and infuse it with deep spiritual significance. -It can change how we feel about others (even the annoying others) and fill us with compassion for them, and -It can transform how we feel about ourselves and the path we're on. 

Take a moment to watch the visual representation of "This is Water", or look up the full talk/transcript online. Take a moment to think about it and how you can apply it to your life. I have seen people transform how they feel, even in a matter of minutes, just by re-thinking the false stories they've bought wholesale for years. 

Curiosity and Possibility

This week I'm sharing a blog post by Bryan Nixon, a colleague in Michigan, who writes about how easily we can get "stuck" in our comfort zones (even the uncomfortable ones!). I love the idea that, even when big change feels scary, we can start with the small step of allowing ourselves curiosity. So often a huge change feels daunting, so we "shut it down" before we've even considered it. Take some time to read the post and then let yourself start to just get curious. "What would it be like if I started to change?" "What would it be like to be kinder to myself?" "What would it be like to say 'No' more"? "What would it be like to experience my feelings instead of stuffing them?" It's the first step.