When life seems overwhelming it’s tempting to get caught in the circus of the mind, where fears and the endless chatter of doubt and anxiety drown out the voice of the heart, disconnecting us from the source of who we are; soul.
In that state, the mind plays out every scenario that feeds on the illusions it’s created. “Am I good enough? Does he/she like or love me? Will I ever have true love? Will I succeed in my career? Am I on the right path?” And on and on the chatter goes.
I often refer to the mind as the place where monkeys energize themselves by throwing feces; laughing at the impact they have on us as they go along. I’m sure most of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
But, once we get out of the mind and stop its monkey circus, we can open ourselves to the way of the heart, which is the source of sanity, well-being, confidence, knowing, and solace.
We can stop the madness of the mind and tame those monkeys.
How might we get there and do that, you ask?
Well that’s what this blog piece is all about. It’s about how to align with the intelligence of the heart, which speaks as the voice of the soul. It’s about letting the soul play its rightful role in our lives as the anchor that grounds our minds in the intelligence and habits of the heart.
Now I know our daily lives are typically consumed by an array of distractions, stress triggers, and defensive interactions with the world around us. That in fact is the reality for most of us. But the beauty of the human mind is that it’s equipped with an intellect that has the power to consciously decide how it’s going to react and think.
So, here we are at the first step:
1.) Become a conscious observer of habitual thoughts, impulses, and reactions.
How many times a day do we react to the circumstances and uncertainties of life based on thought habits? Based on the illusions of the mind created by those monkeys? Once we become conscious of those habits, we can change them. We can exercise the power of choice, and therefore become empowered and self-controlled.
2.) Take time for self-reflection.
Self-reflection is not the same as self-blame or criticism. Self-reflection is an exercise in taking responsibility for how we are perceiving our lives. Oftentimes our perceptions are based on thought habits that are clouded by negative emotions stemming from the past or anxiety about the future.
When we can see ourselves clearly, we can see life more clearly.
3.) Practice patience.
I get it. We are immersed in a culture of “right now” and “me”, which tends to breed and foster impatience, leading to frustration and aggressive behaviors. But the patience we need most isn’t about attaining our hopes and wishes: it’s about learning to practice patience with ourselves as we commit to our growth, transformation, and evolution in life. It’s about learning to accept our imperfections, limitations, and flaws while remaining aware that we are learning to become better versions of ourselves along the way.
4.) Exercise compassion.
We are all coping with struggles, pain, setbacks, disappointments and sometimes trauma or devastation. That’s right, all of us. Not just you. Every person you see. So, approach the world with compassion and watch how your heart opens, shines, and brings light and love to your life in the form of goodness and inspiration. Compassion is the gateway to higher states of joy and spirituality, because it is a visual expression of the soul. Exercise compassion toward others and will break free from those monkeys in your mind that seek to hold you in captivity.
5.) Commit to gratitude.
We’ve all been guilty of taking things for granted, complaining too much, and expressing entitlement from time to time. Those habits are the monkeys. The habit of the heart expresses gratitude. It says “I am thankful” not as a comparison, but as an authentic expression of gratitude for all the many good things that exist in life. How many times do we express gratitude for having an abundance of food, a home, health, income, clean water, safety, and all those things that provide a sense of stability? Gratitude expands the heart and allows us to access and hear the inner voice of the soul. Gratitude tames the mind and dispels those monkeys and their circus.
They say that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade? I say when life hands you lemons, don’t become one. I say commit to studying those lemons; they come as teachers to help you grow, expand, and become a better, more heart and soul-centered version of yourself.
Life will always bring change, sometimes unwelcomed change. And the only certainty is that there will always be uncertainty. But by staying grounded in the habits and intelligence of the heart, we can navigate that change and all the uncertainty with grace, poise and confidence.
Thank you for reading. If you are interested in learning more about my coaching services, please email me.
Submitted with love,
Michelle
In that state, the mind plays out every scenario that feeds on the illusions it’s created. “Am I good enough? Does he/she like or love me? Will I ever have true love? Will I succeed in my career? Am I on the right path?” And on and on the chatter goes.
I often refer to the mind as the place where monkeys energize themselves by throwing feces; laughing at the impact they have on us as they go along. I’m sure most of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
But, once we get out of the mind and stop its monkey circus, we can open ourselves to the way of the heart, which is the source of sanity, well-being, confidence, knowing, and solace.
We can stop the madness of the mind and tame those monkeys.
How might we get there and do that, you ask?
Well that’s what this blog piece is all about. It’s about how to align with the intelligence of the heart, which speaks as the voice of the soul. It’s about letting the soul play its rightful role in our lives as the anchor that grounds our minds in the intelligence and habits of the heart.
Now I know our daily lives are typically consumed by an array of distractions, stress triggers, and defensive interactions with the world around us. That in fact is the reality for most of us. But the beauty of the human mind is that it’s equipped with an intellect that has the power to consciously decide how it’s going to react and think.
So, here we are at the first step:
1.) Become a conscious observer of habitual thoughts, impulses, and reactions.
How many times a day do we react to the circumstances and uncertainties of life based on thought habits? Based on the illusions of the mind created by those monkeys? Once we become conscious of those habits, we can change them. We can exercise the power of choice, and therefore become empowered and self-controlled.
2.) Take time for self-reflection.
Self-reflection is not the same as self-blame or criticism. Self-reflection is an exercise in taking responsibility for how we are perceiving our lives. Oftentimes our perceptions are based on thought habits that are clouded by negative emotions stemming from the past or anxiety about the future.
When we can see ourselves clearly, we can see life more clearly.
3.) Practice patience.
I get it. We are immersed in a culture of “right now” and “me”, which tends to breed and foster impatience, leading to frustration and aggressive behaviors. But the patience we need most isn’t about attaining our hopes and wishes: it’s about learning to practice patience with ourselves as we commit to our growth, transformation, and evolution in life. It’s about learning to accept our imperfections, limitations, and flaws while remaining aware that we are learning to become better versions of ourselves along the way.
4.) Exercise compassion.
We are all coping with struggles, pain, setbacks, disappointments and sometimes trauma or devastation. That’s right, all of us. Not just you. Every person you see. So, approach the world with compassion and watch how your heart opens, shines, and brings light and love to your life in the form of goodness and inspiration. Compassion is the gateway to higher states of joy and spirituality, because it is a visual expression of the soul. Exercise compassion toward others and will break free from those monkeys in your mind that seek to hold you in captivity.
5.) Commit to gratitude.
We’ve all been guilty of taking things for granted, complaining too much, and expressing entitlement from time to time. Those habits are the monkeys. The habit of the heart expresses gratitude. It says “I am thankful” not as a comparison, but as an authentic expression of gratitude for all the many good things that exist in life. How many times do we express gratitude for having an abundance of food, a home, health, income, clean water, safety, and all those things that provide a sense of stability? Gratitude expands the heart and allows us to access and hear the inner voice of the soul. Gratitude tames the mind and dispels those monkeys and their circus.
They say that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade? I say when life hands you lemons, don’t become one. I say commit to studying those lemons; they come as teachers to help you grow, expand, and become a better, more heart and soul-centered version of yourself.
Life will always bring change, sometimes unwelcomed change. And the only certainty is that there will always be uncertainty. But by staying grounded in the habits and intelligence of the heart, we can navigate that change and all the uncertainty with grace, poise and confidence.
Thank you for reading. If you are interested in learning more about my coaching services, please email me.
Submitted with love,
Michelle
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