Our minds can be a chaotic place where negative thoughts sneak in and out and cause us to freeze up, stealing our ability to be present and handle our responsibilities.
Intentionally focusing on staying present, especially in tough times, creates the mental space to put our values into action, capture negative thoughts, and move forward with energy activated by our strongest beliefs.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by our emotions and then spend to much time lost in imagination about worst-case scenarios to a problem that hasn't materialized. So many times, we allow our mind to get stuck in worry or fear instead of being present and intentionally focusing on what we can control.
Here is mindset exercise you can try: Capture the negative thought and replace it with a positive value that you can put into action right now!
Acknowledge the negative thought, but don't allow yourself to dwell on it. Replace the negative thought with a positive value that you believe. For example, instead of locking up with worry or fear, immediately act in a hopeful way. Do something a hopeful person would do. Capture your worried thoughts then convert that worry into energy based on the value of hope to move forward and get something positive done.
Stop right now, and do some work to define yourself. Write down and identify five core values you can use to replace the negative emotions and thoughts that seem to get the best of you. We are human and we are hard-wired to feel first, but we also have total control of our thoughts. Be intentional and present as you approach the people and the circumstances of your life today. Capture the negative thoughts, focus on the present, and live out your values no matter what.
With Strength and Honor
Jim Hensel
“Positive values anchor you through adversity and ground you in success.”
