Excerpt from A Short Path to Change: 30 Ways to Transform Your Life by Jenny Mannion 2016 by Jenny Mannion. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., www.Llewellyn.com.
"When you change the way you look at things -- the things you look at change." -- Dr. Wayne Dyer
This one quote alone helped me tremendously in the process of healing myself. We choose what to see. Often we react from some state of previously held beliefs and patterns and do not act consciously at all. When you begin to realize where you put your energy and the perspective in which you view that situation, you can begin to decide if it is accurate and if there is a better place to put your energy. You can truly turn a few minutes of what would have been a negative spiral, into one of the happiest moments of your day, just by shifting your attention.
When I was ill, I felt like I had the flu most days. This lasted for more than six years. There were times when my body ached so badly that all I knew how to do was focus on it. When I decided that I could feel better than I had been, I focused all my energy on a little finger, a toe, or any single part of my body that did not hurt. I paid gratitude for that part of my body. I told myself that if that one part was healthy, then there were healthy cells in my body, and I was not as sick as doctors said. I wouldn't say I felt a hundred percent better instantaneously, but I felt a lot better than I did during those many months of lying there, thinking about how badly I felt.
What you focus on truly does expand, and it is of the utmost importance that you begin to realize where your attention goes. An example is when you wake up and something happens to make you think that this is going to be "one of those days." Maybe you overslept, spilled coffee, or stubbed your toe running around and getting ready for the day. This one thing has happened and already you put your attention on the one thing that went wrong. That sets the intention for more things to go wrong by labeling it as "one of those days." Instead, you could choose to laugh it off and think that what just happened really stunk but it's not the end of the world. You could also possibly change the pattern you were creating and declare that you are ready for this day to be a great one. You have the ability to switch your attention to create a more desirable outcome, but the first step is becoming aware of where your attention goes.
Imagine yourself in a grocery line. Yes, you need to do things after this but nothing life threatening will happen if you are ten minutes later than you anticipated. The person in front of you is having trouble at the register -- maybe an item needs to be price checked or their account needs attention. Whatever the hold up is you know it will be a while. Can you now imagine what your initial reaction usually is? Some of the most common reactions to this situation are sighing, rolling your eyes at the person behind you, fidgeting and checking your phone, or getting anxious about these few minutes that are now ruining your day. What if, in that moment, you decided to give the person in front of you or the checkout person a kind smile? You could decide to show amazing awareness of that moment and do something positive. You could take a moment to think of things you were grateful for. You could strike up a conversation with someone in line and possibly brighten the moment for that person as well. You could also simply stand there in the understanding that there is a reason for you getting these few moments to yourself. Perhaps it is a gift and not something to ruin your day. Maybe this moment was to make you slow down. In shifting that attention, you can change the rest of your day and maybe the days of the people around you as well. We can decide in each moment how we are going to react. It is in noticing where your attention is focused, being present, and claiming that moment, that you truly gain power to change your reality. There is priceless power in having that awareness and choosing to shift your attention.
Exercise 5: Learning to Shift Your Attention to Change Your Current Reality
For this exercise, think of something that usually gets you stressed out; something that is a real trigger for you. It can be a person, a habit, or a slow driver ahead of you. Before that next moment hits, think about how you could shift your attention in that moment to something else.
For example, maybe you get stressed when you drive behind slow drivers. Promise yourself that the next time you are behind one, you will blast your favorite song and sing along as loud as you can. Or you will run through the list of things you are grateful for that day. You can do anything but concentrate all your stress on the fact that you are moving slower than you want to and worrying about being late. Maybe you have to work with a person who has an annoying habit. Try to imagine the best thing you can about that person. The next time they display that habit, picture that best quality instead of focusing on what annoys you.
When you do this, note how you feel and write down how it made you feel differently. Be sure to give yourself lots of gratitude for noticing how you felt in that moment!