Debbie struggled with a deluge of negative thoughts.
She asked me for ideas. I didn’t have much to offer.
Searching for herself, she figured out the simplest of
answers.
At her next visit, I asked her how she was doing with the
thoughts.
“Much better.”
“Really? Tell me more.”
“The thoughts are still there, but when something negative
pops into my mind, I pause.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“But that’s not it. After the pause, I ask myself ‘I wonder
what my next thought is going to be?’ It gives me a chance to see the thought
as an observer so that I am not consumed by it. I might even smile as I come up
with a few possibilities to answer the question, ‘What will come next in my stream
of thoughts?’”
“I knew you would come up with the answer, Debbie.”
She smiled.
The sacred pause.
An invitation to sit with discomfort as opposed to reacting
to it.
Observing as opposed to consuming.
Jumping to the shore instead of going with the current of negativity.
A chance to center again as opposed to being toppled.
“Today is going to be a horrible day.”
Pause.
Deep breath.
“I wonder what my next thought is going to be.”
“Maybe that I am going to be fired today even though I know my
boss supports me?” Smile.
“Or is my next thought going to be about that report I am
having trouble completing? I could see my brain coming up with that one.”
“Was I going to have a thought about that stressful
conversation from last week that I can’t seem to let go of?”
“Wait, what was the negative thought I had a few moments
ago??”
Try out the sacred pause today.
Share it with others.
Debbie, thank you for answering your own question in a such a beautiful way.
Thank you for allowing me to share it with these amazing people!
I am a believer in my Savior Jesus Christ. So I know he is good and if there is good, we also know there is an evil one, who does bad. We are all made in God's image. Beautifully made and of course the enemy is going to pollute our minds with bad thoughts. That's when you call to God and cast all your worries to him. He is for us and he will never be against us. The enemy only comes to steal, kill and destroy. So next time you get a negative thought. Call to the one who created you. Jesus is everlasting peace! meditate on the holy scripture and experience his goodness and mercy! God Bless
ReplyDeleteSo well said. That deep breath, the hiatus, the pause before the exhalation that moment of stillness and release of the ego a.k.a. fear. The opportunity to release and make space for the Light of Love freeing us from our darkest thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThis has been so helpful for me for years to use mindfulness and cognitive therapy to stay in control of my thoughts. I appreciate Debbie reiterating it and the pause is such a great idea. I still fall into a "knee jerk" reaction over things and when I stop to think about it I realize there was no need for the negative reaction but to take a pause (and breath) seems like the best way to stay more positive. Thanks for sharing this.
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