I Am Freaking Out Right Now!
I’m stressed. I’m worried. The clock is ticking and I am pulled in so many directions with work, family, love, music and an ever-growing list of things that absolutely need to get done. On top of that I just shared whole lot of honesty with a colleague and friend of mine. Honesty that took a lot of vulnerability to share. Honesty that had the potential to completely wreck our business relationship. What if I lose a friend? What if I get labeled negatively by her and others? The big deadline is a trip that starts the day after tomorrow. I’m going to Seattle to play a music festival and I am not ready. I haven’t written all of my songs and because of that I haven’t been able to practice. What if I fail?
So it is absolutely perfect that I am writing this today on the topic of worry. Because I don’t want to write on this topic that can be so all-consuming with a flippant attitude. So here we are. I am a nervous wreck and writing about worry! So everything I suggest I am going to practice it right now as I write.
Living in our heads is a really good way to not live at all. What are we missing by being consumed by thoughts? Don’t let that thought worry you further. (It just made my heart rate jump up a bit.) So what can we do about it? The answer is: be present. All those worries are thoughts about the past and thoughts about the future. Be here right now. That can be much easier said than done. So here’s some practical steps.
- Take a deep breath.
- Decide that you will release your thoughts.
- Use your gratitude to help release the thoughts. Find some authentic gratitude for these thoughts. Personally, I am grateful for my sense of integrity that was challenged today. I am grateful for having a strong mind and good memory so I don’t forget the important things that need to be done. Thank your worrisome thoughts and then release them. You can even say to them, “you are no longer serving me, you can go now.”
- Take a deep breath.
- Change your scenery. Go outside or into a peaceful place or somewhere you can be alone. Take another deep breath.
- Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Push your belly out as you breath in. Hold it. Release slowly until every last bit of air escapes your lungs.
- Look around you and find five colors. Then look around you and find five shapes.
- Close your eyes. What do you feel with your skin? Take a deep breath and exhale.
- What are you grateful to experience through your senses right this moment?
Aaaah that really helped. Taking the focus out of my mind and into my senses lowered my heart rate and releases some of the tension in my forehead. Part way through doing this all of the sudden I heard the sounds of cicadas and crickets that I didn’t notice before. I am grateful for them and for the lingering sounds of summer. What a perfect lesson that sometimes we have to slow down, quiet our minds and be immersed in the moment in order to find gratitude.
[su_quote cite=”William James”]The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.[/su_quote]
This Week’s Gratitude Question
[su_button url=”http://www.ourgratitudecollective.com/activity/” background=”#178fb3″]What are you grateful to experience through your senses right this moment?[/su_button]
My Gratitude Experience Last Week
Yesterday I woke up to a frightening video of people escaping the fire in Anderson Springs near Napa, CA. It was one of those moments when gratitude swells up in me when I hear of others misfortunes and it makes me appreciate all I have. It happened again later in the evening when my sister shared of extreme health problems in my brother-in-law’s family. I am so very blessed. All I can say is thank you.
Forgotten Gratitude
Last week I was also grateful for inspiration to change things up, I think people will love the new offering … Our homes safe and sound, no fires this year threatening our landscape and our homes … Baby lizards scurrying about.
A New eCard
Image by Antonia Montoya
The Gratitude I Shared Last Week
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| Sun | 8/14/2015 | I’m grateful for peaceful music lulling me into myself … A lovely gathering of my family, veggies from the garden, healing tea, ridiculous conversations, serious conversations … A song, start to finish … Health, so many blessings of our bodies functioning and thriving … A chance to start again. |
| Sat | 8/13/2015 | I’m grateful for a touching wedding, so much love, respect and adoration … A dress up day, a gorgeous dress gifted to me, my favorite impractical heels … A dance floor at midnight under the new moon. |
| Fri | 8/12/2015 | Thank you for coffee cup after cup … Making my self-imposed deadline … Seemingly random phrases working together beautifully to become lyrics … Sleep. |
| Thu | 8/11/2015 | I’m grateful for an exciting new piece of music equipment which arrived just in time … I’m grateful that whoever rummaged through my car didn’t get their hands on anything important or valuable … I’m grateful for huge can’t-catch-my-breath laughs … And for earplugs. |
| Wed | 8/10/2015 | I’m grateful for After Bite and moments of relief … Internet articles that give me just the info I was needing even though I wasn’t looking for it in that moment … Exploring gratitude and power and self check-ins … Breakdowns and breakthroughs … Work hugs … Lovely guests and behaving doggies … Couch love … Catching up with my friend … Teaching Emilio and sharing that mystery, respect and awe of vinyl. |
| Tue | 8/9/2015 | I’m grateful for the pain in my head that is nudging me to bed early and for how clearly my body communicates … I’m grateful for baby Esequiel and having him back in my arms … I’m grateful for my strong sister, Maria wishing her sleeeeeeeeeep. |
| Mon | 8/8/2015 | I’m grateful for eating crab while wearing my crabby pants and no longer being crabby … Our room finally taking shape … A lovely day off with no plans, lots of good food, reading and a bit of writing. |
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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]