Marry Your Best Self

A daily yoga practice quiets the mind allowing you to open your heart and mind to all good things.

You will find over time the acceptance and peace you generate will flow to all areas of your life.

~Namaste :flowerforyou:

Thanks for posting those "vows" -- that's really an interesting way of looking at one's life.

I have done a lot of thinking as well about that little inner voice, inner child, inner soul, whatever you want to call it -- that little kernel of yourself that needs unconditional love and acceptance. I've really learned, through meditation (even one minute meditations) and consistent directing of my thoughts towards more positive paths, that I can change the way I feel about myself. Over the past year or so I've really started to truly love and appreciate myself, and it's changed EVERYTHING.

And what's amazing is, it's really so easy. Every time I start to feel down on myself, or self-pity, or jealous, or scared, or any of those feelings that feel like crap, I just stop and tell myself "I'm designed to be EXACTLY the way that I am" and then I let it go. After a tough breakup a year ago, I consciously decided to redirect all the love that I had in my heart for my ex towards myself instead.

And it works. Amazing things have happened and continue to happen to me, and I truly wake up each day so, so excited to see what is going to happen next.

Just like you said, all that time spent on negative thinking. If you really add it up, I've spent YEARS of my life wondering and worrying about things that never even came to pass. Or, maybe one of the five billion things I worried about ("will he break up with me?") came to pass, and you know what? It wasn't nearly as bad...and it ended up leading to incredible opportunities in my life.

I could go on and on about this topic, so I'll stop now and just say thanks for the quote -- it's going up on my chalkboard wall today!

I can attest to always having done things the hard way... I have spent $$$ on self-help books, my library is full of them! But I was never able to apply what I read, to my life ....

I have my share of health problems and nothing has even come easily! I wish!
But what I have accomplished came from within.... I was and still am very hard on myself. I have learned to really appreciate what I have, and pat myself on the back more often. I have learned to criticize myself less, and became more confident through acknowledging my accomplishments. Life has been a real roller-coaster ...
JO

Huh, what have I've been thinking!
I woke up and really was not happy to have my own company...
On the way to work I was listening to my internal "conversation" - far from uplifting or upbeat.

So much energy wasted on the negative or blah thinking!

Anyone else struggles with that?
How do you get yourself to think positive and constructive?
Share your thoughts, please!

Having grown up overweight and shy, I think I am my own worse enemy. I still haven't let go of a lot of negative thoughts and feelings from high school and long before that. I do get those super negative thoughts, and yes, it is EXHAUSTING. I usually am telling myself that I'm not good enough for my husband/a new job/friends/etc.

I am learning to pull back and think about how I speak to others. Like I do on here, I am a cheerleader for other people. I cheer them on, though I do ask a lot of questions. I want everyone to succeed. SO why wouldn't I speak to myself in this manner??

What you have to do is almost become two seperate people and speak to and encourage yourself as you would a child of 5. You have to re-learn the patterns in which you speak. If you think something is impossible, step back and change your language.

It can become overwhelming! But, make a grocery list of things you want to make better in your life. Then pick one and focus on it for however long it takes to feel comfortable with it.

I'm not anti-social. I love being around people and really having conversations. What I have the hardest time with is "party talk". I don't understand the art of small talk. i am terrible at remebering names and relations. So, as an example, I would force myself (yes, force!) to walk up to people at parties and chat. At least introduce myself and attempt a conversation. I would continue doing this untiil I received enough postive reaction to feel comfortable.

There are many things that have lead to my shyness and my fear of rejection, but it is amazing how quickly those things can resolve themselves when you face the fear.

So, to sum up (I would have skipped to the end by now!! lol......) make a list. focus on one item until you feel you can cross it off and move on. It will be easier than trying to focus on three major items and all their little nuances at once. That, and it will be amazing how fixing one problem will absolve another.

:flowerforyou:
Best of luck, love.

I have also spent a lot of time and energy trying to follow a path someone has set. I have found that it is useless to follow a path with so much structure and rules unless they fully fit your life and needs. It's like advice from a friend, it is best in doses and used only if it is needed.

Which you can do with the novel I wrote.

Magan,
you wrote a novel?

I meant the long response, I'm sorry. :happy: