There is "on track" and there is "off track." The saying goes "my life is on track" and we know that inner queasy feeling when we are "off track." If this doesn't relate to you right now, it probably will at some point. This post is for those of you who have a lot of racing thoughts with anger or envy or disappointment in the driver's seat. Maybe you are thinking about people that are pissing you off – a spouse, a partner, a brother or sister, parent, boss, a colleague, a friend, a Facebook friend, etc. Or maybe you are beating yourself up over something you felt that you should have done, could have done, didn't do, or how you messed something up. Take one hour, an Amnesty Hour, and forgive and forget. Whatever it is, for one hour, it's okay – let it go.
You can write a cool Presidential pardon or look into your heart of hearts and find pure and simple forgiveness. However you need to do it, just do it. The larger theme of forgiveness, is that, it is large and it can be very complex depending on the situation. So for now, we will simply focus on an hour.
Why should we do this exercise? Because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Negative thoughts can be like a busy city's traffic signals going haywire, they will lead you this way and that, exhaust you, and may lead to accidents. If you are dwelling on the negative, you are diverting your inner resources from achieving your goals. You are, when you are focusing on anger, not focusing on something constructive, you are wandering from the straightest line toward success. And too much dwelling on being pissed off isn't healthy. It asks the body to send out different chemicals as well. Relaxing and being in a state of peace sends out other chemicals that nurture the body. This, of course, is the basis of meditation.
Not everyone can envision him or herself meditating, I can relate and appreciate that. And actually, for Amnesty Hour, it is probably best that you do it while assuming normal every day activities. So, how do you do it? How do you pull it off practically? You simply look at the clock and decide this is it – the next hour will be Amnesty Hour. (1) If a negative thought pops into your head, you'll have to tell it to wait. (2) Focus on something positive and constructive. If you are in a really bad state, you may have to constantly tell your negative thoughts to wait and refocus on something constructive. It will get easier over time and it may not be easy at first. It's not physical exercise, it's mental exercise using your forgiveness muscle.
RECAP
The mind is trainable. It is more trainable than you think. Take an Amnesty Hour to give yourself a break from the inevitable negative charges in life. Train your mind so that you are more in control and that your negative thoughts are not training you.
You can write a cool Presidential pardon or look into your heart of hearts and find pure and simple forgiveness. However you need to do it, just do it. The larger theme of forgiveness, is that, it is large and it can be very complex depending on the situation. So for now, we will simply focus on an hour.
Why should we do this exercise? Because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Negative thoughts can be like a busy city's traffic signals going haywire, they will lead you this way and that, exhaust you, and may lead to accidents. If you are dwelling on the negative, you are diverting your inner resources from achieving your goals. You are, when you are focusing on anger, not focusing on something constructive, you are wandering from the straightest line toward success. And too much dwelling on being pissed off isn't healthy. It asks the body to send out different chemicals as well. Relaxing and being in a state of peace sends out other chemicals that nurture the body. This, of course, is the basis of meditation.
Not everyone can envision him or herself meditating, I can relate and appreciate that. And actually, for Amnesty Hour, it is probably best that you do it while assuming normal every day activities. So, how do you do it? How do you pull it off practically? You simply look at the clock and decide this is it – the next hour will be Amnesty Hour. (1) If a negative thought pops into your head, you'll have to tell it to wait. (2) Focus on something positive and constructive. If you are in a really bad state, you may have to constantly tell your negative thoughts to wait and refocus on something constructive. It will get easier over time and it may not be easy at first. It's not physical exercise, it's mental exercise using your forgiveness muscle.
RECAP
The mind is trainable. It is more trainable than you think. Take an Amnesty Hour to give yourself a break from the inevitable negative charges in life. Train your mind so that you are more in control and that your negative thoughts are not training you.