What’s your mindset?

Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Susan Wright in Life Coaching

Do you vacillate between extremes? Do you go full out with high expectations and burn out after a day? Do you achieve very little, giving in to the mood of the day? Do you find yourself immobilized by rigid demands? These are just a few of the questions that speak to a condition I call: Doing.  We are conditioned “to do” as we step on the treadmill of life.  Sometimes, the only way off, is to stop doing.

Stop doing? “Impossible,” you say. Naturally, we have many things to do that are important, necessary, and reasonable; however, when we exceed the demands our personal health and resilience can fall short. Doing too much may eventually show up as apathy, distress, rigidity, illness, and many other forms of physical, mental, and spiritual strains. So how does one replenish the supply, or at the very best, sustain it?

We start by noticing our mindset; enabling us to shift to a state of “being.” So ask yourself now, what am I thinking? Are you thinking about “doing” something? Likely.  The mindset may be preoccupied by a rigid set of rules and notions or chatter that creates no room for flexibility, non-judgment, or grace.  If you were to loosen the grip of chastisement and welcome a kinder voice, what could be? You might just become aware of who you are being in the moment and how counter-productive and ill-forming your reactions are.

I’m not asking anyone to “achieve” a state of being; that would defeat the purpose. The idea is to maintain a level of awareness that allows you room to expand and retract, move forward or stay.  It holds space for you to consider your options, step into choice, and clarify your intentions, which will be evident in your actions. Simply “being” allows us to relax for a moment and let go of relenting notions of how we are suppose to be and what we are suppose to be doing.

The shift is subtle and remarkably informing; although you might not recognize it at first.  In fact, you will be more focused and directed in your efforts of managing the “to do’s” after noticing what’s churning inside and what needs some blessed attention.  When demands are mounting and everything is running at full tilt in your life, it’s very hard to hear what needs your attention. By shifting to a place of being we can circumvent some potentially negative actions, or at least, be conscious of the consequences.

Rather than moving from one extreme to the next, “stressing out” or “burning out,” it is possible to discover middle ground. The discovery begins with a simple question: What is your mindset? The answer  may not be so simple; however, it will open a window into your soul.

Take a moment now,

Susan

Tags: Busy lifestyles, health, Mind Body Spirit, mindful, mindset, perspective, well-being