It is amazing how quickly we have found ourselves in a whole new year! 2013 is here and so are the many personal resolutions we’re determined to keep this year. This month we are focusing on the theme: Refresh. To refresh is to allow us the opportunity to start over again. Yes, a do over! According to the dictionary, refresh can be defined as: to make a fresh start, to reinvigorate or cheer (a person, the mind, spirit, etc.) So I’d like to encourage you to address that beautiful mind of yours, and let it know it is time for a REFRESH!
Your beautiful mind is made up of your thoughts which are connected to your personal will and emotions. The astounding fact is your mind has an empowering way to propel you forward, or disheartening way to keep you in the same place you were last year. Since we have this new year to change things up, let’s start with our thought life!
As a professional in the beauty industry, my mind is constantly stimulated by creative inspiration (it’s the artist in me.) Now that you know that, it’s safe to say my mind does not like to “shut off.” I’m always analyzing, thinking what I could’ve done better, and creating a plan of action to be a better artist. And we’re just talking about my professional life!
In my personal life, my thoughts can cause feelings of confidence and achievement. But sadly, my thoughts for the majority of my time caused me to feel self-doubt, fear, and insecurity. Honestly, I feel guilty for feeling more badly about myself than good. There was a point I convinced myself that what my mind was telling me was absolute truth, and other people surely then are aware of my short-comings. Can anyone relate?
I understand at least this one thing about myself: I’m wired to think deeply. However, I know it is meant for the betterment of myself, and not to belittle my soul.
A couple of years ago I had to come terms with my thought life. I did a REFRESH and learned the following things along the way.
1. Feel what you feel
It is absolutely okay for you to feel what you feel! They are your feelings. Feelings let me know I need to address something important, rather than ignore, or pretend like everything is fine when it is not. Sometimes a good cry or venting session with a trusted and responsible individual is just what I need.
2. Your feelings and thoughts do not own you
Once you allow yourself to feel, address the thoughts you need to change. Your feelings should not dominate your life in a manner to cause you to move backwards instead of forward. Take time out for yourself as Sandy suggested in Refresh Your Life.
3. Change your mind
It is a privilege we have, and power we seldom embrace until we’ve exhausted all resources or hit rock bottom. Refreshing your mind is thinking more thoughts that will bring about the change you desire. For myself, I had to think about positive things about myself more than the negative. Most importantly, I had to love myself, and learn to laugh at myself when I made silly mistakes. Mistakes are valuable lessons I chose to learn from instead condemning myself. Condemning promotes punishment. And who can live a full and joyful life always punishing yourself? No thank you!
4. Speak the truth
Refreshing your beautiful mind is thinking and speaking truthful and positive things about yourself. This may sound silly, but I had to tell myself ”I love this 5’3,” brown hair, brown eyed Dominican American girl!” I know, silly, but I had to be kind to me, because I live with myself first! It’s important to remind myself of what makes me beautiful and unique in this world. I receive personal encouragement through the Bible. It reminds me of what God thinks about me, and who better than the One who created me?!
Refreshing your beautiful mind is not an overnight process. It will take several times to think and speak these kind things before you see a change, or rather think a “change.” I recently read this quote about the power of our minds and how our thoughts do have an ultimate affect on the turn out our lives.
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”
Henry David Thoreau
Refresh your beautiful mind and you will refresh your life in 2013!
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