I was listening to a podcast today and they were talking about this idea – what you pay attention to makes your life. It’s such a fascinating subject to me. When I began this “healing journey” (I put that in quotes because I don’t love calling it that but it’s really the best way to describe these last 8 years.), I was a very negative thinker. I’ve shifted that quite a bit, but I do naturally fall back into that habit.
Now I can see how the negative thinking compounds itself. I found this quote: What you pay attention to grows. If your attention is attracted to negative situations and emotions, then they will grow in your awareness. (Deepak Chopra) It’s like you’re shining a flashlight on the bad shit. If you just keep putting a spotlight on it, your brain is always going to naturally look towards what the spotlight is illuminating. Your brain is naturally going to become more aware of the bad shit.
And the opposite is true as well. If you shine a light on the good stuff, you see more of the good stuff. Your brain becomes more naturally aware of the good stuff. That’s what gratitude is.
I guess where I’m going with this is, sometimes we don’t even realize we’re bringing attention to the negative stuff. Especially with negative thinking. I’m just thinking about my personal journey and how I’m always stuck in the self improvement/healing loop. I mean, growth is such a good thing. I am committed to it. But when am I bringing attention to what’s missing or what I “need to work on”, am I actually growing it? DEEP THOUGHTS WITH PAM tonight, folks!
I just love the fern right before it opens up, don’t you?
Thanks for reading today’s entry in my daily blog. My goal here is to practice noticing. I try to write about small things and I try to keep it light. Sometimes I write about creativity or healing. And sometimes I write about my dogs or what I cooked for dinner. Writing daily here is a way for me to shine a light back on my life and help me see.
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Pam Moore Gainer 