Years ago I read this quote from Norman Vincent Peale:
"Change your thoughts
and you change your world."
It took me a lot of years to even understand the power in that quote, let alone start applying it. I was thinking about this quote because last week I read a post at Dayne's blog, Coach Your Mind (HERE). And I have been thinking about what he wrote all week.
I won't quote the whole post here, but I highly recommend carving out the time to read it. It's not all that long, but it stopped me in my tracks.
It held up a mirror to my mind, and helped me see myself more clearly. And I saw a major flaw in my thinking... one I think I've had all my life, but had just never thought about in this new way.
The post title was "When Pressure Puts A Mirror To Your Face... What Do You See? And Dayne explored WHY some people do well under pressure, and why some don't.
I fell into the "don't" category. And I discovered WHY, and what I can do to actually change that. I love reading stuff that is useful. It doesn't just tell you what's wrong with you, but also gives you practical solutions.
And in this case, *all* I had to do was... change my thinking! Oh... is that all?? ;-)
I thought back over my life... and my typical response to stress and pressure. And I made the immediate connection with my weight, and how I used food as my escape valve, my release from stress... like that little valve-thingie on top of a pressure cooker.
I didn't embrace "pressure" as something that could be used to propel me forward, that could help me be more and do better. Instead of putting it in a positive context, I interpreted pressure as a negative to be avoided.
Dayne's post got me thinking. I have answered his question from an intellectual point of view, what I would LIKE to feel:
When Pressure Puts A Mirror To Your Face... What Do You See?
I see Strength, Achievement, and Spunk.
That is what I want to see. To believe. To be my automatic response to pressure. I'll admit it's a work in progress. But I'm excited and encouraged.
One week ago, I didn't know I had this flaw in my thinking, in my perception of pressure.
Now I know.
Now I can DO something about it.... and I'm workin' on it.
And that makes me smile with anticipation.
From Dr Phil's book: "One of the most critical ways to stop this behavior is to change the way you think and how you interpret events in your life."
My verse for today: "It is God who arms me with strength."
My quote for today: "Pressure makes diamonds." --General George S Patton
Enjoy the Journey,
Loretta
=^..^=
11 comments:
I work well under pressure because I hate the way having that pressure on me makes me feel. If I act on it, the pressure decreases quicker. Too often when we don't act, that pressure builds up and we explode-like that pressure cooker you showed!
Huh. Heading towards that blog now. I'm betting that I have the same kind of discovery that you did. I HATE pressure. Just so ya know. :D I'm anxious (huh, that was the right choice of words!) to see how to make it into a postive. Deb
Hmmmm. Read the post. I dunno, Loretta. I'm definitely going to have to chew on this one. :) I don't even like the word "challenge." When I worked,(I was an extremely efficient and productive worker, by the way. [My boss said so!]) I hated when they said we needed to look at blah, blah pressure/demand/stress source as a challenge. It would make me cringe. I preferred to call those instances "projects." They used to call me 'Project Girl!" Hahaha Pressure makes me want to sit under my desk. Deb
Realizations like this are powerful. You're doing great, girl!
well, I have to say Loretta, that cat looks faboush.
I have begun to use things that irritate me, or the places in my life where I feel like I am lacking...not as instances to beat myself up, but as circumstances where I can persue the same sort of success with the same intensitay I have been applying towards my weight loss journey.
These are areas where I can build confidence by conquering or overcoming percieved shortcomings.
They become instances where I can win. Every time I win, I propel myself further.
Wow wow wow, Loretta! Glad to hear that post made you think so much. I'm blown away, actually, that you'd write your own post about the impact it had on you.
Pressure is a monster, as it makes us feel sooo many different, fearful ways about ourselves. Watching different sporting events this last wknd was eye opening... many, many athletes (top in their field) responding so negatively. As you know, Pressure affects EVERYONE in their own way!
As Deb (who commented to you) experienced, Pressure can be a very difficult to deal with... but HOW we "deal" with it defines who we become.
Keep us posted on your progress...
"Pressure can be very difficult to deal with...but How we 'deal' with it defines who we become" - you can say that again!
For years of my life, "how" I would deal with it would be to eat, eat, and eat, and withdraw from the world. And who did I become? A fat unhealthy withdrawn lady on autopilot.
Although change can be uncomfortable (real change always is!) I am now trying to deal with pressures head-on, sitting with my uncomfortable feelings, and NOT compulsively eating in response. I am becoming myself again.
Thanks for a great post!
I'm going to ponder this ovre the weekend when I have more time..I like pressure while I'm working because it keeps me engaged and so busy I can't focus on food. If I'm stressed at home in just regular life..I turn to food to comfort and put off dealing with the issues..Gotta figure this out..thanks for this post because it's something I need to work on ,but would never have thought of on my own.
KAREN: Ooh, I hadn't thought of that aspect of it.. that by ACTING on it, the pressure decreased quicker. Great point.
DEB: It took me a week of thinking on this, to really see how my perception was hurting me, not helping me. I viewed pressure/stress as a negative, to be avoided; and my main escape from that feeling was to eat it numb. But this post showed a different response: to interpret that same pressure/stress as a potential positive, an opportunity to use it a a force to propel me forward... anyway, I have still been thinking about it, and will probably kick it around more on Saturday.
CINCIMOM: Thanks; I am a work in progress, alright!
CHRIS: Yes, success breeds success."These are areas where I can build confidence by conquering or overcoming percieved shortcomings." I like the conquering and overcoming!
DAYNE: I really appreciated your post. I have a feeling it will be one of those key things for me. A pivotal point in my journey. I've had a few of those so far, and this feels like that. Thank you.
DEBBIE: I can relate to what you said about FEELING the feelings, instead of eating them away. I had to learnt that, too. And to also learn that it's just temporary, and will get better, and I didn't need to run away from it.
PJ GEEK: Sounds like you have a head-start on this, since you already do it at work. Now to figure out how to transfer it to home. I'm sure you will... let us know how it goes.
Loretta
=^..^=
Sometime in my thirtees I found out about this theory you speak of and it totally turned my life around and continues to do so. Today for example, we could not find a $60 dollar remote control for the Wii....I was mad at my kids and searching high and low...calling Caitlin at her friends to ask her where it was...in the past I would now an hour later still be searching and stressing. But now I do what I usually do in a situation like this. I say, "it will turn up when I am not looking for it." and then I forget about it.
It has ALWAYS turned up.
:-D
I was Queen Can't once upon a time. It was one of my biggest challenges. So, when I say I am living outside my comfort zone now by doing, I really mean it.
But believing in myself went from fakling it to making it. I do believe now. It takes time, but it can be done.
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