Ok so stay with me on this one! Yes, I’m that one person who has an uncanny knack of lowering the tone of a conversation but this time, I feel that this is a great analogy and it came to me as I was writing a guest post for a fellow blogger about the Miracle Morning.
In short, the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod is a daily routine to be done an hour or so earlier than your usual waking time. It involves a period of time from 1 to 10 minutes dedicated to silence, positive affirmations, visualisation of the perfect day, a quick exercise session (I dance to a song), reading of an inspirational book and journaling. My journal routine includes one lesson I learnt the previous day, three things I am grateful for, 1 things I am committed to doing that day and three things that would be amazing if they happened on that day (yes, I’ve written meet Brad Pitt. Hello? It’s called the Miracle Morning!)
Mindset lessons in Mexico
I first discovered the Morning Miracle on holiday in Mexico, 2016 while I was working within network marketing. Although it often has a bad press as a pyramid scheme or cult (I was only asked to dance naked round an aloe plant once!) one of the things I loved about it is the positivity. I was encouraged to think about my goals in life, not just financial but personal too and to create a vision board to keep me focused. I was introduced to incredible motivational speakers such as Les Brown (if you’ve not heard him speak you must, he’s amazing!) In no time at all I was virtual projectile vomiting positive quotes and annoying the crap out of my Facebook friends.
Why was I so annoying?
Well because on the whole, we are more comfortable on the treadmill of life and getting on with the day to day routines that often feel like groundhog day than considering an alternative of what could be. Dreams are for children and those who still have the luxury of life without a mortgage and bills to pay. I have spoken to so many people lately who have told me that they put their dreams and hopes on hold when life took an unexpected turn and they were needed elsewhere, never to pick them up again. So, talk of what could be and what we are capable of is a bit like salt in a wound, particularly for those of us who are aware that we would like to be doing more with our lives.
So, we don’t think about it. We get on with our day to day lives knowing that we are doing the very best we can with the situation we have and even loving the life we live (especially Friday- Sunday!)
But here’s why I am advocating regular mindset work and why I have used such a crude analogy to your bowels!
Often with our diet we eat and drink the same things and everything runs smoothly enough for a while. But then we might have period where our bowels get tough. Those are the moments when we question things – what am I eating regularly that’s making me so constipated? What changes can I make to ease it? Can I help myself or do I need to see the doctor? Granted, it’s a weird analogy but aren’t these the questions that we ask ourselves in life too? How did I get here? How do I change? Can I do it alone?
Sometimes things settle on their own. Often some prunes on your Weetabix work a treat (thanks for that Nan). Other times, you have to resort to more drastic measures and the suppository comes out.
At this stage, we have a choice. Let your bum suck that suppository up, do its work and carry on as usual or make some changes so that you never have the same situation again (information on bum sucking action provided by a friend).
Mindset is the same. Many people give it a go at a time in their life when they are looking for a quick fix. They ‘work on themselves’ which is mocked as a very American idea but in fact should be a global non-negotiable when it comes to self-care. Sometimes it works. An inspirational book to make you see actually how fortunate you are in your life compared to the harrowing real life story of triumph over adversity. A motivational YouTube speech on repeat in the car each day to give you a little pep talk. Maybe some evening meditation as you drift off to sleep.
Then, once life returns to normal. It all stops. The pages of the book remain unturned, you forget the name of the YouTube speech and you say you’re too busy to meditate.
Until you get ‘life constipation’ again. How do I know? Because I have reoccurring bouts of life constipation. Yes, a quick fix is to do all of the above – a mindset suppository to shift the blockage and return to normal life. But actually, what works better is to perform these things little and often so that life runs smoothly day to day and especially when things get tough.
My journal
I have recently started to do the miracle morning again. I don’t know how long I will do it for this time but I am already feeling happier in myself. Calmer. My mood is better. My outlook is brighter. I am making a conscious effort that this time it will become a part of my life rather than the usual mindset suppository I treat it as. And I would really encourage you to do the same. To find one action each day that lifts you and reminds you of what’s going well in your life. Whether it’s a morning run (or dance in your pants like me), a positive affirmation out loud or even as we do in our house, a conversation around the dinner table about one thing we are grateful for each day.
Because let’s face it, if we can take action to recognise the joys in each day and build resilience for the times when life gets tough then we just might find we don’t have to be treating a pain in the arse quite as often (and no, I don’t mean your partner!)
A positive quote to inspire (or annoy) you!
Chat soon
Charlie xx
