I did it again!
Hopping off yet another FaceBook time and energy suck conversation about politics / culture / religion, I found myself again in a state of inflammation, frustration, defensiveness, and separation from my fellow man. Even when I am comfortable with how I handled myself or the thoroughness of my "argument," it is just that-- an argument-- a fight that ultimately accomplishes nothing.
Am I really engaging to understand and possibly modify my behavior? Or am I flexing my intellectual bravado in a childish ego based separation tactic? Why do I let my mind go down old rabbit holes to defend identities & practices that aren't serving anyone? Who cares if I'm smarter than some rando from the internet? And that's assuming I do in fact have all the information on the subject which is pretty hard when I don't actually know where the other person is coming from.
So....
Do I want to be right or do I want to be happy?
Why do I repeatedly allow anger or desire for distraction get me involved in this mental masturbation? Thankfully, this time I noticed what was happening in my body, got real about my participation in it and made a decision:
"No more engaging on controversial topics with the random angry of the internet that I really don't have time to participate in (which is always)." Rando angry guy & I both obviously need a hug or we wouldn't be seeking out this stimulation energetically by resonating on this wave length. "Sara, let go, refocus, spread love. If being 'right' were the answer, it would feel better."
Today's triggering example brought me to where I let my mind go regularly and how that might directly affect both my happiness and the filter in which I frame the world.
And since this is a happiness blog, ^ above is the funniest gem on keeping our mind trained to focus on the good- which consequently increases our happiness.
Here are the top tips referenced in the video that help the brain stay in a present space of gratitude, dopamine release, primed learning, and overall happiness.
By taking time to savor, replay, focus on, and appreciate the good in our lives, we strengthen the part of the brain looking for things to be good, right, beautiful, and happy.
By journaling each night on one good thing that happened and celebrating our successes before moving the goal higher, we get to enjoy our experiences rather than endure them.
Exercise releases the reinforcing happy chemical restructuring the brain for the good & detoxing out some of the bad.
Meditation helps us focus our ADD minds to the present to cultivate gratitude for the present moment as it's happening.
Kindness & spreading love to members of our tribe help us to feel connected, supported, and uplifted to accomplish our next venture.
There's a lot of good to be done and letting my nervous system flare up and get stressed over ultimately fake threat stimuli only creates division, dis-ease in the body, lack of focus, and discomfort.
We're smarter than this and can choose to avoid the inflammatories in life -- even when they are seemingly irresistible or important. Lizard brain simmer down, thinking brain, please move to the front. We've got good, more important issues to solve, love to share, & beauty to create.