As I write you this note, it is snowing outside my window, and I couldn't love it more.
There is something so beautiful and serene about snow. Some people I know are not such big fans of the cold weather change. For me, I try to relish and celebrate it.
Another season unfolding. Another time shift. Another period for renewal.
Whether you are a fan of snow or not, my nudge to you is this:
How can you simply notice what is there?
How can you bring some love and celebration towards it?
How can you notice it for what it is- neither good nor bad?
Then let's apply this same idea to other areas of your life that you may feel a certain way about.
Maybe you are not looking forward to seeing a certain someone over the holidays.
Maybe you are feeling anxious about an event coming up.
Maybe you are worried about overeating during the holidays.
No matter what is it, my hope for you as we settle into this new season is to remember this very profound truth:
What we perceive and think leads to our emotional state.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Our thoughts effect how we show up in the moments of our lives.
If you think that "snow is awful" you are likely to going to start your day immediately in a negative state, feeling down and sad that it is snowing. When we have a thought like that, it leads to negative emotion, and negative emotion creates a negative reaction within us.
The good news is that you do not have to be stuck in this place. Noticing the fact that you are even having these thoughts is celebration #1! Most people are not aware they are thinking these thoughts in the first place (and my friend, I am no exception here, as there was a time in my life I was completely lost in my thoughts!).
When you catch yourself noticing the thought, and after you've celebrated that you have noticed it in your mind, take a moment, and ask yourself this:
How can I think differently about this thought to create a different emotional state for myself?
So, going back to our snow example, I might say to myself, "It's snowing. When I look at it, it's actually quite beautiful." Noticing something about snow I actually do like creates a different emotional state for me. I feel more at peace. I feel less effected and impacted by it's mere presence.
I know I gave you a small, minor example with snow. I chose snow because I hear so many people this time of year posting about how they hate this time of year. I get it. It's cold out, friends.
But at the same time, we must be careful with our thoughts. Our thoughts are the very baseline of how we go about feeling and reacting throughout our day.
So with the simple example of snow, I hope you can notice how even the most mundane thoughts can totally impact our emotional state! And of course, with bigger, more serious situations, our thoughts operate in the very same way.
We have a thought.
The thought creates a feeling.
The feeling creates a reaction.
And my friend, how you show up in this world is very much a direct result of whatever you were thinking in the first place.
So today, my nudge to you is to practice with snow.
And from there, start celebrating any other thoughts you have that you may notice. You deserve to feel your very best feels day in and day out.
I'm sending you giant love.