Sweep It. Flush It. Let It Go.

I thought about saving this for the next installment of "Meditation Monday" but decided to go ahead and lay it on you today.  I did promise to post more often and this came to mind.  So, why not?   This is my idea of living on the edge. 

Sad, I know.

At any rate, this tip is technically a visualization, not a meditation.   That doesn't necessarily mean anything since y'all know how I like to bend the rules with these things.  I'm just sayin'.

So... 

Are you a ruminator?  An over-thinker?   Have you ever had a hard time falling asleep or focusing on the task at hand because you can't get something else out of your mind?

Yeah, me too. 

I once shared with my BFF that when this happens, it helps me to picture a hand picking up the person or situation (as if a scene in a shoebox) which might be inconveniently occupying my mind.  Then I watch the hand carry it far away. 

For example... when my boss at a previous job pissed me off undermined me on a regular basis, I would lay in bed at night and picture a giant hand with pinched fingers holding him by the back of his pants and carrying him through empty space outside my mind while he kicked and screamed.  And I laughed.

Instant stress relief.   Ahhhhh.

There's also the quantum theory: "What you resist persists."   This says that the more you focus on something, the more of that thing you attract to into your life.  Therefore, the worst part about obsessing over stressful thoughts isn't lack of sleep.  Those mind treadmills are actually making the negative energy stronger and more prolific.  Crazy, I know.  But true.

Since then I've been given two more similar visualizations which I use all the time.  One is to visualize sweeping the persistent thought out the door.  Open the door, sweep it away, close the door and watch it get blown away by the outside wind.   

If you're convinced you need to address the situation later but just need a mental break to focus on something else or get some sleep, you can always sweep it into a special room (or padded cell or whatever; it's your head) and lock the door.  You can always let it out later. 

Life can be stressful. Sometimes we have to be creative in order to get those brain synapses to stop firing in repetitive, non-productive ways.

The other visualization which may sound gross but also works really well is to picture flushing especially negative thoughts down the toilet. 

Buh-bye crappy thoughts!   *pun intended*

LET GO AND GROW!

Carpe diem,
Charlene