Given the endless stream of bad economic news and political panderings, it's important to do some peaceful mental exercises to put the times into fresh perspective - particularly our own situations.
In general, I would say that I am very much an optimist. I try to see opportunities when others only see difficulties. I try to make the most of seemingly hopeless situations. Though I like to think I do this all the time, I often notice that I have to catch myself if I get off track and start to think negatively. One of the methods I use to stay on track is this three-step process called Retrospection, Introspection and Contemplation.
Retrospection: "The deliberate recall of past events," or what I think of when I think of retrospection, a state of remembrance and gratefulness for the positive past events in your life. Think about that for a moment. Think about all the good things that have happened in your life and start to dwell on them. Relive them. Try to remember the emotions you felt during those positive moments in your life. For me, I can think of several. One of the most vivid for me was the day my beautiful daughter was born. It was the best birthday of my entire life. I remember the night before hoping that she wouldn't come until the morning because the next day was my birthday and I thought it would be great to share a birthday with my daughter. I remember holding her tiny body for the first time and proudly realizing that in that moment I had officially become a father. It was a very special moment, one I will not soon forget.
I could go on and on about all the wonderful past events in my life: memories from my childhood growing up on a farm, my wedding day, the day I graduated from college, etc.
Once you get yourself in this mindset, it is hard to not be grateful for life and the experiences we get to have.
Introspection: "A looking inward: specifically the act or process of self-examination," or what I like to think of as the process of recognizing the good things in your life right now and thinking about who you are now as a person. Introspection is a thought process that takes stock of what's good and happy about your life currently. Things that you are now involved in that make your life exciting and joyful. Obviously there are problems, we all have them. But we also all have things we can be grateful for, especially following a deep look inward at ourselves. This process reveals so many hidden gems in our lives, hidden by the rush of busyness we feel each day.
One thing that comes to mind is my family. I love spending time with and hanging out with my wife and daughter. Time with them can make any day wonderful. I can't tell you how much I look forward to coming home to a wife and daughter who love me and want to know about how my day went. I love to tell them about the things I learned or the things I did that day. It is so fun to share life with others.
Contemplation: "The act of looking forward to an event as about to happen," or I like to think of it as dreaming and visualizing the possibilities of life and how they can and will be accomplished. In challenging times, it can be difficult to remember that our better days are ahead of us, all we need do is work toward them. Contemplation to me is the state of mind that dwells on the possibilities. That expands them and gives them emotion. It is the process of leaving the current situation (the conditions of which introspection clearly reveals) and fast-forwarding through time, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 50 years from now and visualizing your life - seeing who you are, how much more you've learned and grown, how much more mature and pleasant your life is.
When I contemplate, I like to think big. It was Donald Trump who said, "You have to think anyway, you might as well think big!" I like to think of myself owning my own successful business, having a big family, driving a big car and having a big yard out back for the kids to play in. I like to think of myself being involved in helping hundreds if not thousands of poor people get any help they might need. I like to see myself making a difference in someone's life. Thinking about the future makes me really excited.
There you have it, Retrospection, Introspection and Contemplation, a positive mental exercise to help boost your spirits amid these tumultuous times!
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1 comment:
I like those ideas. The first two memories are similar to mine. Having each child and coming home to a loving spouse certainly makes life worth living. And even at my age I still have hopes for future accomplishments.
I bet you are going to write a book someday. You should add that to your list of future things to do. ;)
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