Optimism vs. Pessimism

A repetitive theme is surfacing in my coaching sessions for some of you.  The theme is the nature of optimism vs. pessimism rather positive vs. negative or even more so victim vs. conscious creator.  I thought I'd share below with everyone with the intention that it can help us all.

You've heard me mention before that we create our environment whether we put ourselves in a prison of negativity, blaming others and not taking responsibility of our own actions OR we create an environment of positive energy, shifting our thoughts to support that notion/truth that anything is possible when we are mindful of our actions.

We have a choice.  Every moment is a clean slate to learn and grow and become the person we are meant to be. Every moment is an opportunity to practice a lifestyle of well-being in the purest sense of the word covering every aspect of our lives.  As you know, this has an overall effect on everything we do. Everything, from work related initiatives to personal ones.

Below is a helpful tip to dislodge us from a disempowering pattern.

The difference between Optimism and Pessimism is really quite simple. It’s all about our frame of reference to the world.

     In any given moment we either choose to be a victim or we choose to be conscious creator. 

• One strategy is to practice noticing when we are on cruise control heading into a victim frame of mind.

     So how do we catch ourselves heading toward the land of poor me?

     If you find yourself:

• complaining
• criticizing
• blaming
• gossiping and 
• comparing

you can be pretty sure you’re camped out in Victimhood—the unhappiest, powerless place on Earth.

•      Get off at the next exit by asking yourself this: “What do I want?”

    Victims consistently focus on all the things that are wrong in their lives including the people they live, work or share breathing space with, which is really just a reflection of all their inner judgements.  The conscious creator gets crystal clear on what she/he wants.

     So, what do you want?

Mindfully Yours,

Pamela

2 questions that can change your life for the better.

Do you ever feel trapped?  Do you ever wonder why the change you want never seems to make it's way to you in a long lasting way?  Does a "supposed to" thought process exist in your world?  I am not referring to manners that we are "supposed to" do or right vs. wrong when it comes to treating people or ourselves well.  "Supposed to's" should exist where good manners are concerned, for example.   

I ask these questions because of limitations people place on themselves.  Limitations that

What can we learn from MMA and elite fighters?

I have a thing for cage fighting and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) where the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) come alive.  I've had a thing for it ever since I came across cage fighting over twenty years ago, when it came out on late night T.V.  I knew I had fallen hard for the sport because it was important enough for me to watch the entire show while standing a foot a way from my T.V. with the volume down as low as it could go, so not to disturb my parents.  Yet, loud enough to hear the names of the moves and fighters.  I believe my appreciation of MMA fighting began when I watched Sunday karate movies with sub titles and voice overs, in addition to, enjoying  Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal movies.  

I have a strong appreciation for the true art that it is.  I respect the discipline and the heart that it takes to shut out everything that does not support a fighter's desire to be their very best.  The level of respect the fighters display for one another once the fight is over is heart warming. 

Paradox of Age ~ the 14th Dalai Lama.

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines but less healthiness.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble in crossing the street to meet our new neighbour.
We built more computers to hold more copies than ever,
But have less real communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall men but short characters;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It’s a time when there is much in the window
But nothing in the room. 


I first saw the words above in a Tibetan gift shop in Mystic, CT, last weekend.  As I was reading them, I found myself feeling relief knowing that I wasn't the only one that felt this way.

Human size Hobbit House

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/want-to-see-the-human-sized-hobbit-house-that-costs-less-than-5000-to-build/

I am in love with this idea.  Talk about your sustainable living options.  This now, is on my bucket list.

Pilot or Passenger...YOU decide.

Most would agree that we all have some negative behavioral patterns and systems that have been downloaded from our primary care givers to us in our formative years.  In many cases we've become automatic, operating on a familiar reactionary cycle of behaviors and habits without awareness that there is a different way of living our lives.  Research has shown that 95% of our behaviors and core beliefs are part of our pre programmed infrastructure which places us on an auto pilot of sorts, but on who's plane?  Rarely do we bare witness to these behavior patterns which ultimately keeps us in a reactionary cycle.  If an individual does happen to get a glimpse of their ground hog like "flight" pattern, our ego steps in the way in hopes to prevent any changes because our ego likes things just the way they are.  (That's a whole other story...and one for another article.)
Recognition that you have conducted yourself on the download of other people's beliefs is a first step toward awareness and provides an opportunity to change the pre programmed patterns that can cause chaos and stress in one's home and work life.  More importantly it offers up the notion to forgive yourself and those that you have daily interactions with who seemingly operate under the similar invisible behavioral programs that have been passed on to them.

If you desire a new way of operating, a new flight pattern, where confidence and peace replaces confusion and lack of self acceptance, where indecisiveness is replaced by conviction:  you owe it to yourself to connect with the inner core of who you are.  You deserve to explore your options with a partner whom you can trust to help you hold yourself accountable and assist you with creating a new life story of who you want to be and how you want to live your life.

size 16, and migraines, and heartburn Oh My! by Pamela Horton

Five years ago, I was a size 16 and suffered from debilitating migraines and heartburn.  Pepcid and Imitrex were a norm for me.  Like many of you,  I was under a great deal of stress, for a number of reasons.  The main reason was that I had just lost my Mom to colon cancer.  It was her second battle with the disease in 8 years.  

I was confused as to why my maternal grandparents lived well into their ninety's while my Mom barely made it to age 68.  Why did my mother suffer and die from such an awful disease while my grandparents passed quietly of, well, old age?  My mother also battled with her weight over the years.  What was different?  I knew the answers, intuitively.  The real question quickly became, "Was I prepared to acknowledge the differences and be disciplined enough to make the necessary changes?"