Notes To My Younger Self

photo credit: fbc-canyon.org

There are pros and cons to everything. When you find yourself getting irritated or frustrated or about to start to complain about someone, something, some circumstance, stop, and start a pro/con list; Grab a sheet of paper, type a note on your phone or if you have no means of writing at that moment, make a mental list. Already irritated, start with the cons—the negatives streaming at light speed through your head. Once you’ve run through every complaint, take a deep breath and begin to consider all the positives about the person, place or things that have you spinning. After a few minutes you’ll feel everything slow down: the pro con exercise will force a pause, allowing your cognitive brain to kick in, shifting its emotional counterpart from front and center, into passive mode. Now balanced, you’ll be able to discover what is at the crux of your frustration. (You might be surprised to find out it has nothing to do with that person, place or thing you were originally focused on.)

E.L. Chappel author of Spirit Dance/Storm Makers/Coming very soon: The Surge

It’s so easy to loose perspective while in emotional brain.

Recognize it, honor it and then as soon as possible, shift into pro/con mode.

aka The Glamorous Wife