"Cycology" - Power of thought and focus.

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Ever feel like the very thing you are trying not to think about you become or do? Many people are stuck with anxious thoughts and feelings that they just cannot seem to get rid of! 

Any time a client or friend brings up being stuck I like to bring up the analogy of riding a bike. You know the feeling... hands on the bars, two feet firmly planted on the pedals and off you go. Moving swiftly forward
we aim stay on the right path, often straight, in order to stay safe and get where we want to go. Now what if when you were on this bike I told you "do not look at the tree to your left!" well often times even being told not to 
do something puts your focus on it. You may look at it directly or even just out of the corner of your eye and if your looking at the tree there is a good chance you will drift towards it, even if you did not want to.

Anxiety, depression, bad habits and other feelings of being stuck in life can be 
very similar to the tree when your trying to stay on the right path on 
the bike. If what you want is not to do something, you could benefit from 
not wasting your time and energy focusing on what you do not want to think 
and feel. Rather you can accept that those feelings (or ominous trees) are present, 
but know that despite their presence, where you must focus is forward. 

When you find yourself focusing on a goal or wish, you may tend to think
about what you do not want to do or become. For example if you want to
feel better about yourself in general the focus does not need to be on
how bad you do not want to feel or all of the things you are doing wrong that 
need to be changed (those critical thoughts become your "trees" on the bike path).
Rather focusing on what you know you can do right and what you do have
control over, can help your focus remain headed in the right direction.

Thought for the week:

If there are things I want to change in my life, can I choose to look
ahead at what I can do and control in the situation as opposed to what
may "knock me off" my path?

Application for the week:

If you catch yourself focusing on those negative thoughts or
misdirections, forgive yourself and compassionately redirect your
attention back on your path.

Have a great week everyone!

Amelia Kelley
 
"Cycology"

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