Today’s Mandala Message: Challenge Your ANTs
This week I’m working through Principle #32 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “Transform Your Inner Critic into an Inner Coach”. I set my intention today to ponder how to challenge my ANTs. Canfield states: “Psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen has named the limiting thoughts we hear in our head ANTS—Automatic Negative Thoughts. … Dr. Amen recommends that you learn to stomp the ANTs.” To do that you become aware of them, you challenge them, and then your replace them with more positive and affirming thoughts.
I like the idea of challenging negative thoughts. I knew about needing to be aware of them and overriding them with positive thoughts but the idea of challenging them provides an easier transition to creating positive thoughts, which can sometimes fail to make a difference…at least for me. I can see where questioning them can be of value. To know that a thought is hurting me, motivates me to want to replace it. To know that a thought is helping me, empowers me to keep moving forward.
Today I was talking with a dear friend about how I feel like I have to sell my art or make money for my services in order to be successful (a limiting belief…which we’ll go into more next week). And because I haven’t sold anything in a while, I’m aware of the ANT that says I’m a failure. In challenging that, I realize that that thought definitely hurts me…on so many levels. But on one in particular, it makes me not want to continue with my art…”why bother…nobody’s buying it” (another ANT btw). So my replacement thought is: Just with my Mandalas of the Day for 2022 and 2023, I have successfully created 543 mandalas!
I will continue to work on all my other ANTs.
A good mindfulness practice would be to challenge your ANTs.
So how about you? Do you notice whether your thoughts are hurting you or helping you? Are they getting you closer to where you want to be? Do they motivate you to act or block you?
“…when you’re panicking or thinking,
— Zoe Ball
‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this,’
you just say,
‘Right. Hi, negative thoughts.
Stop bothering me.
If you just wait there,
I’m going to do this job,
then I’ll come back
and talk to you later.’
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 