Today’s Mandala Message: Look for the Positive
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 the idea of looking for the positive. Canfield states: “Some people focus only on the bad and never on the good in a situation. … Learn to look for the positive. Not only will it help you feel better, but it will also be a critical component of your creating the success you want.”
A good habit he suggests is to take 7 minutes every morning to write down the things you appreciate in your life. I tend to do something similar at the end of the day. However, I can see the value of doing it in the morning. We start out our day from a place of gratitude and positivity.
Last week I was talking with someone who was angry and frustrated about his job “making” him go on an assignment out of town. He went on about it for a few minutes when I asked him if there was anyway you could possibly make the best of this situation. After rolling his eyes and chastising me for putting on my therapy hat (btw…I’m not a therapist…but have seen a few over the years), he gradually started talking about how he’ll be staying on an island, and then he would get to ride a hover craft every day to go to work, and oh, he’ll get to meet this one woman he’s only talked with via email and texts, oh…and he’d get to meet some of the engineers that he’s only worked with via zoom, … oh and the ethnic food in that town will be excellent.
I was amazed to watch how when he just took a moment to see the positive(s) in the situation, he completely changed his demeanor and his state of mind. This is not to say that his arguments for being upset weren’t valid, but I could see that he was setting himself up to be miserable all week and thus missing out on the potential for all the positives. I was happy for him that he was open to looking for (and finding) some positives.
A good mindfulness practice would be to look for one positive … right now.
So how about you? Do you tend to look for the negative or positive in situations? When you’re in the negative space, how does it make you feel? Are you aware of how those around you feel when you’re in this space?
“Some people
— Alphonse Karr
are always grumbling
because roses have thorns;
I am thankful
that thorns
have roses.”
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 