Just One Word

Do you ever think, ‘what’s the point’?

You’re so fed up, bored and becoming more and more resentful and upset that nothing you do or say ever seems to work out the way you wanted?

Do you start new things but very quickly they all go to pot, one unsuccessful moment after another failed attempt?

At a deeper level do you hate how you feel, but it’s gone on so long now, you think you can’t change or shake yourself out of it anymore?  You’d rather close the door to the world (and your life) and take refuge.  Is it just ‘one thing after another, there’s so much to work on and change, you can get exhausted just thinking about where to even start?

Let’s start here, today, now, this moment…

It’s horrible.  I know.  The gut wrenching pain of feeling so empty inside, that you feel your life has become so insignificant to you and everyone around you, and yes, it’s tiring, no, it’s more than that, it can floor you, knock you for six, flat out.

Of course it’s tiring…can we start together by acknowledging the fact that you are reading this.  At this moment you are creating space and energy for a change to take place.  That’s good news.

Sure we can all have our off days, you know the days where you feel out of sorts or your energy levels are depleted and you need a little rest, a little breathing space to recharge the mental batteries, time to get back in sync with who you are.

Some people are great at recognizing these moments, some people can even ‘feel’ when they need to take time out and actually do it, before the negativity starts.

But we’re all different, not all built that way or have the information yet.

How can you begin to enjoy and live your life again?

Richard Charles Baker once said ‘…your life becomes the thing you have decided it shall be’.  This sums up your current problem perfectly, once you decide your life is ‘tiresome, boring and not worth anything to anyone or anything’…guess what? Your living a life that is tired, boring and worthless.

How can you turn it around?

It would be so simple for me to say do this, do that, do this next and then this.

Yet, when feeling so low, the last thing you may need to hear (or read) is a set of instructions (that you may feel so overwhelmed looking at) so I’ll give you one tool…just one.

Ready…?

Watch Your Words

That’s it?

Yes, that’s it.  It’s one of the best, one of the easiest and yes, one of the most challenging, yet ever so simple and effective.

Words are so incredibly powerful (actually they can build you up and can destroy you within seconds) they create pictures, thoughts, emotions and then this produces the behavior depending on you feel.  Start having a different dialog with yourself.

So the next time you say ‘I’m tired of life’.  Would you be able to stop and ask yourself ‘that thought is not working for me anymore’

Stop and think differently, just for a second.

Catch yourself.

Watch yourself.

An idea (if you can manage to pause for a second) try these questions on yourself…

• What does the word tired mean to you?
• What pictures does it create?
• What thoughts come up when you use the phrase?  (I bet you don’t see you as successful or content.)
• How do you feel when you use the phrase?  (Happiness? I wouldn’t think so. Confident?  Probably not.)

Lastly notice your behavior, notice your physical body:  the way you hold yourself, you shoulders, your posture, where you look.

• Do you ‘pose’ tired or are you open, awake and alert?

If one word (tired) can create all that, what other word could you replace it with so the thoughts, feelings and emotions are not as strong or negative?

Don’t let one little word hold you hostage. What word or pharse will you be working on?

Jeannie is a graduate of St. Paul Collage of Visual Arts, accomplished mixed media artist and published jewelry designer. She is the originator of the Echo Creative Team and of the Do Over Challenge. When she is not creating art, she helps people live happy, healthy lives.