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Let your inner child out to play! Here is laughter and fun. Let’s share stories and jokes and funnies. Sometimes we’ll have some serious thought, but not too often. Our inner children want to play. Come on let’s have some fun!

Game Changer

12/20/2019

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“Think thoughts that feel good. Make choices that feel good.”
-Cheryl Richardson, You Can Create an Exceptional Life

Have you heard the saying, ‘Life is a game, all you have to do is know how to play it?’  If that’s true, why is it that so many of us are playing a game we don’t enjoy? And once we recognize we’re playing a game we don’t enjoy; how do we change it?

Positive thinking is a game changer.

It’s so simple. Then why is it so powerful? Why is it that each time I take it to heart, make the commitment to myself, follow through and surprise, surprise - feel good - it feels like a lightbulb moment?

Last week, I spent quite a bit of time on the couch, feeling under the weather. (A great expression, and kind of funny when you think that I just wrote a post about standing under the rain of fear - Take Refuge. Energy does follow attention. Maybe I need to be a little pickier about my metaphors. 😉)

Anyway, I started down the, ‘woe is me, I don’t feel good,’ path and caught myself. As Universal support would have it, I had just purchased You Can Create an Exceptional Life, co-authored by Cheryl Richardson and Louise Hay, from which the above quote is taken. The book has one, main message (reference above quote) with lots of practical suggestions and techniques to apply it in your life.

I decided to inspire myself even if I didn’t feel good. I then applied several of the techniques I resonated with from the book, and lo and behold I started to feel better. At first, I felt better emotionally, and then I started to feel better physically. My energy  returned, my headache wafted away. Many of the techniques in the book I was already familiar with. Why hadn’t I been utilizing them all along? Somehow, I forgot, so it’s supportive to hear the teachings again and again.

Why do we forget to use the techniques that work?

It is for that very reason, they work, that we so conveniently forget about them. We may not be quite ready to implement the change in our lives that would create. Perhaps we feel we don’t deserve to feel good. Perhaps we don’t feel safe feeling good, always wondering when the next shoe will drop. Perhaps we believe we’ve got to always be on the look-out for what can go wrong. Perhaps we just want the adrenaline rush of the drama that happens when things go wrong.

Whatever the reason, we forget to use the techniques that teach us the habit of feeling good, about ourselves, our lives, and our world. That way we can keep going along the way we were. We can stay safe with what’s familiar. Better the devil you know than the angel you don’t?

But if like me, you’ve had it up to here (picture me reaching as high as I can) with feeling bad about yourself, or about your life, or about how things are going in your world, then it’s time to implement a game changer.

Positive self-talk is thinking thoughts that feel good.

To use my experience from above, my first thoughts were negative self-talk. “I don’t feel good. Oh no, I’m getting sick. I won’t be able to get together with the kids on Sunday. I won’t get done what I need to do for Christmas!” I lay down on the couch and felt miserable.

Then I made the conscious decision to positize (yes, that’s a verb in my world). I knew my negative thought trend would only make me feel worse, so I looked in the mirror and said, “I love you. I really love you.” Bleary eyes blinked back at me, but the thought was appreciated. I then thought, “I’m getting better and better every day. Things are always working out for me.” I continued thoughts along those same lines, putting an intentionally positive spin on whatever it was that I was thinking about that day. At odd moments throughout the day I consciously thought to myself, “Today is a great day.”

The emotion that you feel is the gas for your creative engine.

I allowed myself to feel the positive emotion behind each thought. That is key.

Think about when you are thinking negative thoughts. There is always negative emotion associated with those thoughts, and the negative emotion attracts more negative thoughts into a spinning cycle of negativity.

Fortunately, the same works for positive thoughts and positive emotions. They attract more of the same and soon you are riding the positive feeling band wagon.

If you know you’re going to feel better when you think positive thoughts, why not positize your thinking?

It is particularly useful to positize your thoughts at this time of year.

During the holidays there are so many expectations of happiness, so much frantic activity, so many idealized images of the perfect holiday, it can all be too much.

What if instead of holding yourself to unrealistic ideas of perfect holidays, you thought thing like,

 “I’m so grateful for the love shared with each of my family and friends.”

“I’m so grateful that my holidays are filled with the magic of the season.”

Placing your attention upon the love and magic that the season represents rather than the physical trappings or the expectations that you perceive from yourself or others.

Find a way to positize each thought you think, whatever it is that you are thinking about. You will be glad you did, because thought by thought you’ll be feeling better and better.

“I’m feeling better and better. I’m feeling better and better…” and you know what? I really am. Game changed.
andi-rieger-576036-unsplash

Your Spiritual Toolbox

Play the What if? Game.

We do this all the time when we are worrying about something. We think, “What if this happens? How will that feel? What will I do?” That’s what worrying is all about, coming up with various different awful scenarios and worrying about what to do about each one. It’s not that you actually believe all those awful things will happen, you just think that’s the way to be prepared for what might happen.

Instead, choose to play in a positive way, a way that supports positive self-talk and feeling good.

Think about a positive scenario that you would like to have happen in your life. Then allow yourself to muse over all the different ways that could play out in your life. You don’t have to believe it will actually happen. Just pick something that feels good to think about.

For example, ask yourself, “What if I felt energized and enthusiastic about my life every day? What would that feel like? What would that look like day to day?”

Allow yourself to really feel what it feels like. Do you feel good? Then you are on the right track.

One positive side effect to playing this game is that if you have any self-limiting beliefs about happiness they may pop up as you play this game.

If part of you believes you don’t deserve to be happy, you may hear about it. Those, “Yes, but…” thoughts will pipe up.

“Yes, but you don’t know what’s around the next corner.” "Yes, but Mom always said, don’t…” “Yes, but I always got smacked down when I let myself be too happy.”

Fortunately, negative thinking and “Yes, buts…” are just old habits. You can retrain yourself into new, positive habits.

Playing the “What if? Game is a great way to start.
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The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Play

12/6/2019

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This is a story for all the adults out there who have forgotten how to play. Our inner child can be completely submerged beneath all the responsibilities, doing and purpose of adult life. That's when we forget. So read on and meet Rosalind. See if she feels just a little bit familiar.  
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Rosalind was eight years old. She had brown, curly hair and a nice smile. Rosalind was a great kid, but she didn’t know how to play. It was such an odd thing, a child who didn’t know how to play.

At first she tried to hide the fact from the other children at school by joining in on the games at recess. The girls usually played hop scotch, throwing a rock in the first square and hopping on one foot all around it in the other squares.  Rosalind tried to play.

“Why do I have to throw the rock and hop in the squares?” She’d ask.  “Why can’t I let my other foot touch the ground? Are we graded on how well we play?”

The children would only laugh at her and tell her to go away because she was spoiling their fun. Rosalind stopped trying to play with them.

She tried to hide the fact from her teachers, and this was easy to do. After all everything they did at school had a purpose, it mattered, and she would be graded on her efforts. Rosalind was proud to be a good student. She worked well with the other students, completing projects on time and making sure everyone got their work done.
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Rosalind’s teachers never figured out that she didn’t know how to play. But Rosalind’s parents knew. They knew because even though Rosalind kept very busy helping out around the house and building a doll house complete with furnishings, curtains, beddings and dolls; even though she had a bedroom full of stuffed animals and toys, she never actually played with them. They knew because at every meal time Rosalind always ate politely, keeping each food separate on her plate, and folding her napkin neatly after finishing. She never spilled her milk, or played with her food, or made a mess of any kind. You would think that her parents would be pleased but they weren't. They were worried.

One day her mother insisted that Rosalind invite a friend from school to come over to play. So she invited Beth, a girl she had worked on a project with who she thought was nice.

Beth came over and Rosalind’s mother said, “Why don’t I bring down Grammie’s trunk and you girls can play dress-up?” Rosalind nodded, and the girls soon enjoyed pulling out all the old clothes and jewelry.

Then Beth said, “I’ll be the queen and you can be my lady-in-waiting.”

Rosalind looked at her and asked, “Why?”

“Because it’s fun.” said Beth, “Come on. Put this on.” Beth handed her a pink, gauzy gown.

“OK,” said Rosalind. She put on the gown and it was a foot too long.  She dug through the pile of clothes and found high heeled shoes that pinched her toes and a sparkly veil that smelled of the attic and made her sneeze. Then she stood there, waiting. Beth looked at her.

“What are you doing Rosalind?”

“I’m waiting, lady-in-waiting, get it?”

“Rosalind. You have to do more than wait.” Said Beth.

Rosalind thought about it. What else was there to do? She could hardly move in the dress and ill-fitting heels. She was going to sneeze again, she could just feel it and what was the point of this anyway?

“Rosalind, don’t you even know how to play?” Asked Beth.

No, Rosalind didn’t know how to play. She knew she was missing something, something important, but it just didn’t make any sense to her. What was the point of playing? It accomplished nothing. She could better spend her time building something or cleaning her room or doing her homework. What was so great about playing?

Rosalind took off the gown and the high heels and the veil and put them neatly back in the box.

“Thanks for coming over Beth, but I think you’d better go home now. I’ve got homework to do,” and Rosalind went up to her room.
 
Soon, it was almost time for Christmas vacation and all the children, even Rosalind were beside themselves with excitement about the upcoming holiday. Rosalind ran home from school each afternoon to help get ready for Christmas. She helped her Mom and Dad string lights around the windows and on the bushes in front of the house and then helped them set up the Christmas tree and hang shining tinsel from its branches.  They baked Christmas cookies, filling the house with the wonderful smells of ginger, molasses and cinnamon. She loved helping to wrap presents and package up the cookies to give as gifts. She even helped to address and stamp the envelopes for cards and proudly carried the huge pile out to the mail box.

Christmas was full of important things to do and it was Rosalind’s favorite time of year. And this year Christmas was going to be better than ever because her parents had told her she was getting a special present, a surprise! Rosalind could hardly sleep for looking forward to Christmas morning.

Finally, Christmas morning arrived. She crept downstairs and the tree was all lit up. Presents were scattered about under the tree and her father was just walking into the room, tousle-haired with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

“Merry Christmas Rosalind! Looking for your present? Here it is.”

He pointed to a huge box under the tree. It was wrapped in bright red and white striped paper.  A frothy red and green bow bounced on top of it. Bounced? Thought Rosalind. Yes, there it was again. The bow was bouncing up and down on top of the box, and there was a scrabbling sound at the bottom of the present.

“Guess you’d better open it, Ros, before it opens itself,” said her father, reaching to put his arm around her mother who had just come in from the kitchen.

Rosalind was excited and mystified. She carefully undid the bow and as she did the scrabbling sound got louder. She looked at her parents, a question in her eyes. They only smiled at her. She pulled the top off the box.

A tiny, brown, wagging, furry puppy with huge ears, fell out of the box. Rosalind was enchanted. She reached down to pick him up and he wriggled in her arms trying to lick her face, her fingers, and her hands all at once. She held him up to feel his soft fur on her cheek, feel his warm, wet tongue on her face, and sniff deeply of the musty puppy smell of him. He wriggled with pleasure almost falling out of Rosalind’s grasp, but she held on until she could put him safely on the ground. There was no way she was going to let him get hurt. He was her puppy and she was going to take good care of him.

“I’ll call him Wriggles,” she said with delight, “Mr. Wriggles.”

Rosalind took excellent care of Mr. Wriggles. The two were inseparable, except when Rosalind had to be at school. He slept on her bed, had breakfast when she did, went out in the yard with her to get some exercise, had lunch and dinner when Rosalind did. When he made a mess in the house as puppies will, Rosalind cleaned up after him and showed him where the proper place was outside for such things. She brushed him everyday until his coat shone.  Rosalind loved Mr. Wriggles and he loved her.

One day, Rosalind was out in the yard with Mr. Wriggles throwing a little stick for him to fetch so that he would get his exercise, when Mr. Wriggles did an odd thing. He caught the stick in his mouth and then flicked his head sending the stick up in the air. The stick landed on the ground and Mr. Wriggles positioned his forefeet on the stick and kicked it backward so that it flew up under his belly and out between his hind legs. Then he danced around and placed his forefeet on the stick again and kicked it backward sending it flying. He leapt up into the air all four feet off the ground and did a pirouette in midair, landing so that he could kick the stick up again. He was clearly delighted with himself and kept kicking the stick, pirouetting, and kicking the stick again.

Rosalind started to laugh and she couldn’t stop. She fell down on the ground she was laughing so hard. Mr. Wriggles ran over to her and began to lick her face enthusiastically. Rosalind was howling with laughter, and trying to cover her face with her hands to protect herself from his wet, pink tongue. Then she jumped up, grabbed his stick and ran. Mr. Wriggles leaped after her and they played chase all around the yard. Finally, worn out, they fell down in a heap, Rosalind hugging Mr. Wriggles close. “I love playing with you, Mr. Wriggles,” she breathed.

“Dinner!” Her mother called standing at the back door and looking at them with a smile on her face. “Come in and wash your hands.”

It was Rosalind’s favorite dinner, mashed potatoes, peas and fried chicken, and she settled down at the table with her parents and dug in happily. Mr. Wriggles lay at her feet. Her mother had given Rosalind a large serving because she knew how Rosalind loved mashed potatoes and peas, but soon Rosalind was getting full.

The remaining green peas were sitting politely on her plate next to what was left of her potatoes and four, well gnawed, chicken bones. Rosalind looked at her plate.  Huh, she thought, what would it look like if I put the peas on top of the potatoes? She did. Then she smooshed the potatoes up around the peas building a wall around the green spheres. That looked pretty good to her and it felt fine to be mushing the potatoes all around like that. So, she picked up a chicken bone and stood it in the center of the mound. That's interesting, she thought. She picked up another one and stuck it in the side, and another one and stuck it in the other side. She picked up the last chicken bone and ...

“Rosalind! You’re playing with your food!” said her father, eyes wide and eyebrows arched so high they threatened to lift off his face.

“I am?” She replied, her own eyes wide. She hesitated only a moment. “I am!" Then Rosalind looked up at her father with a mischievous smile on her face and twinkling eyes. Lifting the last chicken bone in the air between two fingers, she plunged it into her mashed potatoes and giggled,  "It's fun!”
 
  
 


Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash 
 
  

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    “Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things."

    -Kenneth Branagh

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​All materials provided on www.hollyhildreth.com are provided for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only and are not intended to be, or serve as a substitute for, professional medical/psychological advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition.
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© Holly Hildreth
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Savor the Sweetness
  • Be of Service
  • Know Thyself
  • Follow Your Bliss
  • Play
  • Be Content
  • Trust God
  • Faster Emotional Freedom Technique-V