October 2015 edition
I don’t know about you, but I blinked and it’s October! The last couple of months I’ve logged a lot of miles as I traveled the country doing what I love. In just the last couple of weeks I’ve been honored to speak from Massachusetts to Indiana and in the next few weeks I’ll v
isit Oklahoma and Wisconsin. I really do have the best job in the world! I get to talk to people everyday about how they can make their lives into the very best that they can be.
Companies hire me to speak on communication, or work/life balance or networking, but the one thread that runs strong through all of my topics is this simple idea: whatever changes you want to make in your life all begin with your MINDSET. I say it everywhere I go, mindset matters! The smallest adjustment in the way you think can produce huge changes in your life and career. So this month I decided to focus on just how change begins and what you can do to get started.
October is going to be an awesome month, so let’s get going…
Four Ways to Change Your Mind and Change Your Life
The human brain is an amazing thing. It allows us to speak, imagine, problem solve and remember. The brain serves as a record of the past and a mirror to our current situation and surroundings.
You see, we’re all creatures of habit. We pretty much do the same thing every day – in pretty much the same way (think of your routine: you brush your teeth the same way, you have your shower routine, take the same route to work, etc). These routine activities make up your life and your realities. And these routine activities produce the same feelings and emotions. So everyday we are repeating the same activities and creating the same emotions.
According to the National Science Foundation, we produce between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day. WOW that’s some serious thinking! But listen to this:
90% of these are the same as the day before. Hold on tight and stay with me here. If we’re having the same thoughts every day, then we’re making the same choices every day, creating the same behaviors every day. And these behaviors are producing the same experiences, which create the same emotions that create the same thoughts… I’m guessing you get the picture here.
Here comes the exciting part. You can change the pattern. That’s a simple statement but let’s really put that into context: YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR PATTERNS AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE! See, I told you it was exciting. But to change you need to think greater than your surroundings and greater than the details of your life.
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale
Ultimately, it’s our thoughts that determine the quality of our life. They determine if we’re happy, sad or content. If your thoughts are happy and optimistic, then your blood flows freely and your heart beats joyously and chances are there is a spring in your step. On the other hand, sad, gloomy and pessimistic thoughts force us inward and to an immobile and sedentary state. Our thoughts directly produce our actions and our realities.
So we’ve got to change our thoughts (our mindset) in order to bring about our happiness and make our lives all that we want them to be. But here’s more good news: our brain is adaptable and can easily handle any changes that we bring about in our thought patterns.
Here are four ways you can change your thoughts and ultimately your life:
- Choose your words carefully
Our words are our affirmations. Words impact the neurological function of our brain and can be positive or negative. Sometimes the difference between the two is obvious but sometimes a subtle shift in our words can be powerful.
Stay away from thoughts and words like I ‘should’ or ‘ought to’. They relate to a norm or standard that we don’t need to hold ourselves up to. It’s more effective to use words such as ‘I can’ or ‘I will’. These small adjustments in our words can make big difference in our reality. So adjust your word choice and watch the changes around you start to flow. And remember, you don’t have to worry, the brain can handle these changes!
- Let it go
Have you ever failed and just can’t seem to stop beating yourself up for it? Maybe you keep saying if only I’d done this or done that differently? Or how many of us have been hurt by a friend or family member and just can’t seem to let it go? Those feelings of disappointment or resentment that linger and continually repeat themselves force us to repeat the same thoughts and actions.
You’ve got to let go of those unhealthy feelings and emotions associated with past misfortunes or the perceived wrongs done to us. Now that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t learn from the experiences and proceed into the future better informed. But find a way to release or let those ill feelings go. You may have to practice and when one pops into your brain, immediately tell yourself to erase it and replace it with a more positive one. Take a deep breath and let them go!
- Look around and be grateful
Everybody wants a better life or more of this or more of that. That’s okay. But don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. Take a look around and be grateful and enjoy the progress and success thus far instead of feeling regret about what you haven’t been able to attain yet. Goals are great, in fact they are a must! (Have you checked out my online guidebook Goal Setting for Goal Getting?) Goals push us higher and farther, but don’t forget to celebrate along the way. Celebrate how far you’ve come and celebrate the tiny steps. They all get us to where we are going. Take the time to be grateful for your present and then focus on the changes to come that will make your future bright!
“If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.” ~ Lao Tzu
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.Be the master of your mindset
Here is my favorite. Control your mind – don’t let it control you. You’re in charge of YOU and that includes your thoughts. Make sure that you are being picky about the things that enter your consciousness. The philosopher Descartes made the famous statement, “I think, therefore I am.” Thoughts can be our best friends or our worst enemies. Don’t let other people or environments decide if you are going to be happy or sad. You make the choice, select the thoughts and be happy!
You change your life by changing your thoughts. It’s a pretty simple idea that takes a little practice. Try these out and start to live your best life!
Your Body Changes with the Season
Cooler weather shakes up those taste buds and my kitchen fare shifts from tomatoes and melons to warm and cozy soups and stews. There’s a slew of science that shows the effects that temperature and light have on our bodies. So with the cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours, here are a couple of easy changes to help your body adjust to the changing seasons.
Get more Vitamin D. If you‘re like me then you really miss the sunshine in the winter months. Maybe it won’t make the winter blues go away but supplementing your Vitamin D in the coming months will help your bones and boost your immune system to fight the cold and flu season.
Keep moving! Exercise is easy when the sun is shining and the weather is warm. But cold days make you want to curl up on the couch. Winter exercise is doubly important with holiday treats and festivities on the calendar. If regular visits to the gym or your usual walk around the block aren’t options, then find some home stretching or exercises to keep that body moving!
Get your Closet Ready for Fall
As you have probably noticed, the days are shorter and the nights are, thankfully, cooler. The time has come to put away our Capri’s and sandals, and get our wardrobes ready for the cooler weather of fall and winter.
Before you go shopping for the latest fall fashions, take a few minutes and get your closet updated and ready for the season. Try these six tips that will help you review and edit your existing wardrobe. When you are done, not only will you better understand which of your current clothes fit and flatter you the most, you will also have a better understanding of what clothes you need to purchase to update your closet for fall and winter.
- Label five bags as follow: Donate, Repair, Toss, Clean, and Consign.
- Anything with holes or permanent stains needs to be tossed. If you haven’t gotten the stains out by now, or repaired the tears, it is time to let the items go.
- If you bought it in the 80s or 90s then take a good long look, Chances are it’s time to donate it. Parachute pants. jelly shoes and the Dynasty power suits have come and gone so send them on their way to the donation bag.
- If you haven’t worn it in the last year, let it go! Any item you have held onto for more than one year, unless you were pregnant, should be donated or consigned.
- Now start trying on what is left and be honest. If it makes you look and feel great, keep it, if not donate or consign. Do not forget to take notice of which colors, fit and style, look best on you. Contrary to popular belief, black is not always flattering on everyone.
- Take the remaining clothes and hang them all with the hanger facing out. As you wear an item, if you love it, re-hang it facing in. Anything left at the end of a season facing the wrong way is to be donated or consigned.
Voila, now you have a closet only filled with things you actually wear and there’s room for all those new fall fashion finds!
To stay inspired or share the inspiration just click on the images above to download!
Mindset Expert and Motivational Speaker, Kim Hodous is an award winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, a fun-loving mom and all-around lover of life. For more than 15 years, Kim has shared her laugh out loud funny but powerful message with thousands of entrepreneurs, executives and women across the country. Armed with the experience of taking her kitchen table hobby to a seven figure business, she combines the lessons she learned along the way with a fresh perspective on work and life. Kim shares the REAL DEAL on success, happiness, and health so you can live an extraordinary life!
To learn more about Kim, visit her website at www.kimhodous.com .