Image courtesy of POSITiv
As I’m sure you’re well aware, our minds are amazing tools. In humans, we’ve been able to use our minds to understand how earth began millions of years ago, build space shuttles that can take us to the moon and understand the most complex of mathematical problems.
Without our mind we wouldn’t be able to survive. However, there are some aspects to our mind that aren’t so beneficial. As a race, our minds have led to the deaths of millions of people around the world. And many people are so depressed, and in so much pain, that they feel the only way out is suicide.
Before you think this is going to be a negative post, don’t worry. It isn’t. My aim today is to help you see how our mind is often simply a filter to how we view the world, and that we have the power to change our outlook on all situations. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you should have a better understand of how this works, and how you can use your own mind to create lasting happiness, positivity and joy inside yourself.
Your Mind is a Filter
Although this may be a tough concept to grasp, everything in the world is actually neutral. It is our minds that give meaning to certain situations, and it is this filter that causes us to react in certain events. For example, when I was in on an African Safari last year, all the staff at the lodge I was visiting were praying for rain. A lot of the animals were dying due to the harsh conditions of the environment. Thankfully, the rain came. However, I’m sure at the same time, there were hundreds if not thousands of men around the world cursing about the weather due to the fact that they couldn’t play golf that day.
To some the rain was life saving, to others it ‘ruined’ their day.
Our minds filter everything around us on a daily basis, we label, we judge and we go through emotions ranging from total joy to utter depression. This range of emotions can happen in a 24hr period, and often does.
Once you begin to understand your mind is a filter, you can learn to filter things to your own liking. You’ll begin to find that everything really is what we make of it, and you’ll reap the benefits for doing so.
Using Your Internal Filter
The followings steps are going to help you find the peace, happiness and positivity that I mentioned earlier.
1. Realize that you have a choice
For any of the following points to be effective, you first have to realize that you have a choice. Right at this moment, you have to decide whether you want to be happy and let go or keep negative emotions held up within you.
“That’s stupid, everyone wants to be happy”
You would be surprised. Many of us complain about our dead end jobs but never look for alternatives. We stress about the fact that we live from paycheck to paycheck but we don’t change our spending habits. We hold on to situations that happened years ago and still let them emotionally affect us today. Decide which end of the emotional scale you want to feel.
2. Accept Everything That Is
Based on my example earlier with the golfers hating the fact that there was rain, let me ask you something. How long do you think it affected them for, or in other words…how long do you think they held negative emotions such as anger or disappointment? For some I’m sure it didn’t last long, for others I’m sure it turned their entire day into an unproductive, downward spiral.
How easier would it have been for them (and us) in any situation, if they just accepted what was. Just accept that it is raining and get on with their day. Acceptance is a beautiful thing because it allows you to instantly let go of any unfavorable emotions. You can’t change the fact that it’s raining, or someone insulted you, or you made a mistake. Take action where you can, but otherwise just accept what is.
There’s no reason to let the negativity that exists in your mind affect you for longer than the occurrence of the emotion itself. The easiest way to start accepting things is to live for the moment, focus on what is around you right now, if you must then focus on the future. Just don’t let the past keep a negative emotional hold on you.
3. Flip the Switch, Make Everything Positive
For some, the concept of acceptance isn’t going to be easy. I agree, accepting certain things can be a challenge, but with practice you can master the art. If you would like to try a different method, try focusing on making everything negative into a positive.
I once gave a mini-speech like that to an ex colleague who would often let little things get to her. The next day she came up to me and said “Guess what, I did it. I made something positive”. “Awesome”, I replied; then she continued.
“My brother took my car out again and I knew he would be driving it too fast as usual, I was just sitting at home, feeling so angry. Then I thought about what you said and just thought about the fact that it’s only a car, he’s safe and he’s using it to be able to get things done”.
After I spoke to her about taking the positive out of everything, she’s been happier ever since.
4. Use EFT to ‘Re-program’ Your Feelings
I’ve been using EFT a lot recently and I’ve had some great results. EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, is about tapping certain energy points of your body, while speaking out loud about negative things on your mind. What this does is start to relax your body and relax your emotions and auto-response over this initially negative feeling.
To ‘EFT’ on your negative emotions, first bring one to mind. Write down a number from 0 to 10 about how negatively this emotion or feeling is affecting you. Now, you need to start repeating this problem out loud (I’m overweight, I’m shy, I’m inadequate, etc.) while tapping on certain points of your body. Those points are:
- Your collar bone
- The side of your hand
- The top of your head
- Your temple
- The point between your nose and your top lip
- Your Chin
There are others but those are some of the main ones. For a video demonstration of this click here. I know it’s likely that you’ll be sceptical of this at first if you haven’t used it, but give it a try and I think you’ll be amazed at the results. Write down the score again and it’s likely that your number is going to be lower. You can repeat the process for more effective results.
If you have any questions about any of the steps here then feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll respond as best I can. Thanks to Peter for the opportunity to guest post; I hope this post helps your future become something that is filled with a lot more choice, happiness, and acceptance.
Glen Allsopp runs a website called PluginID and writes on the topic of Personal Development. His main passion is to inspire, awaken and motivate people to be who they want to be and live the life they want to live.
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译文:
思维的力量：你的内部“过滤器”是如何创造平静，快乐和喜悦的
Image courtesy of POSITiv
我确信你们很清楚我们的思想是了不起的工具。在人类社会，我们能够运用思想去弄懂数百万年前世界是怎样形成的，建造宇宙飞船飞到月球上去，理解最复杂的数学问题。
我思故我在。然而，人类思想的某些方面也不是那么的有益。人类思维已经让世界上的数百万人走向死亡。还有很多人感到沮丧，备受痛苦的煎熬，以至于他们认为唯一的出路就是自杀。
你也许认为这是一封具有消极情绪的邮件，不要担心，它不是。我今天的目的就是想让你们知道：我们的思维常常起着过滤器的作用，它帮助我们看清这个世界；我们有能力改变自己的世界观。我满怀希望你们在看完这封邮件后，对此可以有个更好的了解，知道如何运用你的思维去创造持久的快乐，保持积极愉悦的心境。
你的思维就是过滤器
世间万物实际上都是不确定的，尽管这是个很难理解的概念。我们的思维给某些情境赋予意义，思维这个过滤器让我们对某些事情做出反应。比如，我去年去非洲进行狩猎旅行的时候，我所造访的旅馆里的所有员工都在祈雨。由于恶劣的气候条件，那里的许多动物都奄奄一息。谢天谢地，最后终于下雨了。然而，我相信那天在同一时间，世界上有数百人（即使没有数千）在咒骂天气，因为他们不能去打高尔夫球了。
对某些人来说，雨水救了他们的命；而对其他一些人来说，下雨让他们一整天都不好过。
每天我们都对身边的事进行过滤。我们定义，判断，经历各种情感，从完完全全的快乐到彻底的消沉悲伤。这种情感变化可能会在24小时内发生，而事实常常如此。
一旦你开始明白你的思维是一个过滤器，你就可以学着滤出那些你喜欢的。你将会发现所有事情真的就是我们所期待的那个样子，而你也将会有所收获。
使用你的内部过滤器
以下的步骤将帮助你找到我之前提过的平静、快乐和积极的心态。
1. 知道自己有所选择
首先，你必须意识到你有所选择，以下的任何一点才会有效。就在此刻，你必须决定你是想放下消极情绪变得快乐还是想继续对它紧抓不放。
“那是个愚蠢的问题。每个人都想快乐。”
你一定很惊讶于我们当中的许多人总在抱怨没有出头日的工作，但从来不寻找另外的出路。我们强调我们靠薪水过日子，常常不够花，但从来不改变自己的消费习惯。我们对数年前发生的事耿耿于怀，时至今日还继续让他们影响我们的情绪。做个决定吧，你究竟想达到哪种情感目标。
2. 面对现实
基于我之前提过的想打高尔夫球的人憎恨下雨的坏天气的例子，我想问你们一些问题。你认为他们受这种影响多久了，换句话说，你认为他们有这种类似于生气或失望的消极情绪多长时间了？对于某些人来说，我相信不会持续很久，但对另外一些人，我敢肯定这使他们一整天都精神消沉，毫无建树。
如果他们面对现实，这对他们（同时还有我们）来说，任何情况都会变得更简单。接受下雨的事实，继续过日子。接受事实是一件很美好的事情，它会让你即刻放下不好的情绪。你不能改变下雨的事实，也不能阻止别人侮辱你，更不能改变你已犯下的错误。如果可以，立刻采取行动；要不然，就面对现实。
让消极情绪长存你脑中，你受它影响的时间比你情绪本身出现的时间还要长，这是毫无理由的。最简单的面对现实的方法就是活在当下。假若你必须关注未来的话，关注此刻发生在你身边的事。不要让过去的消极情绪紧抓你不放。
3. 迅速转变，积极面对一切
对于某些人来说，“面对事实”这一概念并不是那么容易理解。我同意。接受某种东西可能会是一个挑战，但只要付诸实践你就可以掌握它。如果你想尝试不同的方法，尝试把消极的东西变成积极的。
我曾跟我以前的一个同事有过类似的简短谈话。（在过去，一些小事情就能让她很烦恼。）第二天她跑来跟我说：“你猜怎么着！我做到了！我以积极的心态去面对一些事了。”“那很好啊，”我回答；然后她继续说。
“我弟弟又一次开我的车出去了。我知道他一定像往常一样开得很快。我呆坐在家，很生气。然后我想起了你说过的话。想想觉得这只不过是一辆车，他很安全，开车出去是为了完成一些事。”
在我跟她说万事想想积极的一面之后，她比以前快乐多了。
4. 利用EFT，重新‘设置’你的心情
最近我一直在用EFT，颇有成效。EFT，意指情绪能量心理学技巧，即是一边大声说出你心中消极的东西，一边轻轻拍打你身体的能量穴位。通过做这些，可以让你的身体和情绪得到放松，对你最初的消极情绪做出自动的回应。
运用EFT处理你的消极情绪，首先要做的事就是记住一个数字。从0到9中选出一个数字写下来，看看这种情绪或感情有多影响你。（译者注：据我理解，数字代表某种情绪对一个人的影响程度，数字越大受到的影响也越大）然后，边轻拍你身体的某些部位，边反反复复大声说出这个问题。（我太胖了，我害羞，我有许多不足，等等）
这些身体部位包括：
- 锁骨
- 手掌边
- 头顶
- 太阳穴
- 鼻子和上唇之间的点
- 下巴 这只是其中的一些，还有其他的部位。想要索取录像示范带，请点击这里。我知道如果之前你没有用过这种方法，你很有可能对它有所怀疑，但尝试一下吧，我相信你会很惊讶于得到的结果的。再一次写下数字，你会发现那个数字慢慢变小。你可以重复此过程以取得更加有效的结果。
假若你对这些步骤有疑问，请畅所欲言，写在下面的评论栏里，我将尽最大的努力做出回答。多亏彼得我才有机会刊登这封邮件。我希望它对你们有所帮助，让你们在未来的日子里拥有更多的机会，快乐与更大的忍耐力。
格兰·奥桑普开了个叫Plug in ID的网站，主题是个人发展。 他激情洋溢，想要鼓励、唤醒、促使人们变成他们想要成为的样子，过他们想过的生活。
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下载我的电子书: 《变化的一年》