I read a superb book some years ago.
Let me share something I read in it, with you.
You have a photo album or albums, right?
Doesn't matter if it is digital or the physical kind.
In these, you keep memories of happy times.Maybe there's a photo...
... of you with family, smiling, at a get-together
... of you with friends, having a great time
... of you on holiday seeing exotic places
... of you as a happy child
... of your wedding
... of things that you want to remember, things that make you feel happy
I am pretty certain you don't store photos of unhappy moments.
Of course, you don't have a photo ...... of you being scolded by your teacher/mom/aunt
... of you worrying, stressing over something
... of crying when you're hurt
... of breaking off with a significant other
... of an angry moment
... of you when you're sick
Nobody takes pictures of these and puts them in their album, do they?
But there's another photo album-the one inside our head.It is our memory, our secret photo album.
In this album, we safely store negative photos.
Snapshots of being insulted, pictures of being let down, vignettes of unhappiness.
There are very few of those happy pictures in this secret album.
Isn't that sad?
Now, here is what I want you to do:
- Pull out that album from inside your head.
- Delete the photos/memories of things that make you unhappy, things that don't inspire you.
- Dump them in the bin.
They have no place in this album.
Replace them with photos/memories that are similar to those happy pictures, the ones you keep in the album you look at to walk down memory lane and feel nostalgic, the one you show off to people.
To your secret memory album, add a photo ...
- of that time when you and your friends/family/partner shared a special moment
- of that time when you experienced real kindness
- of that day when the sun shone down and everything looked beautiful
- of that warm hug from a loved one.
These are the photos that belong in your memory.
Then, when you pause during your day, you will find yourself lovingly pulling out this album and turning its pages, smiling, laughing, feeling good.
When you sit back and think, you'll have pleasant thoughts.
You'll be less stressed, and happier.
Can you do that for yourself? Will you do it? Do it.
