On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

Many of the biggest misunderstandings in life could be avoided if we would simply take the time to ask, “What else could this mean?”

And while that question alone can help us reframe our thoughts and broaden our perspectives, using the simple phrase “The story I’m telling myself…” as a prefix to troubling thoughts has undoubtedly created more “aha moments” for our students in recent times. Here’s how it works…

For example, perhaps someone you love (husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.) didn’t call you on their lunch break when they said they would, and now an hour has passed and you’re feeling upset because you’re obviously not a high enough priority to them. When you catch yourself feeling this way, use the phrase:

“The story I’m telling myself is that they didn’t call me simply because I’m not a high enough priority to them.”

Then ask yourself:

1. Can I be absolutely certain this story is true?
2. How do I feel and behave when I tell myself this story?
3. What’s one other possibility that might also make the ending to this story true?

On the average day, I bet your answer to question #1 is “no,” and your answer to #2 is “not very good.” And I hope question #3 gets you doing more of … “I don’t know why they haven’t called yet, but maybe…”

• “…they’re extremely busy at work today and barely had a lunch break.”
• “…there was a misunderstanding and they were waiting for me to call them.”
• “…they forgot due to unforeseen distractions that popped up, but it’s nothing personal.”

“The story I’m telling myself…” and the three related questions gives you a tool for revisiting and reframing the troubling or confusing situations that arise in your daily life. From there you can challenge the stories you’re subconsciously telling yourself and reality-check them with a more objective mindset, which ultimately allows you to make better decisions about everything.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her signature book, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules, behavioral scientist and bestselling author Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott expands on the following:

Source: If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her bestselling book, A Year of Positive Thinking, inspirational speaker Cyndie Spiegel shares daily meditations. Here’s one of my favorites:

Kintsukuroi is a kind of Japanese ceramic style. The word Kintsukuroi means “to repair with gold.” In the Kintsukuroi tradition, when a ceramic piece breaks, an artisan will fuse the pieces back together using liquid gold or gold-dusted lacquer. So rather than being covered up, the breaks become more obvious, and a new piece of art emerges from the brokenness.

Kintsukuroi embraces flaws and imperfection, but it also teaches the essence of resilience. Every crack in a ceramic piece is part of its history, and each piece becomes more beautiful because it has been broken.

You will fall.
You will fail.
You will break.
You will stand up and dust yourself off.
You will repair yourself again and again.
And eventually, though you will be different than before, you will again become whole.
You will be even more beautiful precisely because of all of this.
You will be a better person because of your imperfections, not in spite of them.

Source: A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Each Sunday, I receive an inspirational email from Reid Tracy, the CEO of Hay House. I found this recent message a thought-provoking one:

According to Louise Hay, intuition is our inner voice (or “Inner Ding,” as she called it), which speaks to us through feelings, sensations, and gut instincts. By paying attention to these signals, we can make decisions that align with our highest good and avoid situations that don’t serve us.

Dr Joe Dispenza argues that intuition isn’t some mystical force, but a natural ability we all have—a product of the subconscious mind, which processes information at a much faster rate than our conscious mind. By learning how to tap into the power of our subconscious, we can access our intuition and use it to achieve our goals and live a more fulfilling life.

So, how can we learn to trust our intuition? Here are some tips inspired by the teachings of Louise and Dr Joe:

Listen to your body: Pay attention to how you feel physically when making decisions. Does your stomach feel tight or relaxed? Do you feel a sense of excitement or dread? These physical sensations can give you clues about what’s right for you.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment without judgment. By cultivating mindfulness, we can quiet our minds and connect with our inner wisdom. Take a few moments each day to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and tune in to your intuition.

Journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you get clarity about what you truly want. Use journaling as a tool to explore your inner landscape and connect with your intuition.

Take inspired action: Fear is one of the biggest obstacles to trusting our intuition. So, work toward overcoming fear by taking action when you feel inspired or excited about something—that’s your intuition talking. Start small and take note of the outcome when you act. Soon you’ll learn to trust your intuitive nudges.

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In The Comfort Book, bestselling author Matt Haig shares little parcels of hope. Here’s an inspiring passage I like to read on challenging days:

It won’t last.

You have felt other things. You will feel other things again.

Emotions are like weather. They change and shift. Clouds can seem as still as stone. We look at them and hardly notice a change at all. And yet they always move.

The worst part of any experience is the part where you feel like you can’t take it anymore. So, if you feel like you can’t take it anymore, the chances are you are already at the worst point. The only feelings you have left to experience are better than this one.

You are still here. And that is everything.

Source: The Comfort Book, p. 28.