Thinking from the Inside

Yep.  Still here.  And still inside by choice.

If there is one defining thought that I took away from the events of these last 12 months is the importance of having a well-formed internal life.  With so much turmoil and the accompanying assault on our in-take valves, it is easy to forget that we need to change our filters periodically to keep our mental insides clean and running smoothly. We need this to function properly.

January is my month for filter changing.  To redirect my focus inward, drop all manufactured goal setting with accompanying to-do lists, and instead think about how I want to feel in my skin going forward.  I evaluate what activities from last year were sustaining to me and think about how to remove those that clog my thinking.

I have written about this before—so have others—of the importance to focus on our internal attitude and to set our intentions rather than focussing on the resulting outcome.  We have learned from this past year that goal setting may be futile with so many unexpected changes around us but we can intend to be more joyful or more flexible or more creative which in turn helps the unexpected yield new possibilities.  

Just like Marie Kondo, the tidying up guru, speaks to only keeping items in your home that give you joy, so I also strongly recommend only keeping those things in your mind that similarly sustain you. Do what makes your mind feel good and don’t do what doesn’t.

 This is my “goal” for the new year…aside from scrubbing toilets.  🙂

I loved this other post I wrote on attitude back in 2013; click here to read it. Seems so appropriate…