The Trump Effect

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anxiety, being present, chaos, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Donald Trump, Fear, future, growing up, human behaviour, human nature, humanity, illusion of control, impatient, integrity, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, panic, peace, politics, Truth

You lose your grip and then you slip into the masterpiece.

~ Leonard Cohen

I’d like to tell you that I’m even-tempered. That I keep a cool head when my patience or my sense of right and wrong are being tested. That the minute I feel my jaw clench in anger, I am able to say some kind of catch phrase like Breathe or Let It Go and I’m magically transported to the present where the stuff I’m losing my cool about hasn’t happened yet and may never ever happen at all. But I’d be lying.

Truth is, this is something I’m always trying to grow into and although I’m getting better at it, I may never master it. But that’s ok as long as I’m trying, right?

What seems funny to me is that when I’m in the midst of ‘losing it,’ I feel perfectly justified. Yet when I see someone else behave in a similar manner, My mouth forms the word WOW and I think to myself, ‘What a wacko.’

The Donald and how some of us react to him is a good example of this. “Oh those bad Canadians, they’re really screwing us over in the milk industry and softwood lumber industry by doing this and that and the bad Mexicans, something to do with chickens blah, blah, blah…and so I’m going to renegotiate to get us a better deal or just pull out of NAFTA all together.”

And then chaos ensues and people are running around to research if what he is saying is really true and if he can actually do what he says he going to do and the news is consumed with the silliest debates, things we all thought we were clear on like is the sky really blue and we wonder well is it and then we think, hey wait a minute… Ugh I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THIS AGAIN!

I’m seriously starting to wonder if he is a genius in the sense that he can so easily get us so wound up and I bet he’s having a nap, or reading the paper or doing laps in a pool, or worse working on something he doesn’t want the public to know about, while we are reacting to a non issue!

Well as it turns out, he can’t just pull out of NAFTA. The worst he can do is sign an executive order that indicates he would like to pull out in six months and then it would go through this huge process and many others would have to want to do the same – bottom line – it’s a process that goes way beyond Donald’s mere wishes…

Anyway, my point really has nothing to do with NAFTA or Donald Trump or politics or how we should navigate these issues. It merely serves as a globally recognizable example of something I struggle with daily – to not immediately react to a situation, to not get pulled into someone else’s chaos, to just breathe, stay in the present and respond in a caring and appropriate way.

` DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What’s the thing you struggle with? Can you think of a good Trump illustration for it? 😉

The Thing About Jealous, Vengeful, Obsessive, Panicky, Fear-Based Thoughts…

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courage, Diana Schwenk, Fear, focus, happy, health, jealousy, joy, obsessive, panic, passion, peace, positivity, Purpose, vengeful

… is that if you allow them to fester, you just make them stronger by continuously feeding them.

I’ve had my share of dealing with every one of the above mentioned thoughts and a whole slew of others over the years. And it is not fun!

It makes me feel anxious.

It lowers my energy level.

It can affect my sleep, cause me to eat too much or too little or opt for unhealthy food and the list goes on.

Many years ago I wanted something so bad. I obsessed about it every waking moment. I dreamt about it when I slept. Soon I couldn’t focus on anything else. It was like an addiction.

I knew I was in trouble so I tried not to think about it. The more I tried not to think about it, the more I thought about it. I was stuck in an unwanted and unhealthy thought loop.

I’ve had similar experiences when I’m afraid, or jealous, or scathingly angry with someone; I get stuck in a loop and the more I think about it, the less time I have for anything else.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to just flip a switch to turn off my thoughts, so I’ve learned some other techniques that seem to help.

• Do something about it. If there is anything within my power that I can do to make a situation right, I need to do it.
• Taking care of me. I may not be able to move beyond my thoughts right away, but I can take care of me by eating right, exercising, brushing my teeth, showering, social outings, etc.
• Focus on someone else. One thing all of the above thoughts have in common is they are all about me. So I can focus on others; I can invite them over for dinner, help them move to their new place, listen if they’re struggling, cheer them up, encourage them, bake cookies and bring them over for no reason, etc.
• Keep busy with projects. Clean out my closet, write that letter I’ve been meaning to write, do those things I’ve been putting off. Even at the best of times, these neglected projects nag at me. As I cross them off my list one by one, it is amazing how good it makes me feel. This good feeling begins to replace my negative thinking.
• Count my blessings. Yes, I know, it sounds cliché, but it really works! As I look at all I have; shelter, food, security and I think of, and pray for, and send warm thoughts to those I care about, my dark mood lifts.
• Wine and chocolate!

How do you get yourself out of negative thought loops?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~