I am working on changing my overall mindset. It’s a bit like renovating a house, except it’s my brain. I’m adding a second story, refinishing the basement, changing wall paper… It’s a big project, but in the end, I hope to be a happier, healthier person.
For one of the renovations, I’m adopting a mantra: my challenges are my blessings. This mantra has really brightened up my brain, acting like a wonderful coat of white paint on walls that were formerly black and brown.
Here’s how it works:
Step One: I catch myself responding to a situation in a negative way.
Step Two: I realize I’m categorizing the situation as a “challenge.”
Step Three: I reframe the “challenge” as a “blessing.”
Step Four: I take a deep breath and let good feelings wash away the bad.
And here are a few examples of my mantra in action:
| The Challenge | The Blessing |
| Toys everywhere | We have the money to buy our children toys and friends and family who give our children gifts |
| Children who talk, talk, talk and ask All the Questions | Our children are bright and curious about the world |
| Julian throws tantrums | My son is developmentally right on track for a 2.75 year old |
| I have, oh, eight pounds to lose | I don’t have to go meditate in India to get in touch with my feelings and confront my inner demons. I just have to pay attention to why I eat. |
| Our backyard is all pool and concrete, so I can’t just release the kids into the backyard and assume they’ll be safe | Hello, we have a pool! |
| Dirty dishes | We have food to eat, dishes to dirty, and a sink for washing |
| Lower back pain that strikes if I forget to stretch daily | My body knows how to make me do the things that make me feel like my best self |
And so on and on and on, and I could keep adding to the list because it’s a fun exercise, but hey, my next book is not just going to write itself. As my eleventh grade English teacher liked to say, Onward, Christian soldiers! (Because apparently that’s what English teachers say to motivate their students at Catholic school.)