I collect thoughts. I create empowering thoughts for myself to think on purpose and I ask myself empowering questions daily. My workspace is cluttered with post-it notes of all sizes and colors. I have post-it notes pinned to the lampshade on my bedside table, post-it notes on the fridge, post-it notes on the front door, post-it notes on the bathroom mirror. Thoughts strewn throughout the house to remind me to tell my brain my new thought, my new belief, my new inspiration. I am tempted to decorate the dash of my car with post-it notes, but I am afraid I will create too much of a visual distraction, so no, not on the dash!
I will confess, I am a bit embarrassed about my post-it note fetish. And if I know someone is going to drop by, I gather up my post-it notes and tuck them in a drawer. Sometimes my postiees, as I call them, remain hidden and a new series of postiees begins. Other times, my postiees get sorted, filed and/or trashed. It’s not a very efficient system so I asked my brain to provide a solution.
I forgot about that instruction until poof… “The box, use the box.” Puzzled, what? Use the box, what are you talking about? Ahhh, use the box! Great idea!
I have a box that holds stuff I deem important enough not to lose. It’s a plain brown shoebox sized unobtrusive box from a craft store that gets in the way more often than not sitting on my desk. One day I started using it to elevate my lap top when I am video conferencing. It was an esthetically and ergonomically brilliant discovery. Elevating my lap top about 4 inches, relieves stress on my neck, minimizes the appearance of my double chin and avoids the inadvertent up the nostrils view!
Use the box. I now capture my most cherished thoughts on my box. I love my box, it’s so inspiring now. “Follow your unconventional crazy heart.” “Everything is easy once you understand.” “Act as though your dream is non-negotiable.” “Show up on fire.” “Never too old to defy the odds.”
Isn’t it amazing? I just asked my brain in passing what to do with all these random postiees. It answered, and now I have an inspiration box, not a boring clutter control box.
Our brain is one of the most under-utilized creative gifts we have been given as humans. It is there, keeping itself occupied repeating old and not-so-helpful thoughts, twiddling its thumbs, waiting for instructions.
Open up your creativity, ASK your brain questions. “Ooh good one… I love a challenge… Hmmm… Haaa…. Poof! There ya go!”
Never allow it to default to “I don’t know.” That is a brain thumb twiddle. Tell it to figure it out, no thumb twiddling allowed!
Even better, ASK yourself empowering questions (see my 5 day challenge CLICK HERE). Don’t ask why can’t I lose weight, ASK what do I need to do to lose weight? Then ask, how can I make weight loss fun? Then ask, how can I make weight loss permanent? Then ask… what do I truly want to do with my life? What makes my life meaningful? How can I be more attentive to the people I love? There is no limit to your brain’s creativity.
Just ask your brain. It knows. It will answer.
Where will you take yourself?
Have a fantastic week,
Buff on,
Dr Karen
