Increasing your optimism. There are No limits!

Concentration, Optimism, Success

The brain has an open loop system where we are able to pick up subtle clues that are emitted from one another. We can also anticipate the actions of other people and react accordingly and this amazing ability fires back and forth in split seconds between each person. For example, hormones are activated in 40 milliseconds while the sympathetic nervous system is activated in a mere 8 milliseconds.

There is also a cycle of "sacrifice and renewal" which occurs daily within the neurons and this cycle is affected either positively or negatively by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

It is estimated that 85,000 neurons are lost every day and if the SNS is activated more frequently and for prolonged periods, it actually promotes cognitive loss. This includes reducing the health of the immune system, increasing nervousness and fears, and stimulating stress.

The PNS has the opposite effect; promoting renewal and health including a better memory for details, increased positive emotions, lowering blood pressure, and arousing compassion.

Increasing optimism
Activities such as meditation, yoga and prayer have all been shown to promote renewal of neurons while also increasing hope, compassion and optimism.

Meditation affects your perception, your perspective on life, and by promoting a positive mental state enables you to be free from negativity that creates upset. It allows each one of us to move beyond the comprehension of what is occurring in the mind and body and to actually begin to feel the flow of positive emotions.

Mindfulness moments increase and effectively give the mind space to focus on what is positive and meaningful to you.

You begin to recognize what is dominate in your life and choose to develop new habits more in line with what you desire. This allows you to transcend the meditative experience and bring the benefits of meditation into your everyday activities.

So what will you do with the new-found attitude?

Let creativity flow
Wonderful things can happen when you channel your true passions into disciplined action and move beyond recurring thoughts and habits and replace them with positive ones through affirmations and a regular meditation practice and to actually begin to feel the flow of positive emotions. Don't compare yourself to others; simply do your best and encourage this in others,

Becoming active rather than reactive to situations fosters positive emotions, framing goals with hope for the future while also being able to see that negative events can “wake” you up to possibilities. This allows you to transcend the meditative experience and bring the benefits of meditation into your everyday activities.

There are NO limits
Be creative and inventive. Let your ideas flow and find what inspires you. Your horizon is as vast as you allow it to be and as tall and exciting as you make it.

Other people do not have your vision or your desire to succeed. There are no limits to your potential.
Your physical outer world is a reflection of your inner world and your energy is always radiating, flowing, and touching others. True change occurs from within and your positive inner dialogue helps elevate others around you even when you are not saying anything TO them; just thinking positive thoughts.

Affirmations

All that I perceive about myself is positive.

I face challenges with certainty that I will find solutions and overcome all obstacles

I am able to help and encourage people around me

I am successful in all that I set out to do

My life is filled with wonder.

The Winning Attitude

Photography by Margaret Stockley, copyright

"Let others lead small lives, but not you.

Let others argue over small things, but not you.

Let others cry over small hurts, but not you.

Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." Jim Rohn

Your emotions, attitude and reactions can alter your perspective of all situations that you encounter and create connections that are tenuous or forever bonded.  They carry you effortlessly through life or you end up struggling against the current, depending on your attitude.

Positive emotions
Meditation enables you to know yourself better, to probe deep within, and see what habits you harbor. This helps you improve your circumstances by learning from all situations, either experienced directly or observed in the actions of others. Change is unpredictable and this means that on occasions it can sometimes be scary.
Fear of the unknown is a very common emotion as there can be comfort in what is familiar to us, whether it is in the people that we know, our routine, or even our view from our house.
Feelings of anger, jealousy, fear, and acceptance of what is, are self-limiting and self-fulfilling while a positive frame of mind that embraces altruism forges an attitude of determination that leads to inner fortitude and achievement of purpose.

Meditation releases distractions and negative voices and emotions allowing the energies of peace, love, and joy to enter. The ever-growing light within eventually spills over, illuminating the love/hate relationship that we have between our mind and our body, as well as the inter-related connection between our whole selves and other people.

Benefits
There are numerous benefits to meditation that have been listed in previous postings. People will often begin a meditation practice because of its health and relaxation benefits.
What’s often surprising is the amazing effect on attitude.

Because meditation releases a negative perspective, you view the beauty in life more than the garbage; you recognize situations that are healthy for you, people that are beneficial to know, and circumstances that you can learn from rather than complaining and believing that transformation is not possible.
The confidence and self-assurance that you have carries you through life, ensuring that your drive, resolve, and compassion will generate enthusiasm and energy to tackle and deal with all situations.
You will believe that you can make a difference, you can bring about change, and you can be successful.

And you will.

Training the mind
It is worth remembering that the subconscious mind operates day and night, whether you are aware or not. It is here that information received via the senses is stored and retrieved.

While most of us are well aware that “remaining calm” or “love is the answer” are appropriate choices, putting them into practice is another matter entirely when you find it challenging to monitor your thoughts, keep them in check, or even reign in actions that you really don’t want to pursue.

Training the mind through meditation to achieve single-pointed focus allows the self as the witness of the mind to create a better future by eliminating issues from the past which impact the present.
It permits objective observation, i.e. without judgment, of either the world or yourself.

Meditation restores peace to both body and mind and puts you back in control of what you think, say, and do. You are still aware of external stimuli from the senses but no longer affected by them.

Guided Visualization

Choose a word or phrase e.g. I am wanted and valued. I am loved and give love.
Imagine yourself walking on a straight path through woods.
The clouds and thick and heavy, obscuring the light.
See the path, the trees, the dampness of the ground, the dark sky above.
See a tunnel ahead of you.
It is very dark inside but you are drawn to a spark of light at its center.
The light fills you with hope.
As you walk in the darkness towards the circle of light, become aware of any negative memories.
See a shaft of light on the ground.
Step onto it and walk in the beam of light.
Let your negative thoughts rise to the surface and leave them behind.
Leave the shaft and feel the path easier to walk on.
You feel happier than you have felt in a long time.
At the end of the tunnel, you embrace the light.
Explore what you see there.
Use all your senses.
All is light and love.
You know the source of this love, are filled with this love and know that you are loved.