Are You Afraid Of The Branch Breaking?
This Week's Simple Tip
Most mornings I start my day with a quote from a beautifully photographed book called Daily Mindfulness: 365 Days of Present, Calm, Exquisite Living. This particular message really resonated with me: "A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings. Always believe in yourself."
As humans, we struggle to trust ourselves like the bird. Why are we so different? Unlike the bird, we have three ways of looking at decisions: with our heads, our hearts, or our guts:
Our heads think in a logical fashion, weighing the pros and cons, and evaluating them based on certain criteria.
Our hearts look at things based on how we feel at any given moment, resulting in emotional decision-making similar to how a toddler does when focused on “I want this now”
Our guts send us intuitive messages about what we think about something, while offering very little explanation compared to our head and our heart. Babies are a good example as they only react to gut feelings because their minds do not yet know/understand words.
So which one is "best" or "right?" They all have their place. We definitely want to think about problems and opportunities from both logical and emotional perspectives. However, it is important to recognize the associated limitations, and allow ourselves a “gut check” before making the final decision. I am sure we can all recall at least one time we have regretted not listening to our guts :) Most likely everything pointed to one choice even though something inside was telling you something different. Without giving credibility to that last "gut check," we sometimes look back and think "I should have listened.”
This Week's Focus
This week, think about the bird! Don't rely solely on what your head and heart are telling you WHEN your gut is telling you something else. Believe in yourself when intuition is messaging to you!.
Click on the serenity sticky to print, cut and post on your bathroom mirror to remind you of this week's focus. Good luck!
