What Consumes Your Mind? Meet Terri & Chris

Meet Terri and Chris. They are both nice people. (Random names assigned to fictitious people)

Terri is very worried about the state of the world. They believe that things are falling apart and they’re only going to get worse. They watch the news every night and constantly check headlines throughout their day. They stress about the current state of affairs and about the future. They share their worries with friends and family. Their conversations focus on all that’s wrong. All they can think about are problems. Their stress leaves them feeling short-tempered, tired, and discouraged.

Chris is worried, too. They believe we’re going through a time of change that’s causing a lot of strong emotions. They know that this large of a shift in our way of living, our beliefs, and our mindset can be confusing and disturbing. Chris checks the news every other day and carefully selects the sources. They are curious to learn more about different perspectives. They listen to the concerns of their friends and family and also share their optimism about the future. The situation leaves them feeling curious, hopeful, and compassionate.

Even though I describe two different people, these are really two different mindsets I notice I can experience. My goal is to spend more time as Chris and to catch myself when I think like Terri. Not only will I feel better, I know this will help me be more patient, accepting, and grateful, all traits that will help me help others, too.

I’m also reminded that there are two kinds of worry. I want to get better at realizing when my worry is within my control or outside of my control. I don’t want to consume my time, my energy, my health, and my life stuck focused on things I can’t change!

“What consumes your mind controls your life.” – Anonymous

If you would like to spend more time like Chris, join me in finding time for self-reflection and self-awareness. I’ve found that practicing and using the “Pause, Notice, Choose” tool makes a huge difference.