“The human brain doesn’t work by strictly logical rules,

but it does work by rules.”

– Eric Barker

Who doesn’t love themselves some good ole positive thinking? 

But you know when you’re going through one of those rough patches that life inevitably serves up to even to the most devoted, affirmation writing,  self-care prioritizing, believer in all things possible, truly optimistic among us?  And then a well-meaning, yet rather clueless, wanna-be self-help guru, friend-of-a-friend starts in with the unsolicited advice…

“When I’m having a challenging interaction with someone, I like to put an energetic bubble around both me and the other person. Even though it might still be uncomfortable, I’m able to at least just create some space for both of us…”

Hmmmm, that’s a great idea, except I’m talking about my 3-year-old. The entire reason I am frazzled at this moment, is that she doesn’t understand boundaries. She doesn’t get the closed bathroom door, much less this “energetic bubble” you speak of. 

Or another great one….Like when you made an accounting error and your checking account is quite literally in the red…

“Have you tried using affirmations? When I’m really tuning into scarcity, I like to remind myself of all the natural abundance we’re surrounded by, like fresh air, clean water…”

Yeaaaaaaaaaaah.

I TOO believe we are surrounded by abundance in a myriad of ways, but right now my lien holder doesn’t care how clean the air is around my beautiful home that isn’t going to be mine much longer if I don’t pay the damn mortgage. 

Don’t get me wrong. I do love and use affirmations.
I truly believe they work.

But here’s the catch.
They aren’t a cure all.

They don’t work when we are trying to slap positive thinking over a legitimate fear or intense emotion we’re experiencing, anymore than putting a band-aid on a broken leg does. 

Researchers have identified a phenomena they refer to as “Natural Neuroscience Resistance.”

“When you provide someone with new data, they quickly accept evidence that confirms their preconceived notions and assess counter-evidence with a critical eye.”
– Excerpt from The Influential Mind, by Tali Sharot. 

So when you’re checking account is legitimately negative, and you’re trying to tune into the abundance of the pine trees, you’re brain’s not buying it. Nope. Not. Having. It. 

So you wanna know what does work?
Acknowledging the truth. Building trust with ourselves.

 Here’s an affirmation I can get behind. Truth, logic and self-love. 

When our brains are presented with new information that agrees with our beliefs, we eagerly accept it. 

So instead of pasting a bandaid affirmation over a genuine fear. Start with acknowledging what’s really going on.

I made a mistake, and my checking account is negative.
I feel foolish and I’m embarrassed.
I never do this however, and I can call the bank in the morning
and explain what happened.  They’ll likely reverse the fees.
And even if they don’t, it will all be alright.
I’ve been through worse before, and we all make mistakes. I need to be as compassionate with myself, as I am with everyone else.
I still have….
And then start in on your gratitude list and slowly, and gently start to tune into the truth of all the things you DO have around you. 

See the difference?

Your body starts to relax as you acknowledge the truth rather than trying to suppress it. Then, and only then, is  your brain open to new information.

It’s such a simple shift, it’s easy to overlook the power of making space for our emotions, rather than beating ourselves up. The potency of this shift is in the simplicity.

And then we can return to being our magical, light-beaming selves like this beauty right here:

Photo by Wellington Cunha from Pexels

Want more scientifically based, mind shifts AND fun, creative techniques for making them super simple?

I’ve created a new eCourse that’s packed full of fun, creative techniques to trick our own brains back into submission, and keep them working for us, and not vice versa.

We use curiosity and creativity to explore the intersection of art and science to tap back into our magic making capabilities. It’s called The Wand in the Word. 

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Today is the last day to get $50 off the new Wand in the Word eCourse, with the code: WildChild

Learn more here:
http://wildchildtravels.com/the-wand-in-the-word/

Navigating this life of ours isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be.
I’ve made it my mission to create space and hold community for those needing a little shelter to weather the storms.

And you can bet, we will have have some fun along the way!
United in the magic (and madness!) of being human,