Have you ever noticed that when you get a phone call with unexpected news your mind shifts gears? Isn’t it amazing how everything can shift for you in a split second? Your mood shifts, your mind shifts, and your plans often shift!
Did you know that something as simple as one word can sometimes have the same effect?
The mind is a decision-making, meaning-making instrument.
We all know that words carry within them the meaning we attach to them and of course that meaning affects how we think and feel.
Two days ago one word exchanged for another shifted my day with ripple effects that are likely to stick in my mind for a long time. (Our brains tend to remember things that have strong emotional experiences attached to them!)
Even so, I was very surprised by my experience when I played with the word
BUSY . . .
I was contemplating how busy we all are. There is little time for things that matter to us or to be playful and carefree.
A flash of insight suddenly intrigued me. I thought, “I feel busy even if I am not actually doing something.” Why? In part because I am still feeling the tug of all of the things I should be doing.
It was a light bulb moment.
.
“Busy” to me is almost synonymous with a dizzy swirling feeling. And it starts in my head! My mind swirls constantly. Perhaps “busy” is state of mind more than a scheduled life. Where did I get the idea that one must be busy to survive? It often feels like survival rather than living full-out from a place of choice and fulfillment.
What immediately came to mind was my father who had little tolerance for “down-time.” He was ambitious, driven, self-demanding, and perfectionistic. That was the energy field of our home.
I learned to perceive relaxing as laziness. Remember we all form most of our beliefs in early childhood! This is not, by the way, blaming my ambitious father. (You might be interested to know that he thought his father was lazy and dad did not respect that in him.) Children often try to resolve issues by being the opposite of their parents. Oy.
Still, it seems our very culture of achievement demands busyness. . . or does it?
Suddenly I had an idea. What if . . instead of saying I have a busy day ahead I called it something different? Like . . .
PURPOSEFUL . . .
A purposeful day sounds so much more alive and focused than a busy day, doesn’t it? When I exchanged the word busy for purposeful it felt almost as good as eating an Abbots chocolate almond custard cone, minus the calories!
It was a delicious exchange of words. I have been savoring it for several days.
It created a small but powerful “shift in perception.”
A slight shift beneath the snow’s surface can cause an avalanche. Similarly, profound change often comes with only a slight shift in our perception of events, ourselves, and others.
Shifts in perception are key to transforming troubles into triumphs with our children and ourselves.
By then, I was so deep in thought and discovery that I laughed and playfully announced out loud, “I am having a purposeful day!” I was like Winnie-the-Pooh finding his pot of honey.
Inspired for that day and beyond, this meaning-making, decision-making mind of mine shifted gears completely.
One word ..purpose. One small shift in perception. I then saw that purpose gives meaning to our actions. It informs and enriches our decisions. It is an internal state. It is personal. Personal choice generates heart power.
Choice is also a powerful tool for designing the day in a more soul satisfying way.
Purpose births focus. It helps us avoid chasing after shiny objects that attract and distract us.
Purpose helps us be more productive with more heart and soul and less strain.
Changing from feeling busy to being purposeful changed my day. And my future.
Our souls thirst for fulfillment. You cannot satisfy your thirst by drinking from rapid water. You need a directed stream. Purpose is like that. Busy is dizzy.
Purpose brings meaning to our mundane tasks. And what more meaningful mission can we engage in than building life -long relationships at home?