A child’s mindset is different compared to adults. One summer I was visiting my Grandparents in Wisconsin, and my Grandpa took me to the State Fair. I must have been 8 or 9 years old. What I remember is riding the Ferris wheel, eating hot dogs and playing games. Everything looked big and amazing to me through my child eyes. I actually won a LARGE teddy bear (which was more than half my size), playing the game where you shoot cork guns at targets. My Grandpa tried to win one for my Grandma, and was unsuccessful. Was it rigged? Who cares?! It was the most exciting event of my life at the time. Everyone was looking at me as I carried the big bear. I loved the attention, and was quite proud of myself.
It was a great conversation piece on the plane ride home to California. The bear had a seat to itself right next to me. The flight attendants all came and talked to me about it, and were impressed I had won it all by myself. I was very proud of myself and accepted the attention with giddiness and gratitude.
I kept that bear for almost 25 years because whenever I looked at it I remembered that special day with my Grandpa, and that proud feeling I had. I have found that I, and many adults, do not allow ourselves to feel proud or excited about our accomplishments, and we tend not to share them with anyone else. As an adult, I focus on the things I did not do, or did incorrectly. Focusing on the negative, living in the past, and worrying all contribute to physical and emotional pain. Your thoughts trigger hormones and chemicals in your body that can cause muscle tightness, fatigue, make you feel depressed and much more.
Living with the mindset of a young child can be beneficial at times. What if you focused on the positive in your life – and living in the present moment? What if you allowed yourself to be proud of the little things again? Relishing in the attention you get for a delicious meal prepared for your family – or feeling accomplished for getting 2 of the 5 things done on your to-do list. Instead of worrying about possible money issues, or the risk of losing your job, what would happen if you focused on having enough money to eat and pay the general bills? Or the fact that TODAY you are working. Feeling proud, focusing on the positive and living in the present moment releases endorphins and other hormones that relax your muscles, decrease pain, improve your circulation, make you feel happy, and generally helps improve your health.
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? If you are a worrier or dwell in the past and are experiencing some form of pain, I invite you to work with me to change your mindset and start decreasing your pain. Set up a FREE consultation TODAY!