Thursday, October 04, 2007

Using My Powers for Good Instead of Evil

I have an active imagination.

It's incredibly useful when I'm trying to think of a snappy headline.

It's horribly limiting when I'm trying to reach a little higher on a rock climbing route or fall asleep in a relaxed state.

I have a well-honed ability to run "what-if?" scenarios through my head at lightning speed.
I can imagine all the spectacular ways I could fall - oh sure, there's a mat, but the corner of that mat is all worn down, what if I fall on the corner? What if I fall exactly where the 2 mats meet? I'll literally slip through the crack and crack myself in 2 - no thank you.

At night I worry incessantly about things that might happen. It's INSANE.
I have been trying to teach myself to imagine positive things. While no good can come from worrying, there is a whole creative visualization industry behind the idea that if you THINK it, it's practically real.

While I'm not sure about thinking money will fall from the sky and then waiting for it to happen, I do think it's better to be positive than negative. I'm trying.. trying...

But what if?

aaargh

Must picture myself as successful published author who is worry-free, relaxed, and a risk-taking rock climber

Hey - when I look at it that way, the author part seems much more achievable than the rest of the sentence!

: )

1 comment:

Dodi said...

That's the point of "The Secret" right? I have a person in my life that is spouting positive thought crap. She gave me a copy of the book too. I think she has loaned it to many people as well. I haven't even cracked the cover. I think positive thought can only help your attitude, not change the world.

I just started reading Getting Things Done. It's life hacking a la 43folders and others. My thinking is that by organizing and getting rid of things that don't matter I can clean up my life and get stuff done.

I find the best way to shut off the night-time what ifs is to take drugs. Lots and lots of sleeping drugs. Eventually I'll have to find a non-Rx way to fall asleep, but for now it's working.

As for rock climbing, I'm so far into the what ifs that I'll never leave the ground to begin with. Worn corners indeed.