Do you remember the Peanuts cartoon character, Pigpen? Poor little guy; a cloud of dust followed him everywhere he went. Worry and doubt can be like that cloud of dust, sometimes becoming a big dust storm until we take action.
Worry and doubt are clearly symptoms of a monkey mind conversation: insistent, survival-oriented with a sense of dread or impending doom, defensive, humorless, chattering loudly, sometimes waking you at 2 am from a sound sleep.
Buddhist monks coined the term, “Monkey mind” when they noticed their thoughts were like monkeys swinging from branch to branch in trees. We all experience this inner dialogue, full of criticism, judgments, self-doubt and “what ifs”.
Successful people have learned to recognize that they will always have fears, doubts and worries, especially when they begin to take action. It is inevitable. The key is: Breathe and it moves to the background. Shift the focus of your attention to something more interesting….like your goals and dreams.
The cloud of dust disappears and the dust storm subsides when you take small steady steps in the direction of your heart-felt desire or dream!
I’m Penny Kowal, Resilience Coach. I have tools to help you create the life you’ll love to live. Contact me today to schedule your complimentary personal Discovery Session.
