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Marie T. Russell's Daily Inspiration

The focus for today is:  I self-monitor and bring my mind back to the present.

The thoughts that run randomly in your head can be your worst enemy. And, if we don't know what harmful thoughts are running around in our head, how can we change them? So the first step in developing compassionate thinking is discovering what is going on with our "mental chatter". 

We start by observing what we think, say and do. Sounds easy? Not always. As we get involved in our day-to-day activities, we tend to let our thoughts go on "auto-pilot mode", and that allows  "monkey mind" to take over. It can lead us to thoughts and emotions that are not only uncompassionate but sometimes downright harmful.

Lynne Henderson, in The Shyness Workbook, suggests setting a timer at random intervals to spot-check where your internal focus is at that time. Remember to use self-compassion and kindness when you do self-monitoring. The goal is to become aware, not to develop feelings of guilt or shame. Just stopping to pay attention to where your mind is at any given time, helps to bring you back to the present moment.

Today's Daily Inspiration is excerpted from the InnerSelf.com article:

Developing Compassionate Thinking
Written by Marie T. Russell

Read the complete article here

 

This is Marie T. Russell, publisher of InnerSelf, wishing you a day of awareness (today and every day)

Join me again tomorrow for the Daily Inspiration and focus of the day.

Today, we self-monitor and bring our minds back to the present.

* * * * *

This week's Daily Inspirations are inspired from:

BOOK: The Shyness Workbook

The Shyness Workbook: Take Control of Social Anxiety Using Your Compassionate Mind
by Lynne Henderson.

book cover of The Shyness Workbook by Lynne Henderson.Shyness has evolved as an emotion over thousands of years and can be helpful in some circumstances. However, it can become a problem when it interferes with life goals, develops into social anxiety disorder or leads to 'learned pessimism', mild depression and even 'learned helplessness'. In this way, shyness and shame often hold us back from realising our potential and from engaging with others wholeheartedly.

There is nothing wrong with being shy - it is a natural emotion that everyone can experience. But if shyness is negatively impacting your life, The Shyness Workbook can help you grow your confidence.

For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition. 

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com