Many of us do not come ‘pre-wired’ for it consistent positive emotional thought and mind-chatter, in fact for most of us, it is a learned skill – the skill that we call “Positive Presence”. Our proficiency for Positive Presence is different for each of us …. greatly dependent on our life experiences, on our beliefs, and on the paradigm within which we live. For many of us, our thought patterns are automatic and we give them little notice …. but if we want to give them notice, and if we consciously practice how we think, our brain will re-wire for that, and the new process becomes automatic again (unconscious, if you will…)… in really no time at all!
The fact that our thought-habits are the product of our life experiences to date is critical to our journey of self-awareness. A key understanding is that our subconscious negative mind-chatter has been created over a life time of experiences, many of which we were an unknowing and unwilling participant in. So our subconscious negative mind-chatter is often really no fault of our own. Until we become aware that it exists and until we figure out how to adjust it, there is no hope of any change at all. So please, understand that there is absolutely no reason to carry around guilt, or sadness about what you may have done, or said, or behaved like yesterday, or a year ago. Today is a new day. Today is the day that you start!
Dr. Dan Siegel, introduces us to the ability of ‘mindsight’ in his book ‘Mindsight – The New Science of Personal Transformation’. He explains it as “a kind of focused attention that allows us to see the internal workings of our own minds. It helps us to be aware of mental processes without being swept away by them, it enables us to get ourselves off the autopilot of ingrained behaviors and habitual responses, and it moves us beyond the reactive emotional loops we all have a tendency to get trapped in.” He goes on to explain that there are many, many reasons why, for many of us, this ability does not come automatically – but it is something that can be cultivated, and therefore, well-being – in our mental life, our relationships, and our bodies – can be considered to be a learnable skill. It is a learnable skill that actually changes the physical structure of our brain and stimulates the brain to grow important new connections ….. Dr. Siegel goes on to say “How we focus our attention shapes the structure of the brain. Neuroscience supports the idea that developing the reflective skills of mindsight activates the very circuits that create resilience and well-being and that underlie empathy and compassion as well. Neuroscience has also definitely shown that we can grow these new connections throughout our lives, not just in childhood.”
When we learn to turn our attention inward to our mind, we in essence ‘invite’ our thoughts and feelings into our mind and, rather than be driven by them, we can learn from them, we can calm them, and we can hear their wisdom. We learn to accept and celebrate our self for who we are right in this moment. And we can use our mind to re-wire our connections for greater well-being.
Dr. Siegel tells us “What Fires Together, Wires Together” … Under the right conditions, neural firing can lead to the strengthening of synaptic connection. These conditions include repetition, emotional arousal, novelty and the careful focus of attention.” Hence, the more time we spend in the ‘positive’, the better. Our ‘positive’ moments need to be heartfelt, and learning new ways to look at a feeling and/or situation can truly be life-changing!
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.