Here's a great idea from Andy Shaw for the new year - let go of all the garbage that might be holding you back. Imagine a guy trying to climb a mountain with a hundred pound pack on his back - not so easy, right? But next to him is another guy trying to climb that same mountain, only his pack weighs 10 times as much. Can he make progress? No. If he moves at all, it's to fall backwards. Then there's the person who's flying up the mountain with NO pack on her back. Now she's the one you want to be. Lose the garbage and you'll find goals become much easier to achieve. So here's what Andy says to do in A Bug Free Mind: 1. Practice accepting what is until there is nothing more to accept. You can spend every waking moment thinking about "how things should be" and getting aggravated. Or you can accept things as they are, thus enabling you to dump the baggage and move forward. 2. Ask yourself what the benefit is in thinking about this. Let's say you're thinking about the guy who cut you off in traffic today. What benefit is there to thinking about it? None? Then let it go. Or maybe you're thinking about that presentation you're dreading, and how awful it's going to be. What's the benefit to thinking it will go poorly? None. But what if you thought of ways to make it go well? Now you're thinking in the right direction. 3. Forgive everybody of everything. Sounds big, doesn't it? Maybe difficult? Impossible? Think of it this way - you're doing it for your benefit, not theirs. That guy who cut you off in traffic probably doesn't even know he wronged you, much less care whether or not you've forgiven him. On the other hand, your sibling who stole your high school sweetheart may still be feeling guilty - why not release them at the same time you release yourself from all of this negative emotion? Andy says to ask yourself, "How does me getting annoyed and resenting their selfishness help me in ANY way at getting the life I desire?" Holding a grudge and not forgiving does give you several rewards: Unhappiness, poverty, sickness and lack. Do you want those things? If not, you might want to start forgiving everybody of everything, and never stop. 4. Nothing stands still. Everything either helps you or hurts you. So always be asking yourself, "Does this help me?" If the answer is no, then let it go. 5. Practice observing without judgement. Andy suggests doing this inside your mind - observing what's going on inside your head without judging. But it works in the outside world as well. You'll find the less you judge others, the better you'll feel about yourself, your circumstances and your future. Mastering these 5 techniques takes time and practice. They're bugs you must get rid of if you want to live a full life. And once you do master each one, you'll notice you're carrying less and less useless baggage that is currently preventing you from getting what you truly desire. Remember, your mindset guarantees either your success or failure in whatever you choose to do.
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