Outsmarting Your Worries and Assumptions

It’s time to get out of your head and into living fully.

We're all too familiar with the cycle of rumination, replaying scenarios in our minds and allowing worries and assumptions and other distractions to run rampant.

But just because a thought crosses your mind or leads to a certain feeling doesn't make it true. Have you ever paused to consider how much overthinking diminishes your happiness and keeps you from being present and experiencing more of the moments that matter?

Now that you're in sync with the power of Earned Confidence, it's time to cultivate that ability to enrich your life in meaningful ways.

One of the most immediate benefits of leveraging Earned Confidence is its effectiveness to outsmart worries, assumptions, and other uncertainties that tend to hijack your thoughts and drain your energy.

Let’s start with worry. Worrying is a learned behavior. Babies aren't born worriers. It’s a habit we’ve acquired over time that traps us in negative thought loops and patterns.

Some people consider it a coping mechanism. Have you ever encountered someone who proudly proclaims, "I'm just a worrier, it's how I get things done?” Maybe you even identify with this mindset.

But let's call it what it is: torment.

Tormenting oneself is not a productive means of accomplishing tasks or navigating life's challenges. And yet, we've normalized this self-inflicted suffering.

Instead, harness your Earned Confidence to recognize and disarm worries as they arise.

As you know from Issue 3, you've proven time and time again that you're fully capable of overcoming whatever challenges you face. Therefore, it stands to reason that there's no need to subject yourself to needless torment by fixating on uncertain "what if" scenarios.

LET’s GET PRACTICAL

1) Fact-Check Your Thoughts

Visualize Earned Confidence as a tangible tool: a "Fiction Filter" designed to cross-examine every worry that clutters your mind. This mental decision engine operates on rationality that enables you to fact-check your thoughts effectively.

When worries surface, challenge them with a series of sensible questions:

● Is it happening right NOW?

If yes, assess whether you must address it immediately or if it's something you can ignore for the moment. Not everything deserves your attention and energy. Can you let it pass altogether?

● If it’s NOT happening now, does it relate to the past or future?

If past-related, consider whether dwelling on it serves any purpose. Most often, rehashing is pointless.

If it concerns the future, consider whether it’s inevitable and, if so, its immediacy.

More often, with Earned Confidence, you’ll recognize that cycling through hypothetical scenarios is counterproductive.

Redirect your focus to the present moment beginning by giving yourself credit for not wasting time and energy while avoiding stress. Nice going!

● If you’re CERTAIN something will happen, is any preparation necessary?

What proactive measures can mitigate its impact, if any? Might those help alleviate your anxiety or empower you to face challenges head-on?

● If UNCERTAIN, consider whether it’s preventable and, if so, sensible to take action.

If your concern is reasonable, then there’s no better way to manage a problem than by preventing it from happening. ?Consider whether proactive prevention would be more effective than any reactive solutions.

● Focus on acceptance and peace of mind.

Embrace the reality that some things are beyond your control. Cultivate acceptance of uncertainty and imperfection. Redirect your energy towards what you can influence rather than fixating on the uncontrollable.

The same principles apply to combating false assumptions. It's natural to grapple with unfounded beliefs, particularly in personal relationships. Misunderstandings fueled by baseless assumptions can strain relationships and breed unnecessary conflict.

Take responsibility for preventing the spread of negativity by challenging worries and assumptions and refraining from projecting false scenarios onto others. Be glad you didn't experience and impose unnecessary stress. Nice going, again!

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

2) Compartmentalization

Recognize that it's not always feasible to address worries and assumptions in the moment. Consider implementing strategies like a "Worry Jar" to temporarily contain such thoughts until you can revisit them later. Allocate dedicated time to address these concerns, ensuring they don't overshadow more pressing priorities. It matters less that it's hokey than it does that it works.

3) Self-Reflection

It’s okay to be human. There are lots of times you’ll fail to catch a worry thought or false assumption until it’s too late. This is where your 20/20 hindsight can be most valuable, especially if there’s a habit to break.

Reflect on past instances where worries or assumptions proved unfounded, especially if they caused phantom arguments or you upset the ones you love.

Use these lessons to prevent misjudging the next time. Commit to breaking the cycle of self-torment caused by overthinking and equip yourself with the Fiction Filter of Earned Confidence.

PRIORITIZE A HEALTHY MIND

Remember, true health transcends physical well-being. It encompasses the quality of your thoughts and the tranquility of your mind.

You can go to the gym, eat healthy, do yoga, drink water and take vitamins, but if you don’t directly confront the negativity in your thoughts, you will never be truly healthy or fully appreciate what’s happening.

As you prioritize your peace of mind and reclaim control of your thoughts, you’ll also find more joy experiencing the richness in your life.

Enjoy the moment!

Reader’s Note:

The Power of Earned Confidence extends well beyond outsmarting worries and assumptions. Keeping these articles focused precludes broader content. For example, combatting Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), such as involving our inner critic, Imposter Syndrome and self-sabotage are topics for another day.

THE BRIGHT SIDE is a 100% Human-Generated Publication

TBS Issue 4 - Personal Message

COMING NEXT WEEK:

The featured article will either focus on "Living More Presently" OR it might be the first of 3 filters that shape reality: "Perception is..." I'm still considering which makes more sense for continuity. Until next Thursday...

To your HAPPIERNESS!

Author of “Z-isms: Insights to Live By ” (free eBook and Audiobook)

Host of “Insights to Live By – The Podcast ”

Contact: [email protected]

NEW EPISODE THIS WEEK:

EPISODE 109: Practical Productivity with Sarah Ohanesian

If you’re seeking lots of tangible tips to improve productivity and bring more joy to your work, you’ll discovery them in this ‘must listen’ conversation with Sarah Ohanesian, a keynote speaker and the founder of SO Productive. When everything feels urgent and overwhelming, Sarah shares how to get out of survival mode and into greatness. Put another way, she explains how to Command the Chaosnbsp;to feel accomplished, fulfilled, and joyful every day. Within these insights are sub-topics about avoiding burnout, adapting for neurodiversity and creating space to stay on top of priorities. Note: This episode is for individuals and companies alike.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

EPISODE 108: Forging Genuine Connections with Rob Lawless

It’s ironic. Our world is more connected than ever and yet loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. So, what does take to forge genuine connections? Rob Lawless is on a mission to find out. He’s set an intention to spend 1 hour, 1-on-1 with 10,000 different people. As the founder of Robs10kFriends, he’s already met more than 6,000 people from all walks of life across nearly 90+ countries. Through it all, Rob believes that every human interaction holds the potential to change lives. Genuine connections are about treating interactions as an experience rather than a transaction and creating empathy through conversation. Among all else in this episode, we discuss how to create a more connected, empathetic, and successful workplace through the exponential power of human connection.

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ADDITIONAL TOPICS FOR WORKSHOPS, KEYNOTES AND LEARNING PROGRAMS

● Extinguishing Burnout: Personally and Organizationally

● Recouping Productivity by Taming Overthinking

● Managing Energy Personally, Interpersonally and Universally

● Defeating Depression for Good

● Foundational Skills for Emotional Intelligence

● Living Your Best Life with Happierness

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