dailydatewithgod

For people like me who like to think things through I can get stuck in analysis paralysis.  I am not sure if a part of me just feels better knowing I have thought through everything before I make a decision or if it is a fear of getting it wrong.  It is probably both. Our thinking minds are a beautiful apparatus which we are given to grow and develop throughout our lifetime.  It takes conscious effort to engage ourselves deliberately instead of just being pulled in one direction or another. There is so much in life that calls for our attention it is easy to get into the mindset that we do not have a say in where it goes. My daily dates with God have taught me a thing or two about negotiating with my mind. By negotiating I do not mean further analysis.  I mean a baselines negotiation of where my attention will reside.  When I can pause and notice what I am focusing on, I can take a step back and negotiate its importance at the moment or at all.  We are drawn to the loud and the flashy by nature of their energy level.  This takes the form of people, media, and cell phones.  Knowing we can embody a level of self-preservation by negotiating within ourselves where we will spend our own time and energy is powerful.  It takes practice and a willingness to be uncomfortable with not always going with the easy way, but it serves the whole of ourselves when we choose to exercise our negotiating powers.  We think we need to negotiate with other things or people but no one forces our attention. Some things are tricky in how they capture it, but it is always our choice.  Negotiating whether to go along with it or change the course of our mind’s attention presents the opportunity to respond with our minds, our hearts, and our spirits when making a choice.