Post #97: Your Positive Life Mantra

Do you have a life mantra that comes to you when the going gets tough?

My brother is 6 years older than me and I have always looked up to him. Luckily for me, he was pretty immature when we were kids, so even though he was 6 years older, he loved playing with me. We played dart guns, laser tag, king of the mountain and more. 

We spent hours and hours in the water at our beach house learning to water-ski, slalom, and tube.

As I was learning how to go from 2 skis to 1 ski, called slaloming, my brother was helping my dad in the boat. After I fell AGAIN, they pulled the boat up beside me, my brother collecting the ski rope to throw back to me. I can still see him, skinny and freckled but excited and determined to teach me to slalom. In that moment he said something to me that I didn’t realize would become my life mantra anytime the going got tough. 

He said, “Ginger, even when you think you’re going to fall, just don’t fall!” Amazingly, it worked! When I was up on that one ski each time the boat turned and pulled me out of the wake there was a moment of unsteadiness and that feeling in my body like “this is it, I’m going down”. But instead of letting that play out, I heard, “just don’t fall!” and low and behold a confidence took over my body, I regained my balance and stayed up! 

Over the years I found myself using that same mantra anytime the going got tough. I would hear my brother say, “just don’t fall!”, something would take over and I would find myself plowing forward unscathed.

When we realize the effect of the things we tell ourselves in our heads, we realize the importance of being aware of what all we are telling ourselves. We can literally change how we react, how we fold or rise to the occasion, just by the thoughts that are running through our heads at the time. 

Yoga as a practice allows us to slow down within our own consciousness so that we can take responsibility for the thoughts we allow to play out in our heads. How amazing is that?! Read that one again!!  Yoga as a practice allows us to slow down within our own consciousness so that we can take responsibility for the thoughts we allow to play out in our heads.

Today, I want you to reflect on your own life mantras that come up when the going gets tough. Are they positive or negative? Do you have one of each and depending on your mood one trumps the other and leads you to either triumph or defeat? 

The next time the going gets tough I want you to take a step back within your own consciousness and watch yourself choose a mantra that will determine how you will respond. It’s quite fascinating to watch how our thoughts, beliefs and mantras have such an effect on us.

Now I want you to find your positive mantra and write it down on an index card so you can use it as a bookmark or keep it close at hand. Or use mine: Just don’t fall! You can replace that “fall” with: Just don’t…fail; lose hope; lose faith; settle; quit believing in yourself.

The next time the going gets tough make the choice to take a deep breath, stand up nice and tall, and repeat your new positive mantra over and over. If you need to curl up in the fetal position first and cry your eyes out then do that. Then straighten yourself up and choose a different way of thinking.

Remember, you are a force for good in the world. The more consistent you get with these practices the more your life will become guided, sacred, and filled with meaning. You cannot help but then extend deep peace, joy, and contentment to your loved ones, friends, and everyone you meet. The world could use more of this, so let’s get you in the best space to make it happen.