It is ironic that such calming, pragmatic advice came from the whirling dervish that is Sandy Weston. After climbing on-top a chair, and coaxing a room full of well-dressed and well-coiffed Philadelphia women into shaking their rear-ends and dancing around (without the presence of any alcohol!), she instructed everyone to sit down, get out their notebooks, and write down the following 5 steps that were going to change their lives... "The following 5 things I'm about to tell you, are things that every successful person does, every day." According to Sandy, the brimming-with-energy owner of Weston Fitness, if you train your brain, your body will follow. Her key take-away that she wants to impart on as many people as she can, is to understand the importance positive thinking can have over a person's life. With the proper finesse, you can change the way you think and feel, and your mental state can help give you the life you want-- now.
To this affect, every woman in the room of the "Just you, only better" workshop, sat with their pens resting against paper, waiting with rapt attention for the life-changing secrets Sandy was about to reveal.
These tricks, she promised, were quick and easy to do-- and anyone could take a minute out of their day to complete the forthcoming 5 steps.
Step 1: Write down 5 things that you're grateful for.
No matter what is going on in your life at the moment, force yourself to take a step back, and appreciate the good things you may be taking for granted. Family, health, nice weather, (good skin,) or sleeping-in, there are always points of light even in the most dire of situations, and it is refreshing to your spirit to remind yourself of those happy things.
Step 2: Write down 5 people you want to send positive thoughts to. (Bonus points if you choose people you don't like.)
Is someone you care about going through a messy break-up, or having a tough-time making an important decision?
Taking a few seconds to think about them, and wish them happiness from inside your heart, has the surprising side-affect of making you feel happier.
Sending positivity to those that you don't like also ultimately benefits you, because the more you think about these people-- and wish them well-- the more your head/heart recovers from the hurt or upset they caused you.
Sounds hokey, but just try it.
Step 3: Take a moment just for yourself, and slowly take 5 deep breaths.
This might be the most scientifically sound out of the steps, but forcing your body to slow down and take in a lot of oxygen is incredibly soothing and energizing.
Step 4: Write down 5 positive affirmations about yourself, that either are true, or you want to be true.
"I am in good shape." "I am desirable." "I am awesome at my job."
Whatever qualities you question and nit-pick about yourself, can be banished if you instead start training your brain to believe the things about yourself that you want to be real. You're never going to believe that you're smart, if you're instead secretly telling yourself that you're stupid.
Again, it sounds cheesy, but manifest the destiny you want by writing down any 5 things you want to be able to truthfully say about your life.
Step 5: Write down 5 things you want to accomplish today.
This can run the range from the mundane ("call Mom") to the super-ambitious ("sign Company XYZ up for $ABC package). Give yourself a concise snap-shot of the things you want to do today, and visualize yourself doing and completing everything on that list. By mentally seeing yourself achieve the outcome you desire, it is less intimidating/stressful/whatever, to take on each endeavor. (And crossing the items off as you complete them, is a great feeling in itself.)
Sandy shared these 5 steps last Friday, and everyday since then I have taken a couple minutes in the morning to jot down the above-mentioned lists... and honestly, I cannot explain any other reason for why I have been feeling so happy and light this past week.
Since this method is FREE, and can only do good, you've got nothing to lose by trying it out. The more people concentrating on positive thinking and well-wishes, the better this world can be. Give it a whirl, and let me (or Sandy at sweston@westonfitness.com, I'm sure she would love to hear any and all feedback) know how you do.
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