Every living faith must have within itself the power of rejuvenation if it is to live.
~Mahatma Ghandi
Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery – it recharges by running.
~Bill Watterson
Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.
~Ralph Marston
To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.
~Margaret Fairless Barber
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly. . . spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order.
~Susan Taylor
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Many of you know that I became a Goldfish Fishful Thinking Ambassador last week after Monday’s post on Optimism. Click the fish below to see this week’s helpful article on how optimism can prolong your life (hey–not only will it be longer, but it will be better!)
Last week’s focus with Fishful Thinking was Renewal and rejuvination (hence the quote topic today). I even have a little activity that you can do with your kids (this is best for kids ages 8 and up):
From Dr. Karen Reivich:
It is finally here, springtime! It’s a time of renewal, rejuvenation and — spring cleaning! Our desire to start fresh each spring doesn’t have to stop with cleaning out drawers and bagging up all the hand-me-downs. This can also be a good time to take stock of our mental clutter, and help ourselves and our children to “bag up” any old perceptions that no longer fit.
One of my sons found the start of this school year challenging and would wake up in the morning with thoughts like; “I don’t like my class,” “I won’t do well,” “I can’t do the homework,” swirling around in his head. It was a rough start. But rough starts don’t have to mean rough middles or endings. Now, he’s enjoying school, finding the homework to be manageable and liking his class.
I can help my son develop confidence by talking with him about “those old beliefs that just don’t fit anymore.” In doing this, I’m helping him to take notice of how he’s grown—not just physically, but mentally, too!
How to Bag It Up!
Help your child to take stock of the mental clutter. Start by sharing an example of a negative belief that you want to get rid of. Write the belief on a slip of paper and then put it into a bag labeled “giveaways.” (If your child will find the “bagging up” part silly, simply talk through examples of beliefs that are no longer accurate.) After you’ve given your example, ask your child to come up with examples of his or her own. These questions will help:
• Is there something that you used to think about yourself that no longer seems to fit? Examples: “I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t do that.” Can you give examples of how that old belief no longer fits?
• Can you think of a negative thought you have that gets in your way or makes you feel down about yourself? Examples: “Nobody likes me” or “I stink at sports.” What is some evidence that proves that belief is not true?
• What is one thing you are doing now that you weren’t able to do last year?
Getting rid of things that no longer “fit” creates extra space, and that feels good. This spring set a goal of cleaning out negative beliefs, and filling up that extra space with Optimism!
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Let me know if you do this activity with your kids! And, in case you haven’t heard yet, the Fishful Thinking campaign is still looking for Ambassadors (moms with kids between the ages of 4 and 12). Ask me how to become an Ambassador! (did I mention $prizes$ were involved??)
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