Best Advice Ever!

Many years ago, I was attending or staffing The School for The Work of Byron Katie.  The Work is one of my go to's that really clears my mind, and brings me into my heart, to the clarity of love and peace.  It's a mind, body, spirit connection, and guides my choices back to Love. 

In one of the exercises, we look at the advice we'd give to another person, a person we're judging as the one who's contributing to our discontent.  We go into judgment in order to come out of it - and into unconditional love.   It's awesome! 

Anyway, here's a quick tip to turn your day around, to turn your mind around - to actually lose your mind, that pesky ego driven mind. Talk about awesome!  Great way to lose your mind! 

Ok back to the tip:  

1.  Consider your best advice for your child, or anyone.  Maybe it's to slow down; get some help; stay away from negative people; get right with God; meditate; eat healthier, go to treatment, stay in treatment .... are you noticing the advice could be almost endless?  Yup, ego mind is like that.  Again, it likes to have the illusion of power and control.  OK, good to know, and this is why we gather a treasure box of tools to tame the ego mind. 

2.  Now take that advice and consider how it can apply to YOU.  Yup, to you.  I can find it every time, whether I'm already taking my best advice, need to start taking it, need to do it more consistently, it's applicable.  

Change is very possible, and it starts with just one person.  You are the one, you are that one person.  You then create some kind of ripple effect.  You light the way.  

This is the way to feed your soul, to nurture habits and patterns we absolutely need to love another without the fixing and control issues that may come up in stressful situations.  

Why?  Because the hard truth is that if you can't live your best advice, how in the world should other people who are already struggling with addiction or mental illness or conditions that would derail any of us?  It's not so easy is it?  It is an honest, maybe a bit challenging, look in the mirror.  But it's a look that makes more sense than fixing and control, and the stress of waiting on another to change when they are not ready, willing, or able.    

My advice right now to my son would be to stay in treatment and give it his all.   Best advice to me:  Stay in treatment (what that means to me) and give it my all.  Can do.  Will do. Or the truth is that I'm contributing to more stress, my own, and to his, wanting him to change, even in my silence or support.  Waiting on his change places conditions on my love, and the wanting stays in the background.  The stress stays in the background. Taking my own advice absolutely relieves my stress.  And connects me with my heart, and my son, to anyone.   

Can you, will you take your own advice?  It really levels the playing field.  It really contributes to compassion that it's not so easy and sometimes impossible for someone else to do what we think is in their best interest.  It's a great re-minder! 

Try it on.  Take one piece of advice you have for another person, and instead of being in their business about what they think, say, feel or do ... you're in your business about what you think, say, feel, and do. 

Please let me know how it goes.  If you experience it like me, it will go in a more self-empowered direction. 

Wishing you some peaceful moments in this day,

Joanne 

PS:  If you haven't yet downloaded my free guide:  How to Find Peace When You Worry  it's here where I share some of my most used and effective concepts to understand and create more peace, along with more tips I'll share by email.  Thank you for interest in peace.  Let's do this together.