4 Ways to Keep Yourself Real.

by Tracy Crossley of elephantjournal.com

What can someone do to have peace, who struggles on the road to some sort of perfection of having only positive thoughts?

1. Allow.

Just allow the thoughts to come, watch them, acknowledge them; we don’t have to fight against them or try to lasso them in. Don’t control—let the thoughts waft in and float by naturally, no ownership.

2. Feel your feelings.

Sometimes when we shove our feelings down or fight them, repressing them, we’re subjected to even weirder thoughts and emotional sludge that makes us feel stuck in a dark space. We don’t have to own our feelings either; allow them to be whatever they are, acknowledge them too. It’s okay, because all of this allowing of thoughts and feelings creates space.

3. Non-Personalization.

Our thoughts don’t have have to mean anything at all, period. Especially in the context of who we are and what we do. When we think thoughts about others in their relation to us, we can start to personalize their actions, words and imagined thoughts in their heads. There’s no reason to do it, because it offers no control and can lead us to feeling bad.

4. Focus on your peace and creativity.

Meaning, when we have thoughts that float in and out, we don’t have to focus on their content,especially if we can’t detach from some troubling ones. We can shift our focus inwards toward compassion and kindness for ourselves. Our perception shifts making space for peace to be creative. Creativity lends itself to thoughts shifting on their own to passion, feeling engaged and okay in our skin.