Gone in 90 Seconds!
The summer movie season is upon us - and no - "Gone in 90 Seconds" is not a Nicholas Cage sequel to "Gone in 60 Seconds." The theaters definitely aren't short on sequels right now.
If anyone has been listening to any of the Oprah "Soul Series" interviews, you may have come across a woman named Jill Bolte Taylor. Her video from the TED Conference has been sent all over the Web, and she is the author of a book based on her experience titled, "My Stroke of Insight."
Jill is a brain scientist, who ironically, woke up one morning in 1996 to discover that she was having a massive stroke. And, since she was a brain scientist, she was able to experience and understand firsthand what exactly was going on. Now, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but when you hear her tell the story of what she was experiencing as this took place, as well as what she experienced through the recovery process of 8+ years - it will change how you think about your life, body, and thoughts.
One cool factoid that I took from her interview with Oprah (and there are many) - is when she describes that from a physiological standpoint - when we feel ourselves getting angry - from start to finish the physical effect that takes place in our body lasts about 90 seconds. We all know what that feels like - increased heartbeat, tension, warmth, etc. She is talking about all of the cells in the body that kick into action whenever we have an angry thought.
Gone in 90 seconds.
So I was thinking to myself - why does it feel like some of my anger experiences last a lot longer than 90 seconds?
I guess that is a common question, because Jill read my mind. Her answer was that we choose to repeat this thought, and by doing so, we keep having our body repeat the physical defense to it. So, what should only last 90 seconds...might sometimes last 10 minutes, 3 hours, a few months - and maybe even years.
Yeah...I know...you are trying to think of things that continually make you angry - and you are wondering why you can't let them go.
As you can imagine - this perpetuating process is not great for the body either.
90 seconds - that's it.
I have been thinking about those 90 seconds - and what it takes to let an angry thought come and go in that time frame. I believe that the key in allowing for this quick recovery is in not identifying these angry thoughts as "our thoughts." Meaning, just because we think them - doesn't mean we need to own them and hold on to them.
As my friend QL would suggest, when these thoughts come into our head, you observe and notice them and then think to yourself, "That's interesting." There is no need to personalize these thoughts as part of our identity, or to feel like we have to carry them around, we can simply observe them and then choose whether they are serving us or not - and whether we want to keep them.
As Jill mentions, we extend the 90 seconds because WE CHOOSE to replay these thoughts in our head. No one else is doing the choosing for us. She adds, "Pay attention to what you are thinking, and then decide if those are thoughts that are creating the kind of life you want created. And if it's not, then change your thoughts."
If you have been reading Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, and now Jill Bolte Taylor - they all agree that "we are not our thoughts." Just because you think it - doesn't mean you own it.
About 130 years ago, Mary Baker Eddy had this to say about thoughts, "A mortal man possesses this body, and he makes it harmonious or discordant according to the images of thought impressed upon it. You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness. You should banish all thoughts of disease and sin and of other beliefs included in matter."
It sounds to be that Eddy would also agree that we all have a choice as to what thoughts we choose to play out. So, what body and life are you embracing in your thought?
The 90 Second Challenge!
So, this week, I challenge everyone to take the 90 Second Challenge. When you feel yourself entertaining an angry thought - how long does it take you to let it go? Can you let it go in 90 seconds?
If not, why? What is preventing you from doing that?
One saying that Jill loves to share is this, "Peace is just a thought away."
Simple but powerful. No matter what you are feeling right here and right now - peace is just a thought away.
So, what is your next thought going to be?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Travis
561.676.4583
If anyone has been listening to any of the Oprah "Soul Series" interviews, you may have come across a woman named Jill Bolte Taylor. Her video from the TED Conference has been sent all over the Web, and she is the author of a book based on her experience titled, "My Stroke of Insight."
Jill is a brain scientist, who ironically, woke up one morning in 1996 to discover that she was having a massive stroke. And, since she was a brain scientist, she was able to experience and understand firsthand what exactly was going on. Now, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but when you hear her tell the story of what she was experiencing as this took place, as well as what she experienced through the recovery process of 8+ years - it will change how you think about your life, body, and thoughts.
One cool factoid that I took from her interview with Oprah (and there are many) - is when she describes that from a physiological standpoint - when we feel ourselves getting angry - from start to finish the physical effect that takes place in our body lasts about 90 seconds. We all know what that feels like - increased heartbeat, tension, warmth, etc. She is talking about all of the cells in the body that kick into action whenever we have an angry thought.
Gone in 90 seconds.
So I was thinking to myself - why does it feel like some of my anger experiences last a lot longer than 90 seconds?
I guess that is a common question, because Jill read my mind. Her answer was that we choose to repeat this thought, and by doing so, we keep having our body repeat the physical defense to it. So, what should only last 90 seconds...might sometimes last 10 minutes, 3 hours, a few months - and maybe even years.
Yeah...I know...you are trying to think of things that continually make you angry - and you are wondering why you can't let them go.
As you can imagine - this perpetuating process is not great for the body either.
90 seconds - that's it.
I have been thinking about those 90 seconds - and what it takes to let an angry thought come and go in that time frame. I believe that the key in allowing for this quick recovery is in not identifying these angry thoughts as "our thoughts." Meaning, just because we think them - doesn't mean we need to own them and hold on to them.
As my friend QL would suggest, when these thoughts come into our head, you observe and notice them and then think to yourself, "That's interesting." There is no need to personalize these thoughts as part of our identity, or to feel like we have to carry them around, we can simply observe them and then choose whether they are serving us or not - and whether we want to keep them.
As Jill mentions, we extend the 90 seconds because WE CHOOSE to replay these thoughts in our head. No one else is doing the choosing for us. She adds, "Pay attention to what you are thinking, and then decide if those are thoughts that are creating the kind of life you want created. And if it's not, then change your thoughts."
If you have been reading Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, and now Jill Bolte Taylor - they all agree that "we are not our thoughts." Just because you think it - doesn't mean you own it.
About 130 years ago, Mary Baker Eddy had this to say about thoughts, "A mortal man possesses this body, and he makes it harmonious or discordant according to the images of thought impressed upon it. You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness. You should banish all thoughts of disease and sin and of other beliefs included in matter."
It sounds to be that Eddy would also agree that we all have a choice as to what thoughts we choose to play out. So, what body and life are you embracing in your thought?
The 90 Second Challenge!
So, this week, I challenge everyone to take the 90 Second Challenge. When you feel yourself entertaining an angry thought - how long does it take you to let it go? Can you let it go in 90 seconds?
If not, why? What is preventing you from doing that?
One saying that Jill loves to share is this, "Peace is just a thought away."
Simple but powerful. No matter what you are feeling right here and right now - peace is just a thought away.
So, what is your next thought going to be?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Travis
561.676.4583
Labels: Eckhart Tolle, Jill Bolte Taylor, mary baker eddy, My stroke of insight, Oprah, Science and Health, Soul Series, TED Conference, Wayne Dyer
