A Silent Observer

A picture says a thousand words… actually it says more than words! It gives you a greater sense of perspective and perception. The thing is you cannot scan the whole picture if you are busy talking, doing and generally not paying attention.

Practicing being the silent observer allows you to observe and survey yourself from a fresh perspective and bring your inner wisdom to the fore. Creating space between your thoughts, feelings and subsequent actions will pay dividends in the long term. This new found awareness and stillness can be your own best friend in helping you to avoid reacting due to the common flight or fight response.

Flexible thinking

The ability to think flexibly and see things from different perspectives, finding alternative approaches to the challenges and changes we face is a key resilience tool. Taking in the full picture helps us refrain from from making snap judgements and assumptions about people and situations.

The problem comes when we indulge in what Dr Aaron Beck (founder of modern cognitive therapy) calls cognitive distortions. More commonly referred to as ‘thinking traps’, they are typically automatic well practiced thoughts, which are often inaccurate, irrational and over-exaggerated, but become automatic; they essentially take control of us. We fall into the same thinking traps, make the same assumptions and repeat the same old bad habits.

Neuroplasticity

The promising news, however, is that recent neuro-scientific research proves that our brains are highly ‘plastic’, i.e. we can re-train them given time, application and dedication. 

Lesson: We often try to think or act our way out of situations when sometimes it needs no action at all other than to gain some perspective. 

This week’s Life Saver

Every day this week when a challenge arises, practice trying to see your challenge from different perspectives. Imagine you’re looking down on it from above, as if you’re in a helicopter. What do you observe? What are the challenges? What can you do to navigate the problem? Do you observe anything that may explain how you are feeling or change your perspective?