To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
Here’s why I had a great night of sleep last night
Published July 21, 2011 | 
Like many of you, I am an ambitious, creative type of person. Ideas fascinate me. I am intellectually curious and always thinking about things and new ideas. This in itself is not a bad thing. However, where I get myself into trouble is when I either go into my past, project into the future with my thinking, or put so much on my plate that I end up overwhelming myself and my brain wants to explode or shut down. This is not the best recipe for a restful night of sleep.
The title of this post refers to the fact that I slept great last night. And I did! Here is why: I decided to give myself and my mind a break and just focus on The NOW. Very simple. I have this one moment. I don ‘t have to worry about what I need to accomplish this summer before the new school year begins. I don’t have to have the meaning of life all figured out. I don’t have to fret about the mistakes I’ve made or stressing about my mile long to do list….
I just have now, this moment. It can be used to do nothing (which is quite blissful when I permit myself to do nothing). Or, it can be used to do one thing: One task, One activity- not multiple tasks. This is very liberating. One day at a time and one step at a time thinking removes the enormous burden of thinking we have to have it all figured out (and not just this moment all figured out but the next five years or rest of our lives figured out- ugh! I get a headache thinking of that kind of pressure).
My bedside reading last night consisted of reading from the great classic, How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
I would like to share a few nuggets from Mr. Carnegie’s book with you:
1. “Shut the iron doors on the past and the future. Live in Day-tight compartments” (P.11)
2. “Think”, said Dante, “that this day will never dawn again” today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.(P.10)
3. “Every day is a new life to a wise man” (P.8)
4. “One step enough for me”, taken from a church hymn (P.4)
5. “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand” ~ Thomas Carlyle (P.1)
6. “Have no thought (anxiety) for the morrow” ~ Jesus (Pages1-2)
In Peace,
Debra
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Posted in anxiety, Depression, Getting a good night sleep, Happiness, insomnia, Positive living, Self-empowerment, stress, Tips to help insomnia | 
anxiety, being present, Dale Carnegie, good night sleep, ideas, letting go of past, letting of future, over thinking, peace, stress, The Now, worry | 
Leave a commentOver thinking causes anxiety and insomnia. Here are seven ways to get off the over thinking treadmill.
Published March 5, 2011 | 
Over thinking leads to anxiety and insomnia. What do I mean by over thinking? Do any of these apply to you?
1. You can’t make up your mind about something. There’s just so many options available!
2. You worry about how people will react or what others will think about…
3. You stew in your mind and replay a social interaction that took place recently or a while ago.. (a phone conversation, a conversation at a dinner party or at work, etc.)
4. You are stuck in indecision because you want to make the right decision. What if you are wrong and you make the “wrong” decision? Horror! Better to make no decision at all, then, so your mind tells you.
5. You have a perfectionist streak in your personality and want things just so…
6. You have a hard time being in the present because you are thinking that maybe you should be somewhere else doing something else.
7. You are prone to experiencing buyer’s remorse.
8. You are prone to regret.
9. You have a fear of failing.
10. You are someone who likes to keep your options open…
If any of these apply to you, you are an over thinker. Chances are you could enjoy more peace and more sleep if you could overcome some of these
over thinking habits.
But, HOW?
Here are seven ideas on getting off the over thinking treadmill:
1. Stand tall and think confidently about yourself (you are enough, it doesn’t matter what others think)!
2. Practice making decisions. Even if it is something small like what to order on your dinner menu at a restaurant. Pick something that catches your eye and decisively with enthusiasm order it! Enjoy your meal. Don’t worry about the other things on the menu that you might have ordered or look on at your mate’s or other patrons dinner plates and worry that you could have done better in your dinner selection.
3. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, be happy with it. You are where you are supposed to be doing what you are supposed to be doing that very moment. It is perfect.
4. If you feel you made a “wrong” decision, think of it in terms of you are getting closer to the “right decision”. Be proud that you are taking some kind of action. The only way to really fail is by practicing inaction. By taking action, you are a success- no matter what the outcome!
5. Try this little trick I learned from Eckhart Tolle’s The Now: Close your eyes and ask yourself : “I wonder what my next thought will be?”. This somehow stops your over thinking monkey mind in its tracks. Try it. It really works.
6. Learn to meditate.
7.Discover a passion and then focus on that one thing. Specialize in something. A focused mind with purpose is one at peace and sleeps well at night.
In peace,
Debra : )
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