30 days to a happier you – Day 9 – you tell fibs
Is this your Mind COP?
Yesterday you met your own mind COP by imagining what you mind COP looked like, sounds like, wears…
Maybe one of these?
Today we are going to look at how your mind COP will catch those criminal negative thoughts and keep your mind safe. For the past week you have been keeping a note of your negative mind chatter in your notebook. Now is the time to have a good look at what you have written and start working on making some changes to how that chatter might make you feel bad.
Let’s see mind COP in action.
Catch them: You’ve been catching mind chatter for nearly a week. You should have a pretty good idea of what yours is saying to you and who your criminals are.
Own them: These are your thoughts. You created them. You can acknowledge them. Consider them and choose whether to discard them or whether to arrest them.
Protect yourself: You protect yourself by arresting the negative thoughts, examining the evidence and deciding whether to charge them or give them a warning.
Here’s an example based on the losing your job example negative thoughts we looked at yesterday. Read each thought from left to right to see how Mind COP works.
Catch them | Own them | Protect yourself |
‘I should have worked harder’ | I did work hard though | Maybe they didn’t really appreciate me? |
‘Why didn’t I take that course to learn more’ | I did a lot of development in that role | This is a chance to learn something new |
‘I’m no good’ | Is everything I’ve ever done no good? | I’ve achieved a lot |
‘I’m unpopular’ | With those that love me? | I matter to the people that matter to me |
‘Why me’ | I was one of 10 | I will find a better fit |
‘I’m not clever’ | I was the problem solver | I need a new challenge |
‘I’ll never get another job’ | Have you tried? | I wonder what job I will love? |
You can see how Mind COP is examining each thought and looking at it in a different way. One thought does not make a truth. One thought may seek evidence from the subconscious to support it, but Mind COP doesn’t fall for this.
Mind COP is objective and realizes that thoughts tell stories but their alibi is weak when questioned. Mind COP wants to hear from the witnesses and sort out those criminal negative thoughts.
You tell fibs
You see when you tell think a negative thought it’s probably not true and your Mind Cop might make this face!
So the next time those pesky criminal negative thoughts are doing a ‘wrong un’ in your mind, just see them scarper when Mind COP comes along and bangs them to rights.
Your time is precious, don’t waste it
How much of your precious life are you going to spend thinking negatively?
Think about it, how much time are you going to think about negative situations, obsess about the things that went wrong it your life, worry about things that happen or might never happen? Two hours a day? Which is 14 hours a week. Which is 60 hours a month. Which is 730 hours a year. Which is 30 DAYS A YEAR of feeling bad. What could you do in 30 days? A lot! In our example of losing the job, that is 30 days of enjoying the freedom of not working and exploring options for a new career whilst feeling happier.
Life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs and change. By learning to manage your thoughts you will be more resilient in the tough times and happier on the whole. You are not your past, your current situation or what people say about you. You are so much more than that and you can shine.
- Write your own table of negative mind chatter in the same format as above and set your mind COP to work
- Read your gratitude list often
- See you tomorrow
Happy hug 🙂
Honey
Hi
Hello, this is very interesting. I always try to avoid negative thoughts but this is much better, I am definitely going to learn how to activate my own mind cop. Thank you for the tip and explanation.
Petra thanks. Negative thoughts have job getting past Mind COP 🙂
What an interesting way of looking at this. I have tried the change your way of thinking but never with the ‘mind cop’ way of going. I will have to try this with some of the reoccurring negative thoughts. Off to make a list thank you
hope the list went well Tamara
I love the mind cop analogy I am quite good now at mixing up and flipping the negative. Rarely does it get the better of me. Loving the blog and the happiness series. Thank you
Thanks Elaine. We all have off days and they are ok too. x
Yes, so many times one can spend worrying about things that have not happened yet. I’m slowly training my brain to think positively and your ‘mind cop’ analogy really helps.
Yes, I doubt many of the worries ever come true!
The ability to reframing ones thoughts is a great skill to have, but needs constant practice or it’s a skill that can get lost very easily
Very true Mike
Hi Honey,
Great post! This is an exercise that I help one of my children with on a daily basis.