“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”
~Jill Bolte Taylor
Teaching stories are everywhere, like this one, for example. My new husband and I were lost in the woods this weekend, and, well, what else to do but take out our iphones.
In a minute, his showed us the way, yet mine was woefully blank. A trip to the Apple store solved the problem – a simple reset, and I was good to go.
Reset Applied
The next day, I found myself grumpy and stressed. Then the lightbulb went off. Oh, a reset! And that was all that was needed. The clouds cleared, and there was openness and peace once again.
Really, my choice to reset changed the whole tone of the moment and the rest of the day.
Can it be as simple as that? Absolutely. You are never more than a nanosecond away from sanity. You are closer than close to knowing yourself as aware presence, alive to all possibilities.
Just as you choose to be troubled and downcast, you can opt for a reset. As the quote by Jill Bolte Taylor says, “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”
It’s Your Choice
Take responsibility for your mood, what you think about and believe, your attachments. Take responsibility for happiness, and you will see that this simple shift changes everything.
Here’s how it works:
- Reset: What do I really want in this moment?
- Reset: What is most important right now?
- Reset: Let me forget about thinking and sink into the heart.
- Reset: What emotion, expectation, or idea do I need to let go of – right now?
Maybe you think if you read enough blog posts, one day you will magically become happy or more in control of your thoughts or feelings. Maybe you think that happiness is not possible for you.
My suggestion to you is: don’t just read – try it out in your own experience. When you find yourself stuck in lack or misery, press reset. Clear your screen completely, and look out with fresh eyes. Drop the veils that hide your magnificence, and relax into the space of no projections.
Here each moment is brimming with potential. Whatever seemed frustrating or painful dissolves. You sparkle with creativity and openness. You are flexible so new solutions come to mind.
The amazing good news is that you don’t have to settle, you don’t have to accept good enough. Take responsibility for the energy you bring to any space.
If you are struggling, reset. It’s the button you are always carrying, right in your back pocket.
How do you reset if you’re having a hard time? Do you find it difficult? I’d love to hear…
In case you haven’t heard, I am offering a free ebook, “Tending Your Garden of Everyday Joy: 30 Reflections for a Flourishing Life.” It is my gift to you in appreciation when you sign up for the mailing list. Simply click here.
20 Comments
Hi Gail,
Thankyou for this…we can always choose to look at things from a fresh perspective…’reset’ is a nice term to use.
be good to yourself
David
David´s last [type] ..A Rainbow of Opportunity…..a lesson for all of us?
Yes! A fresh perspective is always possible. Wonderful, David!
Hi Gail,
I’ve noticed that the power of ‘reset’ proves, at least in my own experience, that it is all up to me, that responsibility lies completely in my hands. If a change of my perspective can uplift the quality of life of everything involved in the currently seemingly distressed situation, then for sure, I can live beyond victimhood and include that freedom to everything involved in this moment. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we are victims to stressful thought, but that is not the only possibility. We can always choose to rely on that about ourselves which is grander and mightier than any victimization – time and time again.
Thanks for your sharing!
Bonnie
And thank you for sharing, Bonnie. You speak about the possibility that is available for all of us so beautifully.
simple but powerful…do it when i feel my body tensing up…even when i’m not aware of my own thoughts…
Dawn´s last [type] ..Who the hell is this crazy person?
Hi Dawn,
I love that you see the body as an indicator for trouble up ahead. Noticing bodily tension then resetting, diverts the momentum of conditioned patterns. And the result? Freedom…happiness…spaciousness, as I imagine you know.
Love to you…
I love that–reset! It goes nicely with a sermon I heard recently about using the delete button for negative thoughts. Both images reflect the power we have every moment to make a better choice. Our hand is always on the button. Great article.
Galen Pearl´s last [type] ..You Can Choose Happiness Despite the Obstacles
Yes, Galen. It’s so important that we recognize the power to reset. We don’t have to be a victim of stressful thoughts or any way of thinking or feeling. Hand always on the button…
One thing I take from engagement with friends in the Buddhism community is the whole mindfulness thing. backing off and focusing on each breath in and out to get into the present moment and reset and clear the “monkey mind”; it’s one reason I have an abiding interest in a lot of Buddhist teachings and practices. It’s beneficial to me as a Christian and to anyone, I think. Which is why my faith hero Thomas Merton was so steeped in it and was in dialogue with Buddhist
teachers in Asia when he died in such a freakish and rather ironic accidental death.
Hi Paul,
The possibility of something like a reset goes beyond and includes all practices, religions, and viewpoints. It is a simple movement of attention with no dogma attached whatsoever. It is sanity, clarity. And yes, it is beneficial. But I always say: don’t take my word for it. Anyone who tries resetting a couple of times will begin to see the value.
And the value runs deep. It doesn’t just “fix” the moment. It draws us into the truth of ourselves. The letting go of all stories and attachments draws us into peace without end.
I hit the reset button by practicing a guided visualization, like the one I recorded and posted in my last blog. I use it at night when I can’t sleep or during the day when I feel exhausted or overwhelmed and it always seems to work. We need daily moments of peace and quiet when we can tune out the world’s distractions and focus inward for a few moments.
Sofia Reddy´s last [type] ..Guided visualization on gratitude
Hi Sofia,
That is a wonderful way to reset – using a guided visualization at challenging times. It’s great to know that the potential is right there in our back pocket always.
Hi Gail,
I like the idea of a reset. I know I have found myself frustrated and stressed about a situation, and if I just breathe, possibly change the scene and think it through, the air does seem to clear. Take care.
Cathy|Treatment Talk´s last [type] ..5 Non 12 Step Recovery Options (Part 2)
Hi Cathy,
It takes awareness and commitment. What is more important – stress and frustration or clearing the air. You are casting a vote for sanity when you stop and breathe.
What a great idea! Sometimes it’s the most simple ideas like this one that can really create a shift. It’s really a question of regularly practicing “reset” and change will come.
Sandra Pawula´s last [type] ..The Joy of a Meaning-Less Life
The regular practice is essential as you say, Sandra. Once can certainly help, but regularly resetting to clarity can change everything about how we live in the world and even our physiology. It’s about what we want and what we are willing to commit to.
Like Dawn, I often first feel the tension in my body, a knot in my stomach or a tightness in my chest. I “reset” (a really great word choice) by taking a deep breath and re-focus my mind on the positive things in my life. Thank you for the post.
Barbara Milhoan´s last [type] ..Get Moving #1
Sounds beautiful, Barbara. Other people have mentioned taking a breath. That is a great way to stop the momentum of a conditioned habit or reaction.
A reset button is a great way to think about it! Sometimes I wake up grumpy in the morning for no good reason. As I’m making breakfast I notice how I’m feeling and ask myself if I really want to feel like this all day. Obviously not so I take a deep breath and smile for at least 30 seconds thinking about all the things I’m grateful for and my family. It shifts my focus and mood and I’m then in a much better mood to face the day.
Thanks Gail!
Paige Burkes´s last [type] ..Where Is Your Happy Place?
Hi Paige,
I used to wake up with a similar feeling – a sense of dread for no reason whatsoever. I met this feeling over and over with love and awareness. I welcomed it fully, and one day I realized it wasn’t there anymore. I love knowing that these shifts are possible.
Thanks so much for your comment.