By Ann Darwicki
I was waiting in a long line the other day, and to pass the time I decided to play “Candy Crush,” a popular game on my phone. As I engaged, I could sense the anxiety and racing thoughts I had been feeling earlier begin to subside. I realized that, since my concentration was now on the game, I was no longer thinking the thoughts that were stressing me out.
How am I going to pay that bill? Don’t forget to take something out for dinner. The car has to go through inspection. Make sure you call so and so back! You know the thoughts—the ones that fill our mind and our life on a constant basis to help us multitask and accomplish goals. The ones that also make us feel like we are running on a hamster wheel when we get frustrated and overwhelmed.
I felt my body relax as my mind became preoccupied with only thinking of my next move in the game. I became aware of how our thoughts truly create our reality; the headache, tension and stress in my body, which I had been experiencing just a few moments before, suddenly disappeared. I suddenly realized the more stressful my thoughts were, the more anxious I felt, and the more irritable I became.
In that instant I realized that by choosing my thoughts more carefully, I CAN experience more of the results I desire in my life.
While feeling tense and stressed, I can only create more thoughts along those same lines. If I can interrupt the negative pattern of thinking—even if only for a moment—the relief is instantaneous. My mind then focuses on what I am now thinking—the previous thoughts forgotten. I am then able to see solutions that I hadn’t seen before, and answers come to me almost out of thin air, seeming so obvious I can’t believe that I hadn’t thought of them before.
As I stood in that line, the more focused I became on the game, the deeper the insights became. I made a move, but was frustrated that it wasn’t where I wanted to move; however, it was my only option. But when I did that, three other moves appeared that I had not been able to see, and they gave me the results I wanted. That’s also how it works when I am solving problems in my mind! I was again flooded with understanding and realized this game is a great analogy for life.
Sometimes, we are not where we want to be, so we make the only move that is in front of us, not fully understanding what will later open up for us as a result of that decision. It often takes years to fully appreciate what that one move did for us, how different our life is now because of it.
Applying the lessons learned playing a simple game like “Candy Crush,” we can transform our thinking right now! Positive thoughts will reap constructive outcomes down the line if we open ourselves up to removing blocks and frustration, and then continue to follow the flow of moves that will lead us toward a positive tomorrow. Namaste.
Ann Darwicki, RN is a Certified Professional Life Coach who completed her training at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. She is the owner and founder of Whole Being Coaching, specializing in coaching others to live the life of their dreams. Prior to becoming a life coach, Ann obtained as Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Delaware Technical and Community College. She has 25 years of nursing experience caring for women and children, with a lifelong affinity for holistic medicine. She is a Reiki practitioner and Nurse Luminary. She is also a freelance writer. She can be reached at 302-750-0574 or by email at adarwicki@comcast.net.