Two White Lines on the Highway of Life
Editor’s Note: Cyn Hannah is offering Tomatoes a FREE Master Class series “End Your Year Strong.” Details are at the end of the article.
My husband and I recently took a road trip from California to Idaho. During our two-day drive across the Nevada desert, we spent a lot of time staring at the two white lines that define the highway. Those white lines are there by design to keep us on track, so we don’t veer off the road.
This experience got me thinking that we also have white lines on the highway of life that keep us on course. The first one is Gratitude. When we are focused on all the good things we have in our life, it’s hard to also be feeling fear, doubt, or lack. The Universe reads our intention by where we put our attention. If we are focused on the good in our life—all that we do have—the Universe will respond by giving us more abundance in our lives.
Gratitude, even in the tough times, can change how we look at an experience, which, in turn, changes the experience itself. When we are going through a tough time or a circumstance that is not of our preference, it helps us to get curious about what good can come out of the situation. Dr. Reverend Michael Beckwith, the founder of Agape Church, invites us to “ask to see the good that is seeking to emerge, that we are presently not aware of.”
When we see the good, we can have gratitude for it. When my only child transitioned at the age of 21, I looked for the good even in this experience. There were many gifts amongst the heartache. I became more compassionate, I learned to ask for help, I began to appreciate my loved ones more, and I realized I had a strength I didn’t know I had.
In my personal gratitude practice, as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, I think of all that I am grateful for, and I feel the gratitude. Once I have generated this state of gratitude, I get out of bed. Before going to bed at night, I write down what I am grateful for from my day.
What do you have to be grateful for today?
It’s easy to fall into old thought patterns without being aware it. Many of our habitual ways of thinking have become like old wallpaper in the background. We may not notice it, but it’s there and it’s affecting our lives. Perhaps we are aware of it, but we believe it will be too difficult to change or that certain things will stop us from achieving our goals. This is why we need to develop the skills that help us “notice what we’re noticing.” Once we become aware of our thinking and learn to discriminate between what feels expansive versus contractive, we can train our thoughts to be in alignment with where we want to go.
The other white line is our past Successes. When we focus on the successes we’ve experienced—both big and small—we are telling the Universe we want more success. It also allows us to generate a state of confidence which helps us create even more wins. When we are scared or have feelings of lack, it helps to think of the times we were successful, or when we beat the odds and “pulled it off.” If we bring the feeling we had after a success to mind and reconnect with that confidence, we can carry that confident feeling into our day. It amazes me how helpful this exercise can be.
What are a few successes you’ve had in life?
Gratitude and remembering our Successes are the two white lines on the highway of life that will keep us on track. But we also need a road map. Our road map is the vision we have for our life. Without a vision, we won’t know which highway to travel. Either way, we are going to get somewhere; but a road map will help us arrive in the place we would love to be.
We are creating our lives every day either by design or by default. We need a vision in place if we are going to create by design.
If you’d like help with your Vision, read my article “The Power of Having a Vision” here: https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/the-power-of-having-a-vision/.
Or sign up for my FREE End Your Year Strong Master Class Series. October – Vision – The Starting Point November – Maximize Your Motivation December – Intentionally Wrap Up Your Year. For details go to: https://www.cynhannah.com/endstrong/
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
