guard your thoughts.

I have had a long, exhausting, challenging week and this one is going to be the same. I'm trying something new and in turn, most of October will be full of long, 60-hour work weeks that are going to be incredibly trying for numerous reasons.

So many times this week I questioned and doubted myself, wondering what I am doing..if I'm doing the right thing..if the outcome will be what I expect or if it will be an incredible disaster. It is so easy to let these thoughts run loose and take over. One worried thought leads to another and it becomes very overwhelming. The negative thoughts make me anxious because everything they bring to light seems so factual and so sure…they can be very believable.

Luckily, by some inner strength or wisdom, I have been able to keep these thoughts from going too far. I haven't completely eliminated them, but I have counteracted these negative thoughts with positive ones. I repeat all of the quotes of encouragement my friends have given me. Or I visualize what success in this situation will look like. I remember why I made this decision in the first place.

The combination of those things calms me down, reassures me, makes me feel positive and ambitious again. I can honestly say that just saying what I need to hear has helped me so much this past week. It makes everything seem achievable. I realize all I can ever do is take baby steps towards my goal, one day at a time, doing what I can where I am with what I have. If I visualize where these steps are going to take me, I can believe it. I can believe that I have what it takes to get me there.

So, I guess what I am saying is, that based on my experience this past week, guard your thoughts. There are so many negative images and messages we encounter everyday, and so many people out there ready to tear you down, that we owe it to ourselves to not be our own worst enemy. We have to respect ourselves enough to believe in the self even if no one else does. We have to protect, love and support ourselves enough to be our own first source of positivity and encouragement. Our thoughts become our actions -- we have to make them good, strong and powerful.