5 Toxic Distractions That Stop You Getting What You Want

We all would like to have everything we want in life.  Preferable this very minute. Right? Sadly, life doesn’t work that way.

Life never offers us what we want, because it can’t. It can only offer us who we are.

Which means everything that’s happening within us is what requires our attention most. We have to be careful of the words we whisper to ourselves, the assumptions we make about us and others and the attitude we bring to every situation we encounter.

In other words we have to move away from the outer physical world which relentlessly streams information to us and spend more time consciously being aware of what’s going on within.

The first one is easily done.  Turn everything off. Turn off your notifications, email, facebook, twitter, etc and stop checking your cell phone every 5 minutes.  Easy.

It’s the more subtle inner distractions that grab our attention and play havoc with our ability to concentrate our energy on our best future.

If you’re ready to stop your toxic mental distractions from getting in the way of what you want in life, it doesn’t take much.

All you need is the desire for change, the awareness of the toxic distractions that get in your way and the discipline to practice new ways of being until you get the results you want.

Distraction one – clutter

Mental clutter is as big a distraction as physical clutter. Both create disharmony in your life. When we have something on our minds that we decide is important, our mind does what it’s designed to do to keep things vital to us at the forefront of our thinking.  It simply plays the important ideas in an unending, stressful loop.

One thing that helps me with mental clutter is to put everything I WANT to do on my calendar and it gets clear pretty soon that there isn’t enough time for all the wants, leaving me to have to choose the things I NEED to do.

Once you see your calendar has everything that needs to be done, your brain will relax knowing the important things are being handled.

Distraction two – negativity and poison

Don’t allow those who spread negativity and misery to be front and center in your life. They’ll suck the spirit right out of you and distract you from focusing your thoughts on all the things you want to accomplish and to experience.

Those who would dump their criticism and resentment onto you don’t deserve a place in your world.

Remember to leave enough room in your life for those who would help you reach the mountain top, those who believe in you and those who show you the greatness in you when it’s hard to see it for yourself.

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Distraction three – grudges

Life is too short for a lifetime grudge and we, none of us, have the time to hold on to past experiences that continue to poison our hearts.

Sometimes we just need to accept that we’ll never get the apology we think we deserve.

Peace of mind can’t exist when a heart is filled with resentment or anger, so do yourself a favor and let it go and then you can escape the prison of the past and enjoy the beautiful, happy present.

This gives you time to take a breath and relax enough for something new to enter your consciousness and you can use that mental energy to move you forward.

Distraction four – seeking happiness outside of yourself

Your happiness lies in your hands only. If you’re not happy with how you see yourself, change it. Don’t look for others for your happiness.

Realize that somewhere within you is a huge supply of happiness, always there, patiently waiting for you to reach out and grab it.  It’s yours for the asking. And you ask by giving it your attention.

Having a happy relationship with you is the only way you can share happiness with another. Make yourself a priority and remember the longest relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself. Make it great.

Distraction five – the worry habit

Worry is using the incredible gift of your imagination to infuse life into something you never want to see in your world.  It’s one of the biggest distractions of all.

Worry is like a false alarm that rings when there isn’t a fire in sight, other than the fire you’re creating in your mind.

Look back and you’ll often see that all the things you worried about have been handled and often they led you to being a stronger person, in a better place.

So smile and tell your worries you’ve had it with them, and don’t allow your mind to get you tangled up in the mental tricks it likes to play.

Over to you…

What’s your biggest toxic distraction? And what helps you switch your attitude from negative to positive when those distractions are  stressful and painful?  We would  love to hear from you in the comments below with your thoughts and insights.

Encourage one another.