I always think: ‘I will find the answers to the puzzle of my mind and life’, and instantly make mental reference to whatever is plaguing my mind or whatever it is that I am trying to achieve. After all, working out outcomes takes some logical calculations and a few decisions. The latter, however, is always the most difficult part when it comes to accuracy of predictions. This blog post will guide the reader towards unblocking the mental process of decision-making about important outcomes.
As a general rule of thumb, whenever I am trying to figure out the relationship between existing elements of reality, I ask myself one question: ‘What is my role in this outcome?’. This entails several more questions such as: ‘Do I have any influence on this outcome? Have I missed an opportunity to control this outcome?’. This is of course considering that there is an outcome which can be positive or negative, but maybe not neutral. It’s at this point that questioning what a positive outcome would be like, and equally visualising what a negative outcome would be like is a good idea. How do these polar opposite outcomes feel?
Things can get biased with mental health problems, though. For instance, post-traumatic stress (PTS) can blur important cognitive processes such as this one. This is why in order to manage the risk of bias, and to minimise the effect of reactive emotions; it is wise to introduce another question at this point: ‘how do past experiences remind me of this outcome?’. This is when a mental process of comparison takes place, with all the repercussions of reliving memories of emotional significance. Yet, if I am lucky, I tend to be able to examine the potential outcome in alignment with my true self.
I begin taking my assertions seriously, and I engage in positive affirmations knowing that in order for my honesty and integrity to survive I have to be in control of how I respond to my own thoughts and situations. I induce pragmatic thinking by considering how healthy the desired outcome is for me, and whether there is any risk of harm or loss in the process of achieving it. I then self-monitor to ensure that I am not disproportionately fixated on an outcome that does not help me align with my true self. Like this, step by step… I get closer to achieving the outcome I need, and the outcome which soothes my self-esteem and self-worth.
Give it a try.