Designing a passionate life requires that you recognize and kill the ANTS that invade your life. I was watching public television the other night and Dr. Daniel Amen was giving a talk called "Change Your Mind - Change Your Body". He is a physician and psychiatrist who has done a lot of research on the brain/body connection. It was an absolutely fascinating topic about how our brains are of different types and that once you figure out your brain type, it's easier to loose weight.
Many of the techniques he discussed in his program for loosing weight could be applied to our every area of our lives. One of these techniques that he discussed was to eliminate ANTS from your life. ANTS stands for automatic negative thoughts and these are those thoughts that show up whenever you want do something new, exercise, follow your passions, loose weight, or what ever. He refers to these thoughts as ANTS because they are like ants in the ground. Once they gain ground, they continue to multiply and before you know it, you believe your ANTS and you've given you power away to them.
The first step to exterminating your ANTS is to notice when they appear. What do you hear yourself say when you want to start down a new path that may feel uncomfortable, follow your passions, find a life partner, or start an exercise program? Start to notice what you say to yourself and jot these ANTS down in a journal or notebook. Track them for a week and simply notice them.
The second week, pick one or two that you see were repeated a lot in your journal and when those ANTS appear, figure out a way to reframe it, or to say "no" to that ANT. For example, you want to start an exercise program and the first thing you hear in your head is "I don't have time". Ask yourself if that's true? Are you sure you don't have ANY time to exercise or are you choosing not to? Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. You will find that most of your ANTS are excuses to keep you from moving forward. Replace this ANT with "I make time for exercise because it gives me energy and I'm healthier".
Do this with each of your ANTS and see what happens in your life. First you'll be surprised by the number of ANTS you say to yourself and secondly, you'll notice a change when you start to reframe the ANTS and shift your focus. Start living passionately now and sign up for my free PDD report.
For additional information about Dr. Amen, check out his website: Dr. Amen's website
