Are You A Victim Of The"Wind-Up Toy Syndrome?" How To Free Yourself

Did you know that you have approximately 60,000 different thoughts during the day? We are not aware of most of them because of all the mental noise they create, because they most often come from the unconscious, and because they are generated by unconscious beliefs that we experience as “the ways things are.” nnWe’re talking about a lot of mental clutter. As long as it remains outside of our awareness, it is running us. We are motivated by fear, things seem out of control and we find ourselves believing that we have no choice. We get caught up in busyness, overworking and the “windup toy syndrome.” nnRemember the wind-up toys you had as a kid? You simply wind one up, set it down on some flat surface and turn it loose. It runs all over the place, bumping into things, bouncing off the walls and gradually slowing down until it runs out of “juice.” Does that sound like how you feel sometimes? Wound up, bumping into people, deadlines, backlogs, etc. until your “juice” is gone?nnIt all goes back to the mental clutter in 60,000 thoughts. It’s not all clutter – it’s just hard to get to the good stuff. Much like a closet that’s stuffed with 20 years worth of clothes in 4 different sizes - many things don’t fit, some are out of style, and other things are worn, frayed, or in disrepair. There are also fine and beautiful items in there that fit you perfectly, but they’ve gotten lost in the clutter. nnI’ve been there in my own version of both the mental and other closets. The “wind-up toy syndrome?” I created it many years ago in a moment of awareness because it perfectly described how I often felt.nnThe good news is there is a way out! nnTHE WAY OUTnnIt’s through AWARENESS, SPACE & CHOICE. nnFIRST: AWARENESS AND SPACE: nnOne day you simply head to your closet to find something to wear to an evening event. You feel anxious on the way, not knowing what you’ll wear. Maybe it would have been easier to buy something instead. nnYou open the door and notice that it is bulging with clothes, not to mention nameless other items. You don’t know a quarter of what’s in there and putting together an outfit seems impossible. nnThen it’s like someone turned on the light in a dark room. You wake up and really see what’s in front of you for the first time in a very long time. You see the clutter for what it is. That you’ve been in this place many times before. It’s a beautiful moment. You are awake! You take a breath! You are awarennYour moment of awareness has created space between you and the clutter. It’s not running you for that moment. In this space you remember what you did the last time you went to the closet and couldn’t find anything to wear. You panicked, trying on this thing and that… But now there is space - precious space. Now you can do something different.nnORnnYou sit down at your computer to write your monthly ezine. Suddenly you remember the phone call you wanted to make, that there are emails that need to be answered…You faintly remember how unfocused you were when you sat down to begin this month’s article yesterday. nn“My desk is a mess. How can I concentrate with all these files and papers everywhere?” I don’t know what to write about. The mind noise and clutter take over.nnThen you become aware that your mind and heart are racing. You hear, “I can’t do this. I can’t handle it.” You are aware that you have just been reacting to fear and a limiting belief - “I can’t handle it.” You’ve felt and reacted this way so many times before. But now, you are awake! You take a deep breath! Things slow down. AWARENESS! You’ve created space. Now you can do something different.nnIn the moment you become aware of the bulging closet, your racing mind and heart, the fear and limiting belief, you have created space between you and the mind- clutter. And you can make a different choice.nnTHEN: SPACE AND CHOICEnnnIn this space lies a golden opportunity - to make a different choice. To take another breath. To notice the habit pattern that was at work here - what you usually do in similar circumstances. nnBy the mere act of noticing, the automatic behavior is not a done deal – you have space. In this space lie options. A perfect question to ask yourself is, “What can I do instead that I will feel really good about at the end of the day?” nnIn the case of the newsletter you might decide that writing it is the most important task to do that day. This calls for other choices like turning off the phone and saving emails until later in the day so you can focus. You might ask yourself what you really want to tell your readers, make a few notes and begin writing. Whenever you make a conscious choice, you are back in control again. nnIN CLOSING nnSpace is necessary in every aspect of our lives. Space between thoughts, between tasks, between clients, space on our desks, in our closets… Space frees us from the “wind-up toy syndrome”. Space is where much of the magic of life happens. It’s where wisdom, connection and pleasure lie. Just like the space between notes creates the beauty of music, the space in our lives allows the splendor of life to emerge.nnStep into your greatness! It’s the most natural thing you’ll ever do. nnPS Making space is a step into your greatness!nnKnow a friend, client or colleague who might like to read this? You can pass this ezine along to them by simply clicking on the forward link at the end of this document.nnnTo book Reggie as a speaker for your organization, meeting or conference, call 617-524-6153.nn© 2007 Inspired Notes is written by Reggie Odom. Please send any questions or comments to reggie@reggieodom.com. You are free to reprint and use the above article by simply including the copyright and full resource box below.n