What's in your cup?

Have you ever been walking through a crowd with a cup in your hand and suddenly had someone bump into you? Did you enjoy your impromptu bath? Probably not. Finding yourself dripping with what had been intended as a refreshment is no fun.

What happens when someone "bumps" into you emotionally? A co-worker says something snarky. A family member is unappreciative. A friend "forgets" they promised to help with a project. What spills out of your emotional cup?

Just as you know that coffee will spill on you if your cup was full of it when you are bumped, your emotional contents will spill out when you are bumped emotionally.

Right now I am wearing a bracelet to remind me to monitor my thoughts -- and my words. Bracelets are available from A Complaint Free World. As Will Bowen says:

Your thoughts create your world and your words indicate your thoughts. When you eliminate complaining from your life you will enjoy happier relationships, better health and greater prosperity. This simple program helps you set a trap for your own negativity and redirect your mind towards a more positive and rewarding life.

If you want to start monitoring your thoughts right now, you can use a rubber band or bracelet on your arm as a reminder. When you notice that your thoughts or emotions are more negative than you would like, put the rubber band or bracelet on your other arm.

As I have done this, I've discovered that, at least for me, negative thoughts travel in packs. If I have one negative thought, it brings along 2 or 3 or more of its buddies along. Since that seems to be the case, I simply wear the bracelet to remind me to monitor my thoughts and emotions.

Try it for a week, and I think you'll notice a difference. Most people believe that incorporating a new behavior into your life for 21 days will secure it as a habit. Three weeks to go . . .