Self-Control

Every morning I take a few minutes to eat a small breakfast before getting dressed for work, and this morning was no different. Later, I arrived to work and found out there were two boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts in the lounge. Had no one ever said anything or given me permission to have one, I would have never known they were there because I rarely go into the lounge before lunch time. But now I knew, and now I was tempted. I guess we all have pretty good self-control as long as we’re not tempted, right? So, what did I do? I gave in to the temptation, of course. That donut may have just been the most amazing donut I’ve ever eaten! I think I even said those exact words out loud when I finished it.

Then my self-control was really put to the test… I was given permission to have another! Uh-oh!!! I started bargaining with myself about calories…maybe I can skip lunch; I’ll work it all off at bootcamp later; what’s an extra 200 calories going to hurt? Then I stopped myself. No, Brittnie, you CANNOT have another one! It was hard, but I remembered what my goal was and I didn’t let temptation win again.

Temptations are only temporary. If we can allow ourselves to ignore them when they arise and choose to keep the end in mind instead (by remembering why we should not give in to the temptation), our self-control will prevail.

-BC

The Right Frame of Mind

I was driving home from the gym this evening, listening to the radio when suddenly this lousy (and untrue) thought entered my mind. That one thought led to others… "I probably won’t have this job next year; I probably won’t get the other job either because I don’t have enough experience; maybe so-and-so just don’t like me," and so on. A little later I realized that I was suddenly in a really grumpy mood, but didn't understand why or where it came from. I even started getting on my own nerves and was determined to figure out what it was that had upset me so much. I'd had a good day at work, no one had been rude to me or cut me off while driving home, so what in the world was going on? As I retraced my own thoughts, it finally dawned on me.... That one negative thought from earlier led to another negative thought, then another and BAM! Before I could even realize it, I had entered into a negative frame of mind. We're all guilty of it at times. Once I realized exactly what had happened (and that I was the one responsible for it happening), I was able to separate those crazy thoughts from reality and "step" back into the right frame of mind.

The mind is very powerful and can also be tricky at times… and because it directly influences our emotions, actions, and overall attitude, we need to check it often to make sure it’s in the right frame.

-BC

Gifted By Guidance...What's In A Name?

Guidance is a part of my everyday life. Although the term "guidance counselor" has recently been frowned upon in my profession, it still remains a huge part of what I do. Not only do I provide guidance to others, but I also allow others to “guide” me, both professionally and in my personal life. Some may think that guidance is only sought out by those who are struggling or facing difficulties in life...those who've become lost, or who have stepped off track and need help finding their way back, but this isn't the case. It is a source of encouragement, support, and inspiration for us all. And whether I am on the giving or receiving end of guidance, I always consider it to be a gift.

Let’s guide each other!


-BC