It is fair to say that it is very important to look forward into the future then backwards into the past. Yet, the two go hand and hand. To move forward you must have insight into your past. The next challenge for you is to gain some insight into yourself to set the path of moving into the future. There will always be things that will be out of our control but the goal is to gain enough insight into yourself that you will be able to utilize your coping mechanisms.
The hard question is “how do I gain insight into myself?” Some of you may think you are an open book, but I beg to differ with you. Our make up as humans is to be ever evolving. This only occurs as you move forward, if you think you are an open book then maybe consider that you are stuck and not evolving. If your past is holding you back from evolving then it is time to seek out a therapist to help you unpack what has been stunting your personal growth. The exploration of your past may be painful but it means that you are taking the first steps to moving into your future.
There are many techniques you can utilize to gain more insight into yourself such as; therapy, becoming self-aware, journaling, vlogging, verbal journaling, documentation of random thoughts, sitting with yourself, taking some time to be alone, self-inventory, taking pictures of yourself, identifying your emotions and so much more. These are just a few of the coping mechanisms I personally use to gain insight into myself. This is how I Paint My Future. I am able to gain the control and the path I want my future to go down. I love saying that, because there is such a sense of empowerment in the control of my destiny.
The smartphone is so much more then a phone, calendar, messenger, news source etc. The smartphone can also be used as a tool to gain insight into yourself. The App store can be one of your biggest assets in helping you improve your lifestyle and mental health. The Journaling app that I use is “Day One Journal: Private Diary.” I always try to get the apps that are free. Other Journaling apps are: Reflectly-Journal & AI Diary(I want to try this one out) and Breeze: Mental Health App. The great thing is many of these apps have prompts that can help you open up to gain more insight into yourself.
We all know that our emotions control us for a great extent of our lives. One of the blocks that we all have is we have a hard time identifying our emotions at times. I have encouraged my clients to take selfies and identify what emotion they feel they are expressing in the picture. Sometimes you may need to look up an emotions chart to help you categorize your selfie. If you are not comfortable with this form of gaining insight into yourself there are apps like “My Emotions Companion.” “Art My Mood: emotions scanner,” actually scans your face and helps you to identify your own emotions. This is so innovative and a way that you can learn to help yourself on your own terms.
Lastly, I want to open your mind up to the idea of “Vlogging.” Vlogging is taking video of a day in the life of you. The goal is to take some video of each thing you do throughout the day and express how it makes you feel. I know many of us have a hard time watching ourselves back on video. Vlogging can be such a beneficial way for you to really see how your daily life is either holding you back or allowing you to move forward to evolve. I will admit this is probably the most challenging coping mechanism I have provided you with today: however, what better way to identify the areas of your life that you need to work on then by seeing it play back on a video. My daughter and I are currently working on a vlog that we can utilize to enhance our communication by seeing each others individual perspectives. It is truly unconventional but so is the smart phone. Our world is changing into a digital world We can be honest here, our phones are always in our hands or close by, so why not use them in the process of gaining insight into our lives.
The title of this blog is “Paint Your Future,” I chose this title because painting represents freedom, creativity and a blank canvas that opens you up to the idea that anything is possible. Most painters sit in front of a blank canvas and let the paintbrush take flight. I see this correlation as a way of moving your life into the future. Whatever tools you choose to utilize to gain insight, let that be your Paint Brush. Paint the colors of your world through using the different tools I have suggested in this blog. It is up to you how colorful or dark you want your future to be. Your mental health is in your hands. Getting to know yourself better as you evolve, will be your super powers This control will let you navigate the direction that your life will proceed in. I find this sense of control a beautiful transition of life. Go out and
PAINT YOUR FUTURE!
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO
Ilise
