The Process of Pivoting
“Anytime you feel negative emotion, stop and say: Something is important here; otherwise, I would not be feeling this negative emotion. What is it that I want? And then simply turn your attention to what you do want. . . In the moment you turn your attention to what you want, the negative attraction will stop; and in the moment the negative attraction stops, the positive attraction will begin. And—in that moment—your feeling will change from not feeling good to feeling good. That is the Process of Pivoting.” --- Abraham-Hicks
One of my favorite people, Linda Menzer, used to gush about her “spiritual group” and the retreats they’d attend together across the country. She shared with me some of the CD’s she had bought, but after listening one time, I dismissed them, finding them a bit too woo-woo.
A few years later, my BFF, Carey, surprisingly forwarded me some emails from these same retreat leaders. Although some of them still smacked of woo-woo, a few made me stop and think, so I decided to subscribe. The above passage struck me enough to try their pivoting practice.
I consider myself to be a positive person, but after starting the practice, it surprised me how many negative emotions I felt on a daily basis. But as I practiced not avoiding or dismissing the negative thoughts, (which is what I often do), but rather turning my attention to their importance, I was able to think about what I truly wanted and quickly pivot the emotions into something positive and actionable.
Negative emotion/narrative: I’m tired. I don’t feel like planking.
Pivot: My regular plank practice serves me. I’m just going to do what I can.
Negative emotion/narrative: She’s always late!
Pivot: My time is important. I’m going to talk to her about it.
Negative emotion/narrative: Damn, I wish I could go on a trip like that!
Pivot: Where would I like to travel and how can I make it happen?
Negative emotion/narrative: Why did this happen to ME?
Pivot: How can I grow from this experience, where can I find support and how might I use the experience to help others?
We all grapple with challenges—some small, some seemingly insurmountable―and I'm not saying that pivoting will solve them. But I do know that we attract what we pay attention to and that our minds have the power to transform any negative into something positively pivotal.