Have you ever been stuck thinking about a situation that it consumes your thoughts and emotions? Maybe you had a conflict with someone and that event seared in your mind and you keep replaying the situation over and over. Or maybe you are fearful about a future situation so you keep picturing the worst case scenario. It’s easy to get stuck in those cycles of thinking and feeling.
As we think about the situation our emotions get involved. As we think about the conflict we feel the emotions of the conflict. As we feel the emotions of the conflict it causes us to get more focused on the situation. As we get more focused on the situation it causes our emotions to increase. The greater the emotion the greater the focus. The greater the focus the greater the emotion. It is easy to get sucked into this cycle because it’s self sustaining.
The more we focus on the situation the greater our tunnel vision gets. I call this the microscope effect. The more focus we give to the situation the higher we crank the power of the microscope. As we keep reviewing and reliving these scenarios the greater the focus we have on them. A microscope is a great tool to view the detail of something very small. But as we look at our problem under the microscope for extended periods of time, it can make it seem like the problem is bigger than it really is.
The problem might have been equivalent to tripping over a pebble, but looking at the pebble under the microscope for extended periods of time has transformed this pebble into a giant mountain. That mountain can become so massive that it doesn’t seem passable which only increases the need to focus on the problem more intently.
What do we do to get out of this cycle? Smash the microscope! The cycle is self sustaining as well as self intensifying so the only way to break out is to stop feeding it. There is a very enticing lie that says, “Just a few more times through the loop and you will solve the problem.” This idea is part of the self sustaining process, so after a few more loops you hear it again.
Step one is to recognize you are in the cycle. If you know you are running in circles then you can be sure you are not going to get anywhere. Step two is to stop. You have to stop thinking and reliving the scenario. No matter how many laps you run it will not produce reality because it is only in your mind.
Step three is to employ the kingdom mindset. If your scenario has to do with another person, the only way to solve the problem is with the other person. If you were offended by someone and talked with them but you yourself are still offended, say, “I forgive them,” and get over it. If you continue to focus on the emotion of hurt you will continue to think thoughts of offense. And if you think thoughts of offense you will feel feelings of offense. Don’t get trapped in the cycle.
No matter what the situation is, we will never solve it in the cycle of suck. Neither the past nor the future exists right now, only the present. Don’t waste any more time stuck in the past or worried about the future. Live from the unlimited possibilities of potential that exist right now.