You know back in the day, being old enough to say that now, I was a Star Trek fan. As a child of the 80’s, I was quickly enamored when I saw the forward section of the Enterprise D for the first time. Watching it with my older brother Jon in our parent’s house, if I remember correctly I was probably eating chocolate ice cream as well.
I only bring that up now because one, it’s a good memory and two, Star Trek was known for many memorable lines, one of them even becoming a mantra of sorts. “Live long and prosper,” is a great example, and recently got me thinking about a mantra that came to me essentially out of nowhere that I really love.
This is not the headspace I want to embrace. That’s it. Now I’ve never been a mantra guy, even in yoga class; but I’m happily utilizing those few simple words now when needed. So here’s a few tips in using this one or your own, that I’ve found to be a big help in centering myself.
What It Means
Headspace, from lexico.com: “Time to think clearly or to be free from mental pressures.” Naturally the Google has more definitions, but for the purposes of this article we’ll stick with that one. And it’s a good one too, as it really pinpoints what the point of this mantra is. Being free of the daily stresses in life is nearly impossible, and can often be out of your control. However I’ve learned that what you can control is how you react to it. And not wanting to embrace the negative is a great way to do just that.
When To Say It
If you find yourself a little more aware of a person’s energy than others, this would help if you’re around negative people. Work or school, home or out with friends, you can’t always know who you’re going to be around. You also can’t always anticipate someone’s energy either, even if you know them.
So when you’re near someone embracing their negativity, just find your center and use it. Just the same, if you find yourself going down that route, use it then. Simply put, the times you could use this are obviously varied. However in doing so you may find that second or two of peace which could make all the difference.
And it could also help to associate it with a positive memory as well. Like the one I mentioned above, this makes sense to get your headspace back on track.
How To Say It
Understand it’s somewhat odd for me to be giving advice on mantra uses. Clearly I’m a new convert, but the synchronicities that led me to this are as such that I feel grateful for doing so. And there’s any number of ways and words you could emphasize in doing so.
For me, it’s usually the not and embrace that I’ll emphasize. Like many, I have a few examples of people who’s standard operating energy is negative. It could be getting angry over something unimportant, or employing various biases in a vulgar way. Whatever it is, I’ve found this mantra can help you remember that your SOE is positive, or doesn’t have to be the opposite.
In The End
Now full disclosure, I may have been misusing the term mantra when I really meant affirmation. This was just discovered as I stopped writing a moment to research popular mantras, and well, here I am. However because I believe honesty is key in helping people, I’m not going to correct this article but instead utilize it as a teaching moment, or something.
See, as someone who doesn’t have a temper, let alone doesn’t really get angry, it’s easier for me to navigate away from the negative. And though I’m slightly irked with myself over the potential misuse of terms, you’ll never guess what I just said to myself: “Matty, this is not the headspace I want to embrace.” And yes, evidently I refer to myself in the third person when using mantras… Or affirmations!
When do you find yourself in need of a mood changing mantra \ affirmation? Is it because of your own energy or someone else’s? Do you say it a few times to yourself, to really embrace the meaning and words? Either way, the hope is that this will help you when you need it most, much like it did so for me about a minute ago!
Matt Preston is the last of 5, uncle of 10, and lives in Jersey. A walking contradiction for any number of reasons, he strives to use his ample energy in a positive and artistic manner. Writing is one of his passions, body mind and soul wellness one of his goals, and belief in destiny his motivation. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.
Image courtesy of Benjamin Davies.
