Bruises

Train has a song called “Bruises” that says: 

“These bruises make for better conversation
Loses the vibe that separates
It's good to let you in again
You're not alone in how you've been
Everybody loses
We all got bruises” 

Listening to it today (again) made me think about what defines us. We are all a product of our experiences. This includes both good and bad, wins and losses.  What makes some people live in the past, blaming their parents, their old bosses, their old partners for their current state of being?  When do we say, “Enough!” and own our own stuff? Yes, we’ve all got bruises. It’s part of life.  We have had experiences in the past that may have left us sad, lonely or confused. We have also had experiences that left us feeling joy, wonder and satisfied and, even for a while, with the thought that all is right in the world.

                How do we keep the negative roar down to a minimum so we can experience the quiet calm of peace? For me, I know the negative tapes run so much louder in my head than the positive ones. When the ugly “I can’ts” or “I’m nots” creep into my thoughts, I literally need to say to myself, “Stop.” It takes conscious effort to replace these thoughts with more positive ones.  I really like “I will have a good day today because I am ready for a good day.” Hokey? Maybe, but words are powerful and thoughts even more powerful. We attract what we think. It’s been proven over and over by people much smarter than me. When we appreciate something, we are willing the universe to please give us more! Recognizing when we fall back into old habits and negative thoughts, we have the power to change the tape running in our head and replace it with positive ones. Like any behavior we want to change, it takes time and practice.

                Hey, we all got bruises.