Having a Bout of Doubt? Arrest Those Mojo Bandits!

We all have them…those moments of uncertainty, minor panic attacks, bouts of doubt.  And I’m not talking about stage fright or being afraid to do a certain task. I’m talking about riding along, seemingly fine, making gentle progress on our projects and then something triggers a negative thought. Maybe we hear something on the news or are told something by a concerned friend or (gasp!) a jealous competitor… and Wham! our world feels wobbly, more negative thoughts jump in our heads and soon a whole stampede of fears is running through our mind. We become weak and immobilized, sliding into a mild depression and sure enough!  our mojo is gone! Stolen from us!

Those Mojo Bandits can be rather ruthless. They know the precise doubt darts to throw and the perfect bashing bullets to shoot to whip up the frenzied fear stampede.

Whoa! So what’s a rider to do?

Cut off those rampant thoughts,
Stem the tide of terrorizing self-talk,
and Arrest Them There Mojo Bandits!!

What? No really! Stop it! Stop them!

You must intercede before those Bandits can cause that stampede to distract you so they can come in and whisk away your mojo!

OK, but how

Remember the Three R’s:

aRRest
Reframe
and Refocus

So the first step is to aRRest…

That’s where our trusty saddlebags come in. In those trusty saddlebags, we have a lifetime of experiences that has culminated into various tools, tricks, and talents that we can call upon to get us through challenges. The one we need to pull out is our Big Bad Bandit Buster! Now everyone has a Big Bad Bandit Buster but not all of us really think about it or have it organized and handy when we need it.  I’ve been guilty of being caught off-guard and flat-footed without mine on occassion so I don’t want the same to happen to you.  My Big Bad Bandit Buster is my own personal list of “things” that I can do to Arrest my Mojo Bandits.   Here are a few of my favorites:

* Turn my attention to my dogs and start petting them. Get down on the floor and snuggle one or all three of them.

* Throw on my iPod earplugs and put on Dance music or The Divine Miss M’s (Bette Midler) “I’m Beautiful!”

* Jump in my car (with my dogs) to drive – anywhere

* Pull out my journal or the closest piece of writable surface and start scribbling

* Go to the Book Store – (Barnes & Noble is my choice)

* Chant to myself – “I’ll laugh and write about this someday”

So here is your opportunity exercise:

Write out YOUR Big Bad Bandit Buster – Try for Ten, at least – Then place it in your saddlebags where you can grab it when you need it! (Feel free to share with me if you like. I’d be glad to compile our favorites for our Success Posse!)