Thoughts, Feelings Actions
In this episode:
Birds in Meadow meditation,
Thoughts Actions and Feelings (Cognitive Triangle),
Queen tribute to frontline workers ‘You Are The Champions’
Thai Good Stories ‘Believe in Good’
TheArtUnited ‘Perfect Sunrise’.
In a previous program I mentioned the thoughts-actions-feelings triangle that I found so helpful when I was dealing with depression a few years ago – and still today! Depression dogs us with debilitating bad feelings and bad thoughts.
When the psychologist asked me to write down anything that makes me feel good, I found it difficult to come up with anything! So she stayed with me on this until I came up with one thing and asked me to practice it when I left.
She knew that if I could start with a simple achievable action, that would have the potential to positively affect the feeling part of the triangle; it would have a positive impact on the other two.
This program continues to explore how this triangle works.
It has been International Nurses Week.
It falls on the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale who might be called the patron saint of nursing.
Her legacy of courage, professionalism and commitment to care, in the face of rampant disease, is rightfully celebrated, as the spotlight falls on those in the medical and caring sector who continue in her footsteps during this pandemic.
Secondly, a short video from Thailand.
Westerners like me may find it a little bit kitsch. But if you get past the Buddhist-Thai cultural surface, it illustrates the thoughts-actions-feelings triangle beautifully – an initial action leads to positive thoughts and ultimately to happy feelings – and so the cycle continues.
There’s also more than a hint of that same contagious gratitude we feel for nurses and medico’s that is being expressed during the current pandemic. A gratitude that contains the seeds of hope for a better world that elevates these values.
In Australian culture, any number of videos could be put together to illustrate the same dynamic: neighbours helping each other out in floods and fires, for example. The gratitude feeling lifts our thoughts and actions. We are lifted up by the wonderful self-giving actions of others and feel more connected across society.
And talking about connecting, we conclude with a video of musicians, originating in India, who are finding new ways to get together to express their aspirations of hope for a better post-Covid world. Their hope also springs from that same gratitude sparked by the selfless response of so many first responders.
It’s a swell I think we need to maintain – a grassroots movement of the people for a kinder world.
I hope you enjoy the program. Please contact me at geoff@geoffboyce.com with comments and possible ideas and resources for future programs.
As with all my work, I pay my respects to the Kaurna people, the Aboriginal custodians of the land where I live. May we walk together in harmony.