I thought this blog would be a place where I would write about “tips and strategies to live a more peaceful life.” So far it’s mostly been about the crappy thoughts in my head and how I change them. Sigh.

But that’s okay–because that’s how to live a more peaceful life.

As the days and years go by, more and more “stuff” happens, and I become even more convinced that changing my thoughts is the only way to change my feelings, and therefore my behaviors, my habits, my life. I could be wrong, but I think the same is true for you.

For example, right now I am on vacation on the beautiful island of Martha’s Vineyard. And this morning, I was in a really crappy mood. I decided to write down my thoughts while my husband put my son in the bike trailer and took him for a ride.

Here’s what I wrote: Frustrated, not happy. And I’m on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard with my family! When will I be happy if not now?!

But then the light began to dawn as I wrote down my next thought: It’s the thoughts I’m thinking.

Ok, then. I know how to work with my thoughts. I just needed to figure out what they were.

I continued to journal until I knew what the thoughts were that caused me to feel so frustrated and unhappy. I don’t know about you, but I often don’t immediately know why I feel bad. It takes some time and energy to figure it out. But it’s well worth it because once I find the thought that is causing the problem I have ways to deal with it.

One way is to think a better-feeling thought. One of my coaching colleagues, Brooke Castillo, recommends this in her Self Coaching 101 model. For more information on this excellent model, please visit Brooke’s website: www.brookecastillo.com.

The thought that was causing me to feel lousy was: I’m on vacation, I should be getting a lot done on my writing and my coaching business.

Just reading that makes me laugh, and I haven’t done any work on the thought at all! Realizing that I think vacation is a time to get more done is ridiculous.

I know where the thought comes from—I’m a stay-at-home mom now and I work around my son’s schedule, so on vacation I should have more time to work on my own stuff because my husband is available to be with my son. But what about time to relax and enjoy my husband and my son? That’s valuable, too.

So my new thought is: I’m here to relax and enjoy my family. That feels so much better.

I finished my journaling this morning feeling like my vacation had just started. I felt energized and content at the same time.  I went to the beach with my family, played with my son and swam for as long as I wanted.

Now that dinner is over and my son is tucked up in his crib, I’m doing a little writing. I got to have great family time today and I’m relaxed and enjoying my writing time, too.  I’m grateful I took the time to journal this morning and figure out what was frustrating me so that I could enjoy the week here. In years past, it might have taken me much longer to “get over” whatever was causing my funk. I often never figured it out, but eventually the mood passed.

I know that the mood passes when I think a better-feeling thought.

Try it and let me know how you feel!