I used to play games

When I first moved to NYC in my early 20s I was obsessed with trying to figure out how to create the kind of success I witnessed in so many New Yorkers.

I saw people who had fancy clothes, incredible bodies, fabulous friends, amazing apartments (yes, they do exist here) and always seemed to be living the Good Life.

As I got to know some of these fantastic people, I tired to figure out EVERYTHING that made them so successful.

And I mean, I wanted to know everything.

What did they eat?
How long did they sleep?
Did they even sleep?
How hard did they work out at the gym?
Where did they buy their clothes?
Who did they date?
Who did the seeeecretly sleep with?

Have you ever found yourself obsessing about the details of other people lives? (Admit it, you have:)

What was funny (not funny haha, but funny ironic) was that the more I tried to nail down the perfect success formula, the more I got stuck in my head.

Am I being clever enough?
Am I wearing the right clothes?
Am I saying the right thing?
How do I look from this angle?
How about this one?

How should I BEEEEEE?!?!?

Sounds exhausting, no?

I call it Mental Mania Meltdown.

Tell me you haven’t experience being trapped in your own mind, trying to figure out a problem as your brain repeats thoughts and asks silly worried questions over and over and over again.

It’s so draining. And frankly, Mental Mania Meltdown is a highly unproductive way to spend your time.

The answer to whatever question you are trying to figure out will not come the more you obsess about it.

When you are stuck in your head, obsessing about anything from how you look, how you sound, what your body looks like or what anyone thinks of you, will only make it worse because it is all so incredibly self focused. 

This obsession creates a mask that permits you to only gaze at one thing, sending a tidal wave through you mind that wipes out any other possible perspectives.

And while at first it may feel intoxicating and purposeful to be that focused, ultimately it leaves us feeling unbalanced and confused, because we have let other parts of our self atrophy in the process, hence the name: Mental Mania Meltdown.   

As a way to get myself out of my own head and ultimately out of my own way, I made up this GAME.

Remember how I said these obsessive thought are self-focused?

We are going to take that energy and send it OUT.

The game is called “THAT’S A GREAT…”

How to play:

The next time you are standing in line at the grocery store, walking through the mall, riding the train or are anywhere there are people around, you are going to start by looking at each person one by one.

Don’t worry, it’s not going to be creepy, because the object of the game is to go as fast as you can.

You are going to call out (in your mind, not out loud silly) the FIRST noticeable feature or thing on that person. Could be anything from their nose, their hair, their pants to their silly scarf.

As soon as it jumps out at you, in your mind, you are going to say, “That’s a great nose!”

Then on to the next person. “That’s a GREAT crazy hair style!”
Then on to the next person. “That’s a GREAT scarf!”

Move from one person to the next rapidly, only calling out the first thing you notice.

So often we look at people and we negatively judge everything about them.

This game not only gets you out of your head by focusing on others, but it forces you to move yourself into a more positive, appreciating state of mind.

And hopefully it encourages you to lighten up a bit. Being light and even silly really is great for curing Mental Mania Meltdown.

REMEMBER:

EVERYTHING you see while playing this game has to be GREAT. Even if it is something you would normally scoff at, for the few minutes, you are just focusing on it being great. Great, great, great.

So, now it’s your turn. Today, I want you to try playing “That’s A Great…” and see what it does to your state of mind.

Leave a comment and let me know if you have any other games that you use to stop the Mental Mania Meltdown. I love playing games:)

And just as a reminder, YOU are great. Really great.

Love
Erin