It’s Okay to be Ok

It’s Okay to be Ok: Never mind those thoughts that betray the devilish ones that rob us of our self-assurance. Even the most secure amongst us have a secret room inside our brains that is bolted shut. Somehow, through some mystical source of magic, the devious thoughts that are sequestered in that room become a mist and manage to seep through the tiniest of cracks and crevices. Once they break free, they reform and commence to do their dastardly deeds inside the mind. They're all about creating a lack of self-assuredness, which leads to, and you might have guessed it, a feeling of not being okay.

The remedy: unfortunately, there is no way you can keep those devious thoughts confined in that well-fortified room in your head. They're just all out, too damn clever. You can call on some magic of your own that is surprisingly simple. But almost always misunderstood and rarely used. This magic has to do with your self-talk. Is it really magic? Well, the fact that it doesn't seem to come into play when it's so desperately needed is a mystery onto itself.

It's Okay, to be Ok. It really is. You may have to give yourself permission to be okay consciously. It's also important to know that there is a force locked up inside your mind that clearly knows how to escape and create havoc. Recognize it, but don't give it credibility. Once you do, your okay-ness starts to evaporate. Self-talk is like a pendulum. It can swing to and fro. To thoughts that are self-supportive, "very good." Or your self-talk can head to the fro side, where the self-sabotaging thoughts reside, "very, very bad."

Having a clear choice of what you want to think about inside is easy. But making it stick can be difficult and challenging. I learned that it's like forming a new habit. Like drinking the appropriate healthy amount of water every day. We all strive to create good habits. Most of us try to avoid some of the bad habits that typically create problems, like overeating. We all know where that ultimately takes us. Resigning yourself to developing the habit of "it's okay to be okay" can certainly be a little challenging at first, but trust me, it's doable. I found the easiest strategy that works a goodly part of the time is when those negative thoughts pop into your head, just repeat to yourself that it's okay to be okay. Make that your new mantra. It is surprisingly habit-forming, and it works.

"I discovered that ‘just okay,’ was never really all that okay. It always showed up with a compromise that rarely was to my liking." Rod Jones Artist