Do you find yourself stressed or irritated all the time? Whether it’s a long line up at the grocery store, a traffic jam or the tag that stuck out of your shirt all day—it happens to all of us.

Is irritation just a normal part of our lives?

Emotional chaos and stress are so common that many people believe these states to be the norm.

They believe it’s normal to feel this way—it’s the way it is and the way it will always be.

But that’s simply not right. Living in that mindset is extremely detrimental to our well-being. It brings about more stress and chaos in our lives.

Negative thinking only brings about our own unhappiness.

Yet a part of you resists this belief.

That’s why you’re reading this article.

If you want to live against the grain and find true calm and fulfillment, while being a kick ass influencer who gets things done, keep reading.

Most people are not happy or productive. Why?

Happiness plays a huge role in how we live our daily lives: our relationships, what we do, the effort we put into things like work.

Happiness also has a huge effect on our productivity; when it comes down to it, the number one reason people aren’t productive is because they are not happy.

But why aren’t they happy?

It’s simple: they don’t know how to train the beast that is causing their unhappiness.

They may not even know there is something that is causing their unhappiness. Negative thinking may be so ingrained in their minds and lives that they don’t know there is a different way of thinking—a different way of life—that can forever change their outlook, their relationships, their productivity.

Think about it: these people don’t know that there is a happy way of life they could be living. Their minds are preventing them from living this life.

 What is “The Beast?”

The beast is your mind.

And this beast is wreaking havoc on your body, your energy, and your spirit.

It’s a wild animal—it is undisciplined and unreasonable. It simply cannot be trusted.

This beast is the destroyer of relationships, dreams, goals and productivity.

The beast does nothing to nurture sane relationships, sane habits, or sane thought processes.

It knows nothing about being calm, feeling peace, joy and happiness.

The beast is cunning. It’s clever. And it knows how to get to you. It poses as a friend, but trust me, it’s not working in your favour.

Unless, of course, you understand its nature.

The Secret of the corporate mystic.

Corporate mystics have been trained to understand, accept, and work with (rather than against) the nature of the mind.

Because the corporate mystic understands the nature of the mind, they experience minimal stress.

Unlike the rest of us, they don’t get hooked into the chaos, stress, and drama that most people have grown so accustomed to in their everyday lives.

What does this leave room for?

Their positive thinking influences others to create a more positive energy in the world.

Minimal stress allows corporate mystics to influence others and create positive change in people and in the world. They lead by example and show others the right way to think.

Stop making everything a problem.

Corporate mystics experience the same challenges as everyone else—the difference is when they experience these challenges, they don’t see them as problems.

They see challenges as positive opportunities to learn, grow, and influence others.

How do they do this?

They work in harmony with the mind.

The power of the mind.

The mind is an exceptional thing.

It analyzes, synthesizes, and computes. It can be your best friend and supporter when it comes to challenges that require these skill sets.

It can also be your worst enemy.

Here’s the problem: most of us don’t understand our mind’s amazing ability. Instead, we see it as our emotional problem solver.

We give it the tasks of soothing our irritation or coming up with solutions to our emotional problems. We demand that the mind protect us from emotional wounds.

When we give it free reign, we leave the door wide open for stress. And when stress comes into our lives, we lose our creative potential.

We lose our capacity to impact others—to leave a positive change in the world. We lose our ability to lead.

The mind loves suffering.

Most of us give our minds the freedom to do as it pleases. We have been doing this our whole lives without consciously knowing it.

Picture this:

One day, your co-worker, out of the blue, announces that he is irritated by your pen tapping, which he has been listening to from across the room forever.

For more information and to understand how to create a more positive impact and influence in the world while tending to your inner world and personal power, please visit www.KarenMcGregor.com and pick up a copy of my latest book, The Tao of Influence: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leaders and Entrepreneurs.

Instantly (because this is how our minds are wired), your mind jumps to a defensive thought. It’s trying to protect you from your very old yet very sturdy belief that you might not be enough as you are.

You cling to your defensive thought. It’s what’s your brain is used to. It’s what your brain is comfortable with. So you cling to it. Because who likes change, right? Definitely not your brain!

The decision to stay in that negative thought results in two hours of you overthinking a silly situation. Two hours of you barely getting any work done because you are now hooked into a full story about how you never liked your co-worker because he complains about every little thing. You think: why can’t he just be happy? After all, you need to tap your pen to focus! Doesn’t he understand that?

Your brain has been taken over by one split second of deciding to think negatively.

And on it goes. Productivity right out the door.

You have to get rid of this way of thinking. Your brain is like a control freak. It wants to be in charge of every single thing you do. You have to rewire your brain to get away from these negative and defensive thoughts.

Free your mind from suffering.

How can you avoid these types of scenarios that steal your happiness and productivity?

Think about it this way: your mind is only meant to be a computer.

Stop allowing it to control your thoughts and actions. Stop giving it the job of solving your personal problems.

Work with your mind by acknowledging. Acknowledge negative thinking then release those thoughts. Don’t react to them.

Release any thoughts that give you unwanted feelings, make you feel stressed, or make you cycle through other obsessive patterns.

Don’t let your mind take control of you and your emotions. You are not your mind. Just let it go.

Start this simple practice with small things in your life. Just like with anything else, regular practice builds the muscle of surrender. Learn how to take control of your own mind.

Do this as if your life depends on it—because the quality of your life depends on it.

Take control of your mind and take back control of your life!

And don’t forget to get in touch with me to see how I can help you make a greater impact!

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