This blog post is a transcription of episode 7 of The. Dr. Ali Griffith Show – Care Enough to BE Positive and DO IT. If you’d rather listen instead of read, the links to the podcast are below!
What’s up, what’s up, what is up? Welcome to the Dr. Ali Griffith show – Mindset, Meditation and Motivation. In today’s episode we’re going to be speaking about some of my mantras and what has helped me to get through some of the darkest moments in my life. Yes, I believe we should all have them. I’m going to share a little about where mine came from and how I use them throughout my life in so many different aspects.
My first mantra I learned in third grade, and it was from my favorite teacher at that time, Mrs. Johnson. She was very strict. We came in and she would always have these different rules and things we had to do. She was also one of those teachers that said I speak too much – look where that got me right? I remember her telling us this Hallmark note and it said, “when you care enough give your very best.” I kept wondering why, why, why is this mantra so so memorable to me? At that time she meant when you care enough to give your very best in your homework and the presentations that we gave in school. I thought that was only going to be used in an academic setting, but then I started to realize that I really adapted that mantra throughout my life where whatever I did, whenever I gave up myself, I knew that I wanted to demonstrate that I care enough to give my very best.
So sit back and think of what was that mantra that you may have learned earlier in your life when you were a child, because this was third grade .. what was I, like i was 8 or 9? Still, somehow these words seemed to resonate throughout my life and they still are impacting the choices I make now. Even in this podcast, because whatever I do, whatever I leave for you guys, I want to make sure that you are getting my very best. If you want to borrow that mantra, go for it because it is definitely one that can help you to think twice about what you are doing, about what you’re producing.
My second mantra I learned around high school. I went to Clara Barton High School, which is in Brooklyn. (Shout out to all those that went to Clara Barton!) It was a school for medical sciences. When I went to that school, one of my friends introduced me to this after school program. We would take the train and head out to Manhattan, and when we got there there were a bunch of different kids from all over New York City – from Brooklyn, from Queens, Long Island, The Bronx, Harlem. When we got together the name of the program was called City Kids, and we would just discuss things that were going on in our environment. I loved because it was the perfect time to get out of Brooklyn and finally see other things, and listen to other kids, and find out what was going on in their lives. At the end of each session we would hold hands together and we would say, “keep a positive thought because a positive thought cannot be denied.” I did not realize that I would be using this same mantra throughout my life when I was faced with different obstacles.
You know I was married and things didn’t work out the way it was. In fact, it was tough on me. I mean it’s you know, marriage. We went through a point where I started to feel really horrible about myself, my own self esteem, I started to question my thoughts. That was a really, really dark time in my life. Even though you know I was this person of light, at that moment I felt so dark and having any positive thought was just thew furthest thing from my mind. I was just in a slump of negative. Then I remember one day being in my room and just asking God (that’s who I serve, my God) you know, what is it that he wants? What is it that I’m supposed to of in my life? I just kept hearing all this negative that, “you’re making the wrong decision, and this is where you’re supposed to be, and you’re just going to have to bare with it.” I remember thinking to myself, hearing those words: keep a positive thought because a positive thought cannot be denied. It began me even through the worst times, the darkest moments of where I could possibly be at that time, saying to myself that, “this too will pass, this cannot remain the same.”
I spoke about this a little bit in my Meditation Au-Moments episode two where this too will pass – when you have to try and be the calm through the storm. So go through and listen to it so you can see some of the meditation tools I used at that time. As I was using that I remember saying to myself, “keep a positive thought Ali.” I kept saying it to myself until I actually began to believe it. It’s not easy, I’m not saying it’s something that just happens automatically, and that you just switch on this light switch and you become positive. It requires a lot of repetition. It requires a lot of believing in yourself. It requires a lot of going down and then coming back up, and then questioning yourself like, “is this really what I’m supposed to do?” You’re going to see that even as you’re doing it, you’re going to have to say it so many times and repeat it so many times. You’ve got to believe it so many times until you start to see the shifts happening. Now, because I’ve practiced “keep a positive thought because a positive life cannot be denied” so much in my life that when those moments of parenting Zachary – and I’m dealing with some incredibly challenging moments, like now he’s this teenager and always has something lippy to say – but just knowing that “keep a positive thought a positive thought cannot be denied” somehow runs through my head and it shifts me back into “ok this is now, we’re going to move past this, it doesn’t stay this way forever.” If I continue with positivity I’m going to get positive results, because that is what my life has continuously shown me. It’s not something I’m making up, it’s the reality of what it is. Now I’m not saying it’s always going to be great. I’m not saying it’s always going to be positive, but you definitely have to have your mantras to help you get through those moments and have things to say to yourselves. So take this time out to just write down, or get really clear on those words, those thoughts, that phrase that’s going to get you through. “I am enough, I can do this.”
Which comes to my third and final mantra. The reason why I decided to share this with you guys is because I did a speaking engagement this week. I was speaking to a group of elementary and junior high school after school teachers, and I asked them, “do you guys have mantras?” And they were like, “uhh no?” In my head I’m like, you need mantras! That’s what really helped me get through this thing called LIFE – just going and picking up, and just holding onto the ones that worked and helped me to get through. So I stopped what we were doing, and said lets look back and start creating our mantras, because no more can you go through life without having those words that are going to get you through the roughest moments of your time. They did it and we went over it, and the words that they shared were so incredible that I said, “yep, this is definitely a podcast, my people out there need to have some.” Definitely take this time to write it down. Put it in your review, put it in your responses, because I’m going to read some of your mantras. It’s important for me to know that you’re listening, and not only that you’re listening, but that you’re being in action
So my last mantra, and for most of you who are a part of my tribe (yes, I have an au-mazing moms tribe), you already know this. The last one is called just DO it. It’s nike, yes I’m giving Nike all the credit for “just do it.” Just do it is the result of this podcast, the Dr. Ali Griffith Show. Just do it is the result of me now speaking on stages internationally in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Just do it is what has helped me to navigate parenting Zachary, who is living with autism. It’s helped in letting me know that I sometimes can’t keep questioning myself, and I have to trust my intuition, and sometimes I just have to go out of the box and just DO it. When you just do it, especially if it is a place where you gave yourself time to meditate, be still, really listen to your inner voice to see if this is really what you’re supposed to do. And you hear it, and it says yes, but somehow that doubt that fear, that negativity that you’ve been raised with all of your life kicks in my head and it tells me, “you can’t do it, they’re not going to listen to you.” Then I just say, “you know what? Just press play. I’m just going to do it.”
That could be partially why I made such boo boo on my first intro for my podcast. I just pressed play and the unedited version came out when I did my launch. You guys know I was totally freaking about that right? Instead of going and getting rid of it, it ended up showing my vulnerability and it ending up showing that, yes I just did it. I launched, and I launched imperfectly, and I launched being Ali. It was like I’m still figuring out this podcast game, I’m still figuring out this game called LIFE, I’m still figuring out how to be a parent. Shucks, I’m still figuring out who and what this Dr.Ali Griffith is going to be. But while I’m figuring it out, I do know three things are for sure. Number one: I am going to care enough to give my very best in whatever I do. Number two: I know without a shadow of a doubt when I have the hardest moments in my life and I’m feeling like crap, that I am going to keep a positive thought because a positive thought, no matter, what cannot be denied. I believe that, like I believe that, like I believe that. Number three: when I’m at that crossroad and I’m getting ready to jump into that double dutch and I see the rope going – but somehow that fear comes that if I jump in it’s going to slap me in my head – I’m just going to do it. I’m going to jump in, I’m going to move, and if it stops me and it slaps me in my head, guess what? Here’s your bonus – I’m going to jump out and I’m going to try it again.
So today’s episode was all about my three mantras, and I want to make sure you have your mantras. Like I said earlier, definitely take this time out to leave your reviews, leave your ratings, and definitely write out and send me your mantras. I want to share it with the world, and plus, they let me know that you are in action. If anything else, you know that it’s all about shifting your mindset, igniting your inner fire, and then getting you to make bold, positive, power moves in your lives. It’s ya girl Dr. Ali, and it was such a blessing to come in and share some time with you. Remember to be au-mazing in your thoughts, in your words, and in your actions.
Before I go, I wanted to make sure to invite you to our Au-mazing Moms Wellness Retreat in 2020. We’re going to be on the sandy beaches of Destin, Florida from May 1st – 3rd getting in some much needed rejuvenation and relaxation. We have a special discounted fast action early bird offer right now for a one time payment of $799 OR nine monthly payments of $99. After July 1st those rates are going up, so if you’re ready to soak up some some and replenish your cup sign up now!
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Love you, and I’ll catch you next time. Stay tuned and make sure you go catch another one of these, they are phenomenal!
Links to listen to the Dr. Ali Griffith Show:
Apple: bit.ly/draliapple
Spotify: bit.ly/dralispot
YouTube: bit.ly/draliyoutube
PodBean: bit.ly/draliPodBean
Stitcher: bit.ly/dralistitch
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