A technique to help you move through uncertainty and become confident in your decisions and responses.

Happy April! It’s the second month of spring, the season of growth, and the month that reminds us we need to be open in order to bloom.

The word April literally means “open”. This month we’re going to talk about what it means to be O-P-E-N, and how it can help you live your best life and make choices that are right for you.

Sometimes in life, you find yourself in a situation or are asked to make a decision, where you don’t immediately know how to respond. Should you say yes to that date? Should you go to that party? Should you apply to that college? The practice of being O-P-E-N can help you move through the uncertainty and be confident in your decision/response.

Step one of being O-P-E-N: Observe. Open your eyes. Be aware of what is happening around you. There are important clues you won’t be able to see if you are stuck inside your head and not looking at the big picture.

Step two of being O-P-E-N: Pay Attention. There are things going on in your environment that are going to stand out. The things you notice are important to you. They are there to help guide your decision-making.

Step three of being O-P-E-N: Embody. Notice how your surroundings are making you feel. You will know when something feels right to you and when it doesn’t. Listen to your gut feeling.

Step four of being O-P-E-N: Nourish yourself. Your gut feeling is going to give you important information on how you should behave. When you act in accordance with your gut feeling, you are nourishing your body and soul. You are making decisions that make you feel good and are the best for you.

Next time you are faced with a tough decision and you’re not sure what you want to do, practice the O-P-E-N technique. Write down and think through each step. Write about what you observe. Write about the things you are noticing and how they are making you feel. Write about the gut feeling you’re having and which decision feels most aligned with it. Then, make your decision.

You’ll be so happy that you did.

About the Author: Lieutenant Colonel Theresa BODNAR, Monthly Mentor, is a full time Soldier in the Army, a certified Army Master Resilience Trainer (MRT), a Positive Psychology Practitioner, Eating Psychology Educator, Author of Get UPP!: Understanding Positive Psychology, and an aspiring Motivational Speaker. She is excited to get to know you and share all sorts of positive psychology tools, inspirational blogs, and poetry with you. Read More…

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