Learning to Let Go of Unproductive Thoughts, Habits, and Feelings

In the last couple of weeks I have been navigating my two career paths, teaching and creating art. This has led me to contemplate my efforts; am I splitting my talents? Am I being fair to my students or to myself by following two separate paths?

I came to a realization or a reminder that in order to nurture my talents and passions I have to maintain a compassionate and disciplined mindset. This mindset requires me to rethink  some of the habitual negative thought patterns.

Advice I have followed when facing negative thoughts includes:

1. Don't dwell on things for too long. If I had no control over something that happened an affirmation I said was, "Put this behind you, think about what's next."

2. I also had to realize that the negative thinking did not lead to solutions, and I had to cut those thoughts immediately by saying, "Stop. This isn't doing you any good."
Firmly, I would move along and replace my thinking with something productive, like a creative project, planning, or marking. I believe that we must learn to be stern with our thoughts and ensure we choose a positive direction for them to go in, otherwise, they can easily lead us into a downward spiral. But if we do go down the latter path the next step has worked miracles for me when my "thought chaos" ensues.

3. A meditation and deep breathing exercise for anxiety:
"Breathe in love, breathe out peace." It takes practice, but it is my go to whenever I am lead astray by thoughts, or when I am having trouble sleeping. It is a great action to take to refocus your mind.

4. Here are some more helpful tips on letting go created by Buddha Heart. Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best on your creative journey.