You’re feeling sorry for yourself.
Your (fill in the part of your body) hurts, you’ve got a meeting you’re not looking forward to, you cheated on your diet, you had an argument with someone close to you, you’re looking for work, or perhaps, like me, you’ve got a deadline to meet and you’re stressing out whether you’ll finish on time.
So what better time than, now, to shift to a positive attitude. After all, “A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” Patricia Neal.
I know, it’s easier to feel bad and make excuses than to shift your thinking. I’m guilty of that too, however, wouldn’t it be nice to find that ray of sunshine, by making a small shift in the thoughts going through your mind?
How can I shift to a more positive attitude?
- Start by doing something small and simple: make a special cup of tea or hot chocolate with whipped cream Take your dog for a walk in a different place, so you see new surroundings. Listen to a song you love. Pull out an old book you haven’t read in a while, but remember enjoying. Call someone you’ve been meaning to, but haven’t allowed yourself to take the time to.
- Help someone out: I have a friend who recently broke her leg, and I know she loves her cup of Peet’s coffee just as much as I do. I would bring her a cup over and spend fifteen minutes chatting with her, before we each had to get back to our writing.
- Read Inspiring stories: Feeling overwhelmed happens to all of us, and sometimes reading an inspiring story, like the one I read on Mary Jaksch’s blog GoodLife Zen: “How catastrophe can open a door to new life,” can help you change to a more positive outlook on life. Christopher Foster has his own blog: The Happy Seeker. Christopher shifted his outlook on life after losing a 36-year connection with his community, and the sudden death of his wife as they were returning from a Caribbean vacation to celebrate their 25-year wedding anniversary.
- Turn your list of negatives into positives: Make a list of all your negative thoughts and next to each one, turn it into a positive statement. So in my case, instead of saying, “I shall have a hard time getting my memoir published,” I write, “I can already see a bidding war going on between publishing houses who want my memoir.”
- Learn and practice meditation: This is a skill many already follow, and others like myself, need to develop. I’m gradually learning to practice meditation as I realize the importance of becoming still. As Christopher Foster mentioned in his guest post: “I have come to realize also that this stillness I love is my own stillness. It doesn’t come from some strange, far-off place. It is my own stillness, and it has found me at last.”
- Start a blog: This is a great way to share with others and feel connected to a community. If you have friends who feel lonely, why don’t you encourage them to start writing and connecting with others. It’s never too late, and age is not an excuse either. Just look at Christopher Foster. He started his blog: The Happy Seeker, last May, and I know he is not in his 20’s, 40’s, 60’s …?
Your thoughts are always welcome.
