How do you start your day? I have learned that my thoughts and perception of life will determine my satisfaction. I wake up every day, ready. Look in the mirror, smile. You're the only one of you. Play a song(s) that makes you super happy & pumped on life. Think of someone you love, and remember the happy & positive memories. These are ways of authentic happiness. I get grateful when I remind myself, "Some people don't have today. But I do, and I'm going to LIVE it!"
When life throws you a curve-ball, how do you respond? Everyone has moments of doubt, and fear. But the minute you go there, you lose perception of the big picture. The first thing to do is "Get Grateful". Sounds simple right? It is, but it's a matter of going to a place within yourself where you can reel it all in. Breathe, and get grateful. Remind yourself what matters.
A thought for instance might be, "Lame! I got a flat tire on my way to work, and it's going to make me late! This totally sucks. Of course, I should have known! Why me? This is going to be an extra crappy day." How will you feel after telling yourself this? Another example of a thought from the same situation might be, "Uh oh, A flat tire. OK, well, let's handle it. I'm surprised, because this is the first flat tire I've had in 5 years. I will call my boss to let her know I'll be late. Wow, it's a nice day out." How would you feel with this different viewpoint?
I have found that, by just slowing down, and realizing my thoughts, I began to make subtle changes in my perception. It really makes a huge difference. I focus on not letting "things" or other people determine how I react. Only YOU personally can determine the outcome satisfaction level of your own life.
Another thing I'd like to add is expectations. Having expectations is something we all do whether or not we're aware of it. Expectations set us up, with a picture in our mind of how an event will go. People also have expectations of others, which we'll talk more about later. I learned a while back that this was not beneficial to my happiness. One thing that comes to mind: Weddings. If I expect that my wedding will be perfect, I am setting myself up for disappointment. Why shouldn't it be perfect? Because perfection is an illusion. The cake is Chocolate, I ordered Vanilla. It starts to rain when forecast said Sunshine. The D.J. has technical difficulties, the catering company didn't bring the vegetarian menu, flowers are just a shade off the color the Florist promised.... you get the idea!
Any number of things can happen in this life. They're not bad, unless you make them bad. Acceptance, flexibility, and having a sense of humor are vital to handling life with more grace & ease. Of course, remember to Get Grateful! "Wow this sure is is an interesting day! I am so happy to be alive! This rain is something else. Grandma used to love the rain & she would have been tickled pink to see this. We'll never stop laughing about this- some day! Let's have a cake fight!" You get the idea. Turn it around. Life is SO good. The possibilities are infinite to practice this.
If you think of life as a roller-coaster, and you know it's full of curves and bumps, and twists, it won't be so much of a shock. You hope for the best in life, and you can make it better with your attitude. Being on the ride of life, is a blast!
Breathing and putting everything into perspective for yourself will really change how you begin to process any and every situation. I have had some gnarly situations, and I made it through. I'm ready. I know I'm on a roller-coaster. I'm still here smiling, loving life, and using these tools to keep my own reality in perspective. Give yourself a hug! Talk to you soon!
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