Archive for Positive Thinking
Positive Attitude – Celebrate Life As If Every Day Were Your Birthday
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How do you usually feel on your birthday? You may be nostalgic, you may be joyful, you may be raring to celebrate, or you could even be a little thoughtful. Thoughts about the day one arrived here in this physical world can run the gamut of emotion, but regardless of which end of the emotional spectrum, one’s feelings can often be quite intense. Birthdays stir up emotions — and sometimes soul-searching.
Maybe we reflect back on what we have accomplished, or maybe we look back at the opposite — what we haven’t. However, I am going to speculate that most people’s ultimate goal is to acknowledge the day that they came into this physical plane and celebrate the event. I do like to think that most people choose to embrace the joyfulness of the day.
On Facebook, I always make an effort to wish everyone a Happy Birthday on their special days – not an easy task when you have over 700 friends. But I feel it is important to reach out to connect and send positive thoughts on one’s birthday. The other day, a friend who was extremely grateful for my good wishes, posted a lovely thank-you image on my Wall with the caption: “My birthday July 24th.” Which quickly confused my other friends into thinking it was MY birthday (even though my March birthday is clearly posted in my information section) instead of someone else. So I had removed the image, but not before I received some lovely good wishes. And those thoughtful wishes actually uplifted my energy that day in a significant way!
I got into some messaging with the friends that had sent them, explaining that it was not really my birthday but that this gave me the neat idea that we should treat every day as if it were our birthday — and reach for joy and celebration more regularly! Everyone wholeheartedly agreed.
When I was a teenager, I had a large colorful poster on the wall with the image of a glorious sunrise and the anonymous saying “”With every rising of the sun, think of your life as just begun.” That saying has remained a favorite of mine throughout my life and a clear reminder that with each day, there is that glowing chance to begin anew.
So I feel motivated to share these thoughts with you. Can you capture or recapture that sense of anticipation and exhilaration that comes with the promise of the sunrise on one’s birthday? We all look forward to the good wishes, the comaraderie, some cards and gifts, special attention. It is that vibrant feeling that we have that morning of the day to come as vibrating with clearly different energy.
So go for it — imagine that today is your birthday! How do you wish to shape your day — and your energy? Do something to celebrate YOU, to celebrate your specialness, your unique personality and own life path. If you need to make a shift, then today is the day to begin. And wish yourself a Happy Birthday!
Affirmations:
- I celebrate the beauty, joy and uniqueness of each day.
- I strive for harmony and balance in all that I do, each day of my life.
- Living in the now moment helps me tune into powerful feelings of optimism, self-acceptance and tranquility.
Positive Attitude – Are You Comfortable With the Person in the Mirror?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat do you see when you look in the mirror? Or, more importantly, exactly WHO do you see? Is it an individual who is basically happy, accepting and understanding of yourself? Or is it the big critic that reflects back to us? Glimpsing your entire reflection, do you automatically think, “I’m too skinny, too heavy, too short, too sad-looking, etc.” Or can you smile at yourself and be totally at ease with the person that looks back at you?
If you are in the flow of a balanced life, your reflection should be a joyful one — one that you perceive as harmonious and looking quite good. Catching your reflection, even unexpectedly, should make you smile and not wince. However, if you are in the “flaw” of life — then you are noticing and fixating on your flaws and imperfections, physical and maybe even mental/emotional.
So perhaps the mirror indicator is a “reflection” (pun intended) on where you actually stand in your own personal comfort level with your core essence. Because even if your nose is long and your stomach is wide, if you are truly at ease with yourself, the mirror will not cause you stress.
I believe that in our quest to achieve a balanced, joyful life we must be truly comfortable with our authentic selves. Does that mean we should not strive to work on being more motivated, more compassionate, more understanding, more communicative, or even a bit thinner, more toned, or more (fill in the blank for yourself)? Absolutely not. However, being at ease within our own skin and psyche is an intrinsic part of a peaceful and optimistic mindset.
So pay attention to your reaction when you pass the mirror (especially a full length one because that gives you the picture of yourself in your physical entirety) and just note your initial response. Is it a flutter of happy recognition, or do you immediately see an area that needs improvement? If the critic in the mirror instantly comes to life, then maybe it is time to start doing the inner work of self-acceptance along with gentle, consistent shifts toward more positivity.
One powerful exercise is to actually DO mirror work. This one is from Jack Canfield. Just before bedtime, stand by a mirror and speak out loud to your reflection, reviewing your day in a positive light. Go over those things you did, such as if I’m speaking to myself “Sheryl, it’s fantastic that you went to the gym and worked out. It’s very healthy for you. You finished writing that article for your next newsletter, so you are caught up with that. You responded to all emails from prospective Reiki students. This morning’s healing session clearly was beneficial to your client. Later in the day, you prepared a healthy and tasty dinner for your husband and yourself.” Then at the very end just say to yourself, “It was a great day. I love you.” You might feel really embarrassed at first, but with patience and practice, your perception and relationship with yourself will improve.
Or, if you prefer a more succinct version of this, stand before a mirror at night and just acknowledge any or all of the following: “I am happy with myself on all levels. I am grateful for all that I do and all that I have. I feel good about my accomplishments of the day. I appreciate all those who love me.”
Affirmations:
- I am comfortable with who I am, and where I am along my life path.
- The compassion and understanding I show toward others is always mirrored back to me.
- I practice self-acceptance and treat myself with kindness.
Positive Thinking – Acknowledging and Releasing Negative Feelings
Posted by: | Comments“I’m not really one for rumination. Meaning: My kids and I feel our feelings — often deeply — and then, if the feelings are negative, we try to move on. If the feelings are positive, we try to savor them, to hang on to them.” ~Christine Carter, PhD
Some people may think I am this unusual happy-go-lucky, never-having-a-negative-thought individual, due to all the writing I do about positivity and joy. Be assured that my reality encompasses the full scale of human emotions!
Looking back, I have been through years of negativity, when thinking positive on a grand scale was not a glimmer in my then-challenging reality. Thinking STRONG was about as positive as I could be during those years of personal and family turmoil. Fortunately, the most upbeat part of me knew to reach deep inside through all the hurt and fear, as I tapped into my inner strength and guidance to help me persevere along that difficult journey. And yes, eventually I came to the figurative light at the end of the tunnel.
What I learned from my own experience is that it is okay to acknowledge and experience one’s negative feelings. You cannot and should not deny or suppress your feelings, because they are part of your own personal reality. However, and here is the significant “but” — but don’t, as Christine Carter suggests, “ruminate” there forever. Know you CAN move on. Feel the pain, but then let go of it, release it out to the Universe, to God, to wherever.
Know you can find your light again, and let it move you forward toward improved and more optimistic thinking. Staying in the tense, unproductive and downright toxic energy of negative feelings for a prolonged period of time is unhealthy. I am convinced (and scientific evidence supports this) that remaining there will only lead to the manifestation of physical symptoms and illness.
The flip side of this equation is that when you manage to consciously shift yourself up the emotional scale into a better-feeling place — SAVOR that place. That is the feeling to ruminate on — to be in alignment with. When you find yourself in this sunshine-filled, good-feeling reality — exalt your magnificence, the powerful YOU that has brought yourself happily to this moment. Celebrate your optimistic self! And you will feel even better, drawing more good-feeling, positive aspects toward you.
Some joys in our lives are sudden and unexpected (as are some of our sorrows.) But recognize and appreciate the gamut of all these remarkable times. Bask in the joy. File that particular, remarkably clear, slice-of-happy-life feeling in the back of your mind to reach for on another day, when you might need to be uplifted by the memory of it.
Affirmations:
- I acknowledge ALL my feelings and release the ones that no longer serve me.
- I know that I can consciously let go of painful emotions and replace them with powerfully joyful ones.
- I take time to savor and appreciate those moments of joy, accomplishment and exhilaration.
Healing Attitude – Focus on Balance and Well-Being
Posted by: | CommentsIt is the usual greeting to ask someone “How are you doing?” or “How’s it going?” How many time do you get the elongated response: “Oh, I pulled my back out. I’ve been in pain. Now my knees are hurting me. I have arthritis in my hands” and so on? As humans, we love to tell our story — sometimes in great and emotional detail. But what happens when our story gets repeated over and over to everyone we come in contact with, and we get stuck in that place of sickness?
Often it leads to more sickness, as we find ourselves in an emotional cavern of ill health and body/mind imbalances. The more we focus our attention on the details of our stresses, symptoms and ailments, the more they expand and multiply. Repetitive emotional stress and prolonged negative thinking can lead to physical symptoms — this has been shown through scientific studies.
Intellectually, most of us DO have a clue about this, but sometimes our human nature prevails — and if we are hurting, we want to tell the world, simply because we believe that might help us feel better. And perhaps for a moment, it does. Additionally, we tend to like the attention that our “sickness stories” bring us. And we always welcome support from others.
But overall, isn’t it more beneficial to embrace well being, to take as many powerful steps to return to balance and positive health? Practically speaking, part of that may require excellent medical care — both traditional and holistic. But another powerful part of that may include quieting the negative story about our ongoing list of ailments and all that is wrong in our lives.
Shifting the way you think about health, even a little, might have remarkable results. Start to connect to a sense of BALANCE, of harmony — consciously make that change in your thinking. So yes, it’s okay to acknowledge your ills — your feelings are your feelings. But don’t marinate there. Always envision yourself moving forward in the flow of well-being. Make it your intention to accept powerful and complete healing in your life.
Positive Thinking – Managing Challenges Along Your Unique Life Path
Posted by: | Comments“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Henry David Thoreau
This wise old saying gives us very clear permission to follow that different drummer, yet most of us still are of the mindset of comparing and measuring ourselves against others. And then what happens: we often become frustrated and feel we can’t keep up. Even if you don’t think this overtly, you may carry this mentality within your subconscious mind.
You ARE unique and you need to begin to feel that it’s perfectly okay to walk your own walk. You do not want to “vibrate” exactly the same as everybody else. So refrain from the mindset of comparing yourself to others. Compare yourself to who YOU want to be, to where YOU want to go.
That’s not to say your path is solitary, or should be — it is always brilliant and beneficial to be connected to others as they walk along their own personal paths. However, hold on to your own dreams and visions of what you wish your life to be. Don’t let the influence of others overtake you. And you don’t really need to “walk a mile” in their shoes. Just be tolerant, understanding, respectful. And continue merrily on your way.
However, when we encounter challenging times along our path, it often becomes tough to think clearly and we get sidetracked. People often write to me about challenges and wonder how to energetically persevere and overcome these personal hurdles (which can sometimes be truly major obstacles.)
Here are a few suggestions:
- Acknowledge your human perspective and know that it is okay to be stymied by challenges (we ALL are.) Then acknowledge that deep within you are strong — you are POWERFUL and you have amazing potential. Consciously call upon your inner strength to see you through.
- Call upon the higher consciousness, Source, God, the Divine, your angels (whatever you believe) and ask for assistance with your challenge. Prayer and requests are always helpful — moving some of your burden out of your heart and turning it over to a Higher Power.
- Be of the thought set to “move ahead.” Even though your goal or wish may seem like a zillion steps away — a veritable long and winding road — or your challenge looks as high as a mountain, just know you can move ahead and make progress a little at a time.
Remember Lao Tzu’s sage statement from thousands of years ago: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So TAKE THAT FIRST STEP. And take it with as much light and joy as you can muster — “fake it til you make it.” At least you will have spurred yourself into action. It is always motivating to “chunk it down.” Divide your dream, your wish or your obstacle into doable segments. - And most of all, be kind to yourself. Don’t chastise yourself harshly for not being where you want to be. That type of head talk will only be painful and and further debilitating. So encourage yourself as you can. Know that challenges come — but challenges also go — and you can ride out the stormy wave and once again find a sense of peace and harmony in your life. YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH.
Affirmations:
- I call upon my inner strength to see me through challenging times.
- One step at a time and one goal-at-a-time is the way to achieve my dreams and plans.
- I am always kind to myself, as well as being loving and compassionate toward others.