Over the next few months I am going to write several posts which hopefully you will find helpful at times when life seems to kick you in the b#lls and when everything seems to feel like an uphill struggle. We've all been there, we know how it feels. Sometimes you just want to give up, pack up and run for the hills. Life is like a game, it has rules. Follow the rules and you will live a much happier life. So sit back, relax and let me show you how to deal with these 'challenging' times. I will be going into much more detail in upcoming posts so please just take this as a little overview...
It's never as bad as it seems...
Have you ever been so down or depressed that you thought you would never be happy again? Think back to some of your darkest times and remember the thoughts that were running through your head. Now think forward a few years from that point. Did things get better? Were you happy again? Did things turn out as bad as you thought they were going to? When we are in the depths of depression or stress we often find ourselves in a place where we cannot imagine ourselves as being happy again. Our thoughts are 'stuck' and no-matter what we try to tell ourselves we find it very hard to 'snap' out of this downward spiral negative thought loop. Remember, things are never as bad as we think they are. We often over analyse situations and construct unlikely outcomes in our head that are very unlikely to happen. Stop over-analysing, stop creating imaginary scenarios in your head and just accept things for what they are. What's done is done so relax.
What you put out...
Have you ever noticed that when you are in a good mood everyone else seems to be in a good mood too and your day seems to flow easily without any major problems? Have you noticed that when you are in a bad mood everything seems to fall apart and everyone seems to want to cause you problems? How can this be? Well, life is like a mirror. It reflects back to you what you put out. If you are smiling in the mirror then it will smile back to you. If you frown it will frown too. This is how life works and the more you realise this fact the more you will see first hand this miraculous fact.
You know know you are on the right path when...
We all want to follow our passion in life. Often though we find ourselves stuck in a job we hate, a relationship that has run it's course or simply just feel unfulfilled. So how do we know when we are on the right path and following our passion? Well, the way to do this is to see life as fast flowing river. When we are following our passion, we are flowing downstream. There is no struggle, things are easy and we get to our destination without any major issues. If we are not following our passion we are swimming upstream. We are tired, it's difficult and we seem to never get to our destination. Use this analogy to check if you are following your passion.
Watch your thoughts...
That little voice in your head can be a real pain. It can cause you to never having the confidence to follow your path or your passion. Have you ever had a really good idea and then that little voice pops up and says 'that will never work' or 'you can't do that'? Stop that little voice right now or at least train it to be on your side. One of the best ways to do this is to meditate each day. Sit for 15 minutes and simply silence your mind. If any thoughts arise, accept them and let them go. The longer you practise this the easier it will become and that little voice will learn it's place. Also be aware of your thoughts. If you begin to think negatively, stop and say to yourself 'I don't accept that' and change it to a positive thought. In a few weeks you should be really good at this and that little voice will think twice about speaking out.
Stop watching TV and reading the news...
We get bombarded by negativity 24/7. Our subconscious mind is powerful and if we bombard our concious mind with negative information we become negative as a result. For two weeks, turn off the TV and limit your news intake. Trust me, you will feel 10 X better just doing this alone.
Don't take life too seriously...
Life is a funny old thing. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down but if you apply the above tips you will have more ups than downs. Remember, it's never as bad as it seems. We are all characters in a game all doing our best to win. We only win if we keep playing so never give up.
More to come...