Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts

How to Stay Positive when You Know Your Life Sucks


Thinking negative? Here are some strategies for how to start thinking positively and accomplish what you want in life.courtesy:wikihow.com






Ground Yourself. The most common reason why people think their lives suck is that they aren't living their own lives. Look deeply into whether you are acting to please others - to please family, friends, and society. Realize that you need to get to know who you are and what your needs are, and make the choices to follow your own path. To know these things, a path of meditation and inner exploration is invaluable. This also comes to aid if you lose interest in things.

Look on the inside. What are some qualities you have that you like about yourself? Are you funny? Are you intelligent? Are you sincere? Are you generous? What do you have pride in? Try focusing on the positive things in your life. You may be having a positive influence on others even when you think you're useless.

Prove those negative thoughts wrong. When you find yourself in a bad mood, you could think of the negative things such as, "I'm dumb and annoying", "I'm better off dead", "I'm ugly, I wish I looked different", etc. Even though it's not true. Change your mind. Look for your good features, think about the ones that you know love you, look on your greater side. Realize that nobody's life is easy and that there will always be ups and downs, and moments of low self esteem. Don't automatically assume that nobody cares. Every person matters to someone. You're alive for a reason.

Appreciate what you see. Look in the mirror. Find some beautiful things about yourself.... Do you have nice skin? nice nails? beautiful eyes? full lips? Find stuff that appeals to you. When you can't change something, change your attitude towards it!

It's all how you look at it. Jealous of the people with 'amazing' lives? They chose to be that way! Remember, there are people living in mansions who are miserable and people living on the street who are perfectly happy. It's all on how you look at it.

Determine how your life could be better. What can you do to make your life better? What do you desire to do? How do you want to feel? Make a few reachable goals and your own strategies. The first step is usually the hardest - getting help or admitting you need it.

Get motivated. What motivates you? What gives you energy to go on everyday? Music? Love? Family? A 1km run? God? Your attitude? Your pet? Friends? School? Give yourself a boost by focusing on what is important to you personally.

Remember that some things can pass with time. There will be a tomorrow. There will be a next week. There will be a next month and perhaps by then, things will have changed for the better. If you are underage in a bad situation you have a definite release date after which your life is your own, all the things you could do to better it will come into reach even if they're difficult.

Reminisce. Whenever you feel like the future is 'hopeless', think about happy memories. It will help make you feel better and remind you that in the future, there will be good things, too. Think about all the good things you've experienced, felt, and achieved, and consider how many more good things could be waiting ahead. There will be many great moments in your life - don't let a few obstacles get in the way. If you don't have any happy memories, this is relative - don't judge them by things other people think of as "happy memories." Think of the moments it wasn't as bad, even if those were only in solitude.

Don't stop yourself from feeling the joy. It's okay to step back once in awhile and just enjoy the moment. Even in tough situations - it's important to smile and laugh here and there. Don't restrict yourself from doing things you love because they're "not important" or because you think you'll be criticized for doing them. Let yourself enjoy life even if you're not at the best place you could be. You only live once - make the best of it.

Develop a gratitude journal. It's pretty simple. At the end of every day, write down five things that have made you happy or appreciative that day -- not necessarily big things, even small ones count. For example: nice weather, being praised by my boss for getting an urgent errand done, my playful dog, kids and hubby kissing me goodbye before they went to school/work, a hilarious joke a mate shared, etc.

If you feel persistently sad, unmotivated, anxious, hopeless or fearful, seek professional help. You may be suffering from a mood disorder or nutritional deficit which could be contributing to your situation. Chronic physical pain can cause these symptoms too, if an aspirin lifts your mood then go to a pain clinic. Remember there is always somebody there who wants to help you. You are valuable!

The Best Things in Life aren't Things

Money. It's something we all need. Whether you work for it, inherited it, saved for it, married into it, won the lottery, or some combination thereof, when you start to inch toward midlife, just make sure you have a plan so there's some left over for you to live on... and enjoy.



Financial issues can be complicated, frustrating and emotionally charged, but dealing with these things now will ensure that we're not scrambling in the future. These days we're facing global economic circumstances that aren't terribly reassuring, as well as more personal financial concerns: aging parents, college expenses for those of us who still have kids in school, and the precariousness of our own careers as we get older.
courtesy:Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Here's a "The Best Things In Life Are Free" Starter List:

> Love: the love you give and the love you get.

> Your Faith: whatever it is, it is yours to follow.

> Your Conscience: During the reign of King Henry VIII, Sir Thomas More followed his conscience: to his death: and stood behind what he believed was right. Only you can look yourself in the mirror every night at the end of every day and tell yourself that you truly did the right thing, according to your own conscience, and you didn't let anyone persuade you otherwise.

> Your Thoughts: whether you choose to share them, or keep them to yourself.

> Happiness: In most cases, we can choose to live our lives in a state of happiness with moments of unhappiness (it's the rare person who can be happy 24/7), or we can choose to be unhappy with moments of happiness.

> Laughter: Laugh every day, because no matter what's going on in the world or in your life, you can find a little humor in just about everything.

> Compassion: Be tender of heart, and the world will be a better place.

> Reading: Go to a library and check out a book or magazine, or borrow from a friend.

> Walking: I started a walking program a few years ago, and eventually added running into the mix. You can do this anytime, anywhere. The only cost is a pair of running or walking shoes. You'll be exercising your body, and your mind.

> Push-ups and Sit-ups: These are two of the most basic, and yet effective, exercises you can do (20 of each every day), and they are absolutely free.

> Singing: Even when my two teenaged daughters roll their eyes at me, I sing pretty much whenever I feel like it, which is quite often.

> Central Park: It's one of my personal "Great Wonders of the World" but there are community parks everywhere for us to enjoy.

> Eating Healthy Foods: True, it's not free, but choosing to eat healthy foods costs no more than eating unhealthy foods.

> Sex: Engaging in a loving, intimate relationship with your partner is one of the most beautiful expressions of love I can imagine.

> Attitude: My article last week was about feeling invisible: "Feeling Invisible? HuffPost Readers Speak Out": but even that is a choice. Choose living your life with a good, positive attitude, and without fear.

There are free concerts, lectures, tastings (wine and food), and so many other wonderful ways to enjoy life . . . at no cost, and in my ongoing effort to "spend less and save more," I'm always on the lookout for great ideas.

What is your "The Best Things in Life Are Free?" list?