We’ve touched on this subject once before but it is really important to your ultimate well being. I woke up this morning dreading what I had to do today. I was concerned about relationships, being uncomfortable, feeling left out, you name it, I felt it. I really didn’t want to feel it, i.e., negative. So I told myself, “This is going to be a good day today and everything you are concerned about will work itself out. You will feel happy . Stop stressing over it!” I didn’t have to think long and hard about it. I didn’t have to go into a deep meditation (although it might have been helpful), I didn’t have to repeat it over and over again. I said it once, believed it and left the house, open to whatever was going to happen. I flipped the switch!
I had a perfectly good day because I decided to have one. It was as simple as that. Things worked out and everything was fine. No stress, no drama, BECAUSE I SAID SO! This is such an important yet simple concept that I cannot emphasize it enough. Decide that no matter what happens in a given day, you will rise to the occasion, deal with it effectively and ultimately enjoy the hours that were given to you. It works! Does this mean that when you do that, nothing will go wrong? Does it mean that your day will be filled with perfection? No! What it does mean is that your attitude will take you through the day’s events either smoothly or with much drama and misery. Life happens. We don’t always get what we want. Things don’t always turn out the way we expect them to. And yet, sometimes, when you start your day with a “This will be a great day!” attitude, things will actually go your way. The question mark answers will be “Yes” rather than “No”. People you interact with will be friendly and kind. You will get to have it your way, not always, but more often than not, depending on what you told yourself at the beginning of the day.
Do you remember the book years ago called “The power of positive thinking?” What I am saying is very similar. Can you always do it? Can you always turn your thoughts to positive ones? Of course not. We are human and can’t make ourselves positive 24/7. But with a little effort, on the days that you are neutral, or worried, or stressed, try approaching your day from the positive side and see what happens. It may surprise you.
I play this “game” with myself often. It starts with the thoughts, the positive ones. Then the conviction comes that I will not retreat back to negative thoughts for the duration of the day. Then the belief that it will make things right. The trust that all is well in my world. Do I have issues I cannot control that are ongoing, make me sad, frustrated or even angry? Yes, but I hold out and trust that eventually they will work themselves out and I will feel good about them again. And, if they don’t, I will survive and be happy anyway. Be happy anyway. Your choice, right? Why would we want to choose otherwise?
Experiment. Try my game. When you get up in the morning, call it a good or even a great day. Hold that thought and see what happens. Then share your story with me. I would love to hear. Flip the switch!