The absolute, most important factor in living a happy, satisfying life depends on your mindset. It's the way you perceive the world and your place in it. If you go through life thinking that bad things happen to you, you have the worst luck and you can't win no matter what you do...that is how your life will seem. Your mindset has you focusing on the negative instead of the positive. Because there is always positive things happening. The number one thing is that you are alive and still have a chance to change things. If you are healthy and your body does everything you ask it to do...bonus! You are ahead of a lot of people. Now, take your blessings and run with them.
I believe there is so much power in not taking anything for granted. We tend to think things are just a given, especially in this country. We think we are entitled to a good job, a car, a home to call our own. And we feel bad about ourselves if we don't have those things. I did anyway. But here's the thing. It's not a given. Nothing in life is a given. I've talked in the past about hating the car I drove. When I was young I wanted a cool car. But what I had was a bright yellow Pinto. I got so bogged down in the fact that friends of mine had cool cars they were proud to drive. You couldn't tell me that I was lucky to just have a car to get me where I wanted to go. I thought having a car was a given. Guess what? It's not. There are plenty of people in this country alone that don't have the luxury of a car. This is one of the hazards of having things handed to you. You don't appreciate it. If I would have had to work every weekend for a year through school to save for a car I'm sure I would have appreciated any car I could afford. But since it was given to me by my parents I took it for granted.
If we live in this country we are already so far ahead of much of the world. We have so much and the saddest part is we don't really appreciate it. We think of it as a "given". Take today to look around at your surroundings and appreciate what you already have. Stop thinking your life is so terrible because you hate your job. There are so many people who would do anything for a job they hate. For just today, stop thinking ANYTHING in your life is a given. And just sit back in wonder in all that you have. Your surroundings and your health. The family that loves you. Look at nature with a sense of wonder today and really appreciate all that you see and live amidst everyday.
Once you can start changing your mindset to one of appreciation, everything will look different. Your life is how you perceive it. If you only focus on what you lack...you will feel like you have nothing. If you focus on all that you already have, you will feel blessed and be open to receiving more. This is 100% true. Trust a former non-believer. It's okay to want more. It's okay to dream big for the best possible life. I encourage that. But don't be bitter that you aren't there yet. It will never work that way. Being happy with what you already have will spur you allow more blessings into your life.
This really makes sense if you think about it. If you are happy and open to more blessings they will come. If you are bitter and focus on what you lack that is how your life will seem. The number one way to switch from bitterness to blessings is to be grateful for what you have right now. Start that gratitude journal. 3 - 5 things daily that you are grateful for written down. And feel the appreciation when you are writing them down. You get to relive the good experience all over again. Changing your perception doesn't happen overnight. Work on it a little at a time and before you know it you will be looking at life in a whole new way. One that makes you happier and satisfied.
It's Monday! My favorite day of the week after Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's also the start of a new month. Don't wait until January for goals and new habits. Start right now. I know you can do it too because you are a badass. And I'm here, cheering you on.
Comments