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It’s easy to allow the day-to-day struggles of life to turn you into someone you don’t recognize anymore. You know how it goes...work gets rough, you have an argument with your partner, you fight with your parents over dinner...and before you know it, you’re in a funk that won’t go away. While it’s understandable to occasionally feel this way, if it becomes the norm – or if your negative perspective starts affecting others around you – it’s time to shake things up!
In her TED talk, Martin Seligman asks viewers to rate how happy they are on a scale of 1 to 10. Unsurprisingly, most people report a score between 6 and 8. But it’s important to note that these numbers are self-reports—we don’t know if our perception of happiness matches up with reality. In fact, your experience could be very different from what you believe. Research has shown that humans tend to overestimate their own abilities in many areas (like driving), so why wouldn’t we also overestimate our own level of happiness? The truth is, we often look for happiness in all the wrong places. We think money will make us happier, but research shows that once we reach an income of $75K/year (or about $55K/year adjusted for inflation), more money doesn't actually buy more joy. And even though we spend a lot of time thinking about work, studies show that neither passion nor job satisfaction make us any happier than doing something else would. So where does all this leave us?
You can’t change your perspective on life overnight. You have to commit to challenging yourself, which means trying new things. Doing something outside of your comfort zone can teach you a lot about yourself and show you how you react in different situations. The more risks you take, the more likely it is that you’ll grow as a person—and shake up your life for good! # Start Something New: Try starting a journal or enrolling in an art class. The more experiences you have, whether they’re bad or good, you’ll learn from them and gain confidence from succeeding at something new. Also, look at what other people are doing differently than you; if their lifestyle looks fun to you then try incorporating some of those elements into your own life.
Think about all of the things you stress over, big and small. Are they really worth losing sleep over? Start practicing mindfulness so that you can separate what is important from what isn’t. Stop fretting and start living your life to its fullest!
If you’re like most people, then you probably aren’t where you want to be. You want a different job, more money, better relationships or simply more happiness. We all have dreams and ambitions that we wish would come true, but they just don’t materialize as quickly as we hope they will. This can cause us to become impatient and frustrated because life isn’t happening in line with our plans or expectations. Instead of wallowing in your anger or sadness about your situation, look at what you have now versus what you wish for.
Before you can change how you feel about your situation, it’s important to figure out what’s fueling those negative emotions. Do they stem from self-limiting beliefs? Are they tied to a specific person or event? Or are they more rooted in feelings of failure or disappointment? Once you know where these feelings are coming from, you can take steps to challenge them and free yourself from needless negativity. We all have negative thoughts once in a while, but addressing them head on can help us keep them under control. And when we don’t let our thoughts get the best of us, everything seems a little brighter.
Before you can make positive changes in your life, you need to begin with an attitude of gratitude. Take time every day—in fact, do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night—to take a moment to appreciate what’s good and right in your life. Make lists of what you’re grateful for. Sit down and write those people who have helped you out, who have brightened your days, or whose love means everything to you.
It's common for people to think that they have plenty of time to nurture important relationships and then, all of a sudden, one day they realize it's too late. Don't wait until you are so far along in life that your grandfather is dying before you make an effort to really get to know him. Reach out and spend time with people you care about now while there's still time. You'll gain more than just their companionship—you'll reap benefits from their positive outlooks on life as well.
When you’re stressed out and feeling frazzled, take time to recharge your batteries. You’ll be amazed at how much more positive everything seems. Even if it’s just a quick 10 minutes away from your phone and laptop, or an hour-long walk outside in nature. There is no better time to turn to God than when we feel overwhelmed or discouraged—the Bible says it will give us peace that surpasses all understanding! (Philippians 4:7)
We all go through difficult times in our lives, but what’s important is how we get out of those situations. Winners never quit, and quitters never win might be a cliché, but it has some truth to it. Many individuals have gone on to become successful despite challenging beginnings; others have failed miserably. The point is that life isn’t easy, but no one said it had to be.
It is hard to love yourself and be in a positive mindset if you are constantly being told that you aren’t good enough. Start by finding little ways to build self-confidence and self-esteem, like complimenting yourself on how well you did at work or school. Acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, but learn from them and use them as motivation for improvement. It is okay to fail once in a while; don’t let it discourage you from improving.
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