We all feel down sometimes. Maybe nothing is really wrong. Or maybe a lot of things could be going a lot better. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are or what you are doing at the moment. When you are “feeling down”, you are temporarily focusing on negative thoughts and letting them get to you.
Often, these negative thoughts and feelings are about yourself. You get down on yourself for anything and everything. You think you’re too fat, too old, too tired, too powerless, “too something” and “not enough of something else.” And really, all of this is just going on in your own head and is totally unproductive. But we all do get into these moods sometimes. We make up our own misery.
So what can you do to get out of a bad mood or out of a rut? Well, first you have to decide that it’s possible for you to do things that will make you feel better. And then you have to start doing them. Or rather – thinking them. It all starts in your own head.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking something negative about yourself, you’ve got to make a note of it – catch that negative thought and put it aside. It’s your cue that now it’s time to think about something positive. Start appreciating everything that’s good in your life, and in yourself. Be thankful that you are alive and breathing! That’s a start! Look out the window and appreciate the snow or the rain or the sunshine or the clouds or the wind. Remember – things are always changing and you have the power to change too.
The most important thing is to remember how really great you are – to know your strengths and to really believe in yourself. Take some time every day to remember your successes and how you’ve made a positive impact to so many people and in so many situations – personally and professsionally. Be good to yourself. Enjoy each day. Do things that you love. Spend time with people you love or enjoy being around. Spend more time with positive people and less time with people who drag you or themselves down, whether they realize it or not.
When you make a daily habit of appreciating something or anything that is good in your world, in your life, and in yourself, your life will start to change for the better. Don’t forget to appreciate what’s good about YOU. You don’t have to be boastful or selfish. Remembering your own strengths and talents and good qualities does not make you a narcissist. And it doesn’t mean that you think you are “perfect”. It doesn’t mean that you do not acknowledge that there might be some things about yourself that you might like to change. But there is no reason why you should ignore all the things that are good about yourself. In fact, it’s time you started remembering how great you really are!
Remember that you’ve made a positive difference in so many people’s lives, and even the little things count. Just smiling at a stranger walking down the street can count. The truth is, you are not just a good person – you are a great person! Why not just accept it? Why put yourself down and think less of yourself? What good will that do anyone?
So if you notice that you are thinking something negative about yourself – take that moment of awareness as your cue. It’s your cue to start thinking something positive about yourself right then and there. You’ve got to start somewhere. It doesn’t have to be any sort of “wow” positive thought. It can be as simple as “I love my Mom” or “I am a nice person” or “I’m pretty smart” or “I make great Spaghetti” or “I taught my sister how to ride a bike” or whatever. Maybe it’s something bigger like “I earned a Masters degree” or “I finished a marathon” or “I did CPR on a guy and save his life.” Keep on going for as long as you want. The bottom line is – don’t let any negative thoughts stick around in your head for more than a moment. Instead, turn them into cues for thinking something positive instead.
You may not realize today how great you really are, but the least you can do today is to start remembering that you are someone who possessess a lot of great qualities – and give yourself credit for them!