Everything is a blessing when we see the world through gratitude.
What is your “nature?” Are you “naturally” optimistic – do you have a “happy” gene? Or do you think of yourself as skeptical? Pessimistic?
- Do you let things weigh you down?
- Do you always see the bad potential consequences of everything?
- Are you fearful most of the time?
- Do you recognize the fear?
But we can learn optimism!
Many people who have had difficult challenges in life have learned to be pessimistic (which is based on fear.) But babies are not born pessimistic! Babies don’t pop out and say, “Life is horrible!”
We are all born with the capacity for joy… our job, as adults, is to find that kernel of joy already present and nurture it. Try to find and nurture your joy every day! Once you start, it becomes a lot easier. If it’s a struggle to find your joy, pray and ask for Divine help.
When we told people we were moving to Vermont, many of them made negative comments: “You’ll freeze; it will be SO cold; you think it’s good now – wait till the snow hits” or “wait till mud season!”.
Very few said “How exciting!” or “How beautiful and peaceful it will be!”
None of us has to listen to pessimistic people!
Who wants to hear that the glass is half empty when it really is half full! You CAN change how you view things if you really want to. You can FARC!
You CAN rewire your brain.
The best way to tackle finding something good about people and situations is to first catch yourself when you are being negative.
The best way to tackle finding something good about people and situations is to first catch yourself when you are being negative.
Become aware of how easily and how much you fall into that trap, and start working on recognizing those negative thoughts before they are finished. Replace them with good finder thoughts!
- Find as many good things as you can about your life.
- Find something good about your home, car, environment, or your financial position.
- Find something good about every single person in your immediate family and every colleague at work.
Think of the possibilities if you were to focus on only the good from now on. Your life might transform!
Here is your challenge: With every single thing that happens today, find something – no matter how small – that is good about it. Find something good about every single person you meet. Remember, we can learn optimism.
source and courtesy: sivanaspirit.com