Plan for Positivity

I've been very down lately. And I'm tired of being down. I'm tired of wallowing.

Do not get me wrong. I completely, 100% accept that I have a hormone imbalance that jades my thoughts and effects my emotions, however I want to stop asking why and start moving forward. Also I want and need to realize this is only one aspect of who I am - not the whole.

What helped me out of my mood yesterday was a combination of a couple of things.

I've been listening to stories about others who aren't doing anything with their lives. They are completely "content" in their misery. Then I've listened to others around me and how NEGATIVE they are about EVERYTHING. Lastly, I've been hearing and seeing glimmers of hope and positivity everywhere I turn. Out of those three, I would like to contribute the last thing to the world. Not more stagnation. Not more negativity. Not more hopelessness. More positivity. More life. More hope. More good.




No more Negative Nancy!




To aid with this I have a plan (SHOCKER ~ yes I know! It's me, the one who never plans for anything). My plan is as follows:


1.Say Thank You --- And Mean It!
To a compliment, to someone who did something genuinely nice for you, to someone who may not deserve it, and lastly to yourself. Say thank you. We often give thanks at Thanksgiving. We recognize the things that we are grateful for and then eat a big meal. But what if we looked for the things to be grateful for and things to give thanks about every day?
Start small. Baby steps. Find three things to be thankful about each day. After a while, it will become like second nature and thankful, grateful thoughts will fill your mind quickly and with ease.


2.Seek out Hope and Inspiration
You know that old saying, when you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all? I've kinda been doing that with a twist. When I'm down or in a foul mood, sometimes (though not all of the time, remember baby steps) instead of voicing my complaint I find an inspirational quote that will help me through the day. The more good and hopeful we put in, the more good and hopeful we'll get out.







3.Lend a Helping Hand
I try to look for at least one opportunity each day to be a Good Samaritan for someone else. Whether it be something small like smiling at someone who looks down or just because, or complimenting a person -- to something a little bigger like helping someone on the side of the road or blessing a person with money. Whatever it is, just do something! Acts of altruism are the fastest way to feeling better about yourself and the world we live in. Volunteering is also another great way to lend a helping hand. I've recently started volunteering for a Reading for the Blind Service and I've met the neatest, most kind-hearted people who fight life with such fervency despite their disabilities. It's a beautiful thing to be able to give your time and talents to those who need it and even more to those who need it and haven't asked for it.



4.Be the Better Influence This is actually a combination of Gandhi's quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world" and the commercial against drugs that says "be above the influence".
There are natural leaders and followers in all of us. Sometimes we would rather be a follower than a leader, but I encourage you as I encourage myself to be a better influence to those around you. If people are speaking negatively, speak positivity into their lives. You don't have to do it in a "I'm better than you" way. If someone is doing something you don't agree with - don't follow their actions. We teach this value of integrity to children all the time, but yet often forget how to apply it to our own lives.
This point is not to say that I'm BETTER than anyone else, but rather I'm CHOOSING ACTIONS THAT ARE BETTER SUITED TO LIVE A POSITIVE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Does that make sense?