Does a positive outlook change how we feel? Or are you only fooling yourself and pleasing others for the purpose of it? There are loads of opinions out there, so which ones do you listen to?
I consider myself an “every cloud has a silver lining” sort of person. It’s been a philosophy that I embody and have done so for the majority of my life. It’s not always that easy, although I do my best to find the good in things, even when the chips or stacked heavily against me. As for whether this is the right outlook to have, seems to be under much debate in numerous articles and comments by people from every walk of life. You have science and facts that support a positive mental attitude and others talking about the dangers of too much positive thinking. So what advice do you follow?
Over the past 24 months or so I have been on a bit of a journey with my own mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Through this time I have searched for answers to overcome some of the challenges I was facing. Everything from CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) to NLP (neurolinguistic programming), to tapping, to positive affirmations, yoga, mindfulness, stoicism, acupuncture, sound therapy, singing, magnesium, embodiment dancing, walks in nature, inner-child work, reflection, gratitude, gardening, etc. At times it can get very overwhelming, with all the different possible solutions and advice everyone so wants to offer you. Also, it really is about working and feeling out what works for you. Add in a big dollop of patience. You need to learn to tune in and listen to what is working.
Speaking to other people you can be reminded that you are not alone on your journey. That everyone seems to go through their own journey. None exactly like yours although similar in certain ways. This can be very relieving knowing that you are not alone. The very effort of reaching out had enormous value for me. The more I opened up and spoke to people the more I found other people who were willing to talk about their stuff. It is important to remember to ask for help, rather than thinking you have to do it alone.
Which brings me back around to that PMA. I’ve had colleagues come up to me in a pub and tell me that my positivity online is very annoying. Stupidly, I listen to things like this. And sometimes when I was going through a downward dip of the rollercoaster, I totally forgot about those silver linings in the clouds. I heard myself propagating: how bad the world is; how lost is humanity; how terrible is the leadership; how hard life can be; how little I had. Also, a lot of self-criticisms that were repeated in the rooms of my mind. All of this can lead to some pretty yucky feelings. This is to be human. Nevertheless, there is another way that I endeavour to live, as much as possible. I suppose is based upon LOVE. Love for ourselves, love for others, and love for this bleeding legend of a planet we live on. It begins with seeing the good in yourself and things. It means putting in the effort to reframe things and find opportunities. To change your very use of language. To proactively share, connect and surround yourself with positive people. To be okay with what other people have to say about you because everyone has an opinion. To believe and design the world that you want for everyone.
#MessageForOurChildren #positivity #mindset #PMA #SilverLinings #Love #Wellbeing
