The Art of Being HappyPosted by BePositiveHas anyone ever said to you “Don't worry, be happy” or “Turn that frown upside down”? When you are in a place of depression, these comments are of no help to get you into a better frame of mind. In fact they may come off as being trite and insulting to a person who is truly depressed. Somebody cannot simply tell another person to be happy and expect that they will. Interestingly enough the one thing that works is if YOU tell yourself to be happy.
Have you ever heard of a “self fulfilling prophecy”? This is where you think something is going to happen, usually bad, and then it does. The same thing works in reverse but is less common because most people tend to think of what can go wrong, rather than what can go right. If you think about only good things happening to you, then they will.
Finding the route to your own happiness is a tricky thing if you are set on being down. Everyone has something they love or are passionate about. Most deny that thing because they are so worried it never will become a reality. Thus their negative thoughts not only bring them down, but keep them from reaching that goal. Your happiness might be owning a dog, a car, or a house. Yet, because you tell yourself “Oh, I will never have that”, then indeed you never will.
When you think positively about good things, a change will come over you, in small ways at first. Sometimes you will not even notice the change is happening, then you will reach a place where you can look back at your time of being negative and not even realize how it came to pass into being positive.
Wake up tomorrow and say “It is going to be a good day.”. Remind yourself throughout the day “It is a good day.”. Even a simple thing like saying “Next week something good is going to happen to me.” If you find yourself slipping into negativity, simply stop it and say again “It is a good day.” Say these things when you are in the shower, or during Television commercial breaks. Believe it or not, but these tiny hints not only will impact your attitude, but events around you. Good things actually will be attracted to you.
Other tips to help you find a more positive path are getting out in the fresh air. Having more sunlight in our lives definitely improves a persons spirits too. If you are in a basement apartment, move out to one with a balcony, preferably facing the south, (or north if you live below the equator). Eating fresh fruit is a pick-me-up too. Watching more comedies, even dark humor, is a good way to get more positive. Have a live plant in your home, a fish is a good idea too, if you are prepared to care for it correctly. Going to a park or a zoo, anything that puts you in touch with nature is a great way to feel better. Music, is a huge high for some people, so go ahead and enjoy dancing, or singing, to your favorite tune.
The main point is that if you catch yourself in a negative thought, any thought, let it go. Tell yourself very quickly, “It's a great day.”.
I used to suffer from terrible depression, and was medicated for a time, until I realized it wasn't helping. I found my passion, animals, and a love for music, and began to find the more I thought about good things, the more good things came my way, the more I thought about bad things, the more they occurred as well. Good things will happen to you as well, I know it!
Now, you say: “Yes they will!”.
