Monday, October 7, 2013

Tips on Being Positive

I had a thought last night, about positivity and how it can really change your entire life. Most people can tell you all the good things that happen to them because they think positively. But no one ever tells you how to think positively, and for most it is not easy. I've gathered up some tips on how to think more positively.

1. Tell yourself "F*** the silver lining"
    There is no such thing. Good things don't just sit beyond the horizon waiting for you to get there. You have to make good things happen. 

2. Fully acknowledge your shitty circumstances.
     In order to learn to be positive you have to accept that bad things happen, things that suck happen, all the time, to all of us, equally. Accept these things, mourn them, then get over it. You are wasting valuable time whining because your car broke down and you have no money, and you're hungry. Move on. Positive thinking people do not dwell on "woe is me".

3. Count your damn blessings. Seriously. Count them.
     Make a list, actually take the time to write it out. From the tiniest thing you can be grateful for to the very biggest. Here is an example of what I am grateful for; God, that I am healthy, my little shabby home, my half broke car, food in my refrigerator,  minutes on my phone, an over abundance of fabric, plenty of notions to go with the fabric, yarn, knitting needles, ass loads of books (good ones too) electricity, my neighbor's wifi, COFFEE and creamer, the little trickle of water coming out of my faucet, my brain, my friends, my brothers and sisters, and parents, step parents, in laws, my hubby and my son. That isn't even a whole list. But I thank God I have them. They make me smile and you know what, they make life a little easier too.

4. Examine possible life tools you will earn from suffering a hardship and/or surviving your shitty circumstances.
    Take a moment to think about what you can gain from living your circumstances right now. Not fighting them, not bitching about them, not wishing that you didn't have to deal with it. You've already accepted your terms if you have read this far down the list. My car is half running right now. It goes about 10 miles before it will just cut off, we don't have money to take it to the shop (even if it would go that far) and get it fixed, so we get to drive it, half broken down, if we need to go somewhere. What am I learning? First of all I am learning that having a car less than 10 years old requires more money than just the payment and insurance. They require check-ups every 30,000 miles, they also require proper and regular oil changes (that I previously held off on with my older cars). I now know that in the future, I need to allot at least 1/2 of my car payment extra every month in order to meet these guidelines for owning a newer car. We are stuck with the car, so when we finally get back on our feet and get everything fixed and pay it off, we are going to sell it and get an old Jeep (well, that's what I want at least) We plan on not purchasing a new car until we are financially stable enough to own one. That is only one of the 'less than desirable' circumstances we are overcoming right now.

    5. Accept Change
Your circumstances will not stay as they are. They never do, and they never will. Change has to happen, such is life. Good things, bad things, anything really, it will all come and go. Even though my hubby and I are enjoying the extra time we get with one another, we will soon have jobs that demand our time and attention and bills that we can pay. Until such time as your circumstances begin to shift, enjoy what you have now, enjoy what your circumstances have brought to you and in front of you and hone the new skills you are acquiring. It wasn't too long ago that my hubby and I lived in a rickety shack of a house, where the snow piled up inside my windows and floor, in a bad neighborhood, gun shots going off every night across the street, no money for food, no car, and pitiful jobs that barely got us by. We survived that, and you will too.

No comments:

Post a Comment