I read this in one of my mindfulness books, and thought this was a good thing to keep in mind.
Before you speak, think…
T-is it true?
H-is it helpful?
I-is it inspiring?
N-is it necessary?
K-is it kind?
Tag: #inspirational
Rise From Becoming Defeated
“Today you may feel bone-tired, like you have been working for countless years, only to see your efforts come to nothing. You struggle with debt, poor health, family troubles, and nothing ever seems to improve. At times like this, you can best practice detachment, as you see clearly the world is full of troubles. As you release your grip on worldly bonds, you see the divine more clearly….”-David Dillard Wright, PHD
I really like this quote. It is quite inspiring. It is very hard for people to detach themselves from the world, but it is needed in times like these. Rather than continuing to wallow in your sorrow state. It is best to do something that can keep you away from the thoughts, and feelings that can pull you in to a world of negativity, sadness, or self-hatred.
Detachment is one way to rise above defeat. Now detachment isn’t about avoiding your struggles. It is about seeing your thoughts, and feelings objectively. It is about realizing that attaching happiness to life situations, people, work, achievements, objects, goals, expectations are not what brings true happiness. These things can make you happy, but it won’t complete you, or bring true happiness.
A person becomes defeated, because the individual believes things aren’t the way it should be, or used to be. Life isn’t as perfect as it should be. Life is unfair. An individual should learn to rise from these attaching thoughts, and let their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and experiences flow through them. Try not to get stuck as it can lead to a downward spiral.
Detachment is difficult for us, as humans it is an innate feature to attach. I struggle with this as well. I am not saying you can’t connect with anything, but being able to separate yourself can lead you to a more peaceful, happier life.
Source:A Mindfulness Day
Utilize a Mindful Approach to Step Away From the Ego
The ego is the conscious, thinking mind, the sense of self within us. It is created to protect ourselves, it is fear based, it is self-centered. The importance of the self, and the need to protect ourselves can push us away from a mindfulness approach.
The ego can be a negative force.The ego only perceives the perspective of the individual as truth. It cultivates a need to be right, to be perfect. It creates close-mindedness, selfishness, apprehension, ignorance, bigotry, hate, anger, sadness etc… The ego keeps us stuck in the past, and keeps us looking on to the future that has not happened.
This is why a mindful approach is important to pull away from the ego. When you practice mindfulness, one is able to break away from the ego, because one is able to see the full truth, and focus on the present moment. Learning to live in the moment. Learning to see the reality of oneself and life’s situation. One can step away from the ego’s control, and become more calm and peaceful mentally.
The ego is powerful, and can easily consume a person into negativity. Be mindful, and learn not to fall into the traps of the ego. It will pull you into a world of negativity.
Avoid Judging
Judging others is something we should try to avoid. Judging stems from ignorance and close-mindedness. When you judge someone it is more a reflection on you, than the other person. It really is an unattractive trait to have. What someone does with their life, if you approve or not, shouldn’t affect you. Your focus should be on yourself, not on others. You would be so much happier if you do so. Judging others just shows your insecurities and flaws. If someone feels the need to bring someone down to feel better, than the person who is judging really needs to take a look within themselves. It could be a form of projection.
Now we all make the mistake of judging from time to time. I do it sometimes, but it is all about being aware of those thoughts, taking a step back, realizing your mistake, and reflect on it. Judging others really hurts yourself, because the person on the other end has no clue what you are thinking, and they may not even care, so why should you care what they are doing. That energy can be used on something more positive. I say if this person isn’t harming anyone just let them live their life. Your approval doesn’t matter, because no one is perfect, so it is best to try to improve yourself, rather than focusing on others flaws.
Some Motivational Quotes
Hello! Just wanted to post some quotes to bring some positive thoughts and mindfulness into your day. Remember positive thoughts and mindfulness are the gateway to a peaceful and happy life. I really like the first quote, because we will all feel down at times, and that is okay, but you must remember to refocus your energy on positive things, so that you can get back to your life and figure out ways to make your life better. The second quote is seeing life as it is, nothing more, nothing less. Mindfulness at its best. Seeing reality will set you free. I hope you all have a good night or day!
Focus on What we Have, Not What we Lack
There are times when we will be dissatisfied with our life. This may allow negative thoughts and sadness to develop. The thing is we can not allow those negative thoughts to consume us.
When we are dissatisfied with life, it is usually specific things we are not happy with. Is everything in your life really bad? Think about it? I am pretty sure it is not, but we tend to only put our focus on the bad things. What you should do is try to see the good things that are going on in your life, really look? It is there, you just have to focus your energy away from the bad things, and find the good things. Once you find those things, appreciate and embrace those positive things you do have.
Now lets talk about the things that are not going right. Dwelling on the things that aren’t going right will just lead to depression and sadness. That is not the route you will like to take. The best thing you can do is be proactive, figure out ways to change the things, and situations you don’t like. Also, don’t expect quick results. It may take time to achieve what you want. The important thing is to apply yourself to make that change. Feeling sorry for yourself is easy, but life is about progress, so we must work to improve ourselves.
I truly believe we as humans will never be truly satisfied with our lives. No matter how successful or rich you are. There will always be something that is lacking in our lives. What we have may be something someone else wants, and vice versa. We are all a work in progress, so don’t feel down if everything isn’t how you expect it to be.
Everyone has their struggles. No one has the perfect life. The truth is we will always be lacking in a certain area, so it is best to focus your energy on the things you do have, and the things you can do. Also, you can always work on improving what you are lacking. Not having all the things you want, doesn’t mean your life is bad. It just means you have something to work on.
Walking Down Your own Path
We all have our own path to follow in life. We should never try to live like others, or try to follow someone else’s path. There are times when family, or a society tries to dictate how one should live. But we should never let anyone force us to do something we don’t want to do. We have to do what makes us happy, and we can’t be happy living a life for someone else.
We all have our own journey to take in life, and yes, you may have people who may inspire you to do things. Wanting to do something should come from you. This is your life, and you want to live it to your best potential, so it is important to do things for yourself. Also, don’t think you have to do things on a timetable like society dictates. People stress themselves out because they don’t know what to do at 18, or when they are not in a relationship by 21, or haven’t even dated. They’re sad when they haven’t moved to their dream home by 30, or married, or have kids. I guess everything should be planned out by that time. I mean that is how it is supposed to be right?
The thing is not everyone progresses in life at the same time, or want to do the same thing. Not everyone wants to get married and have kids, and that is okay. Not everyone will have their ‘perfect’ life by 30, and that is okay. I am 31, and just got out of college. Trying to jump-start my career. Not everyone will be able to move out on their own by 30. I haven’t, because I don’t make a lot of money at the moment. Yes, society says I should move out by 18, but we all have different circumstances in life that lead us to where we are. I choose not to force myself to live in a bad place I barely can afford to say I live on my own.
You got also take into account the setbacks you will have in life, nothing progresses in a smooth line. Our journey is never smooth. Many people envy others who have the life they want, and if that is what you want, then you must take action to have that life, but if you want it because you think that is how life should be, then you may have to change your thought process. That type of thinking can lead to anxiety and depression. You may want a career that people will say it will get you nowhere, but it isn’t about them. It is about what you want.
I say embrace your individuality, embrace your unique story. The most important thing should be embracing who you are and finding your own happiness. Live your life for yourself, not for your family, friends, society etc. People will have their opinion, but do you want to fit in, or be happy?
Doings things like everyone else is safe and comforting, but won’t bring happiness. I can tell you the people living the ‘perfect life’ are probably not that much happier, because honestly it all starts with if you are truly making yourself happy, and putting yourself first. We all have our own journey in life, so try living it. No matter what you are doing, just do it the way you want to do it.
Bring Positive Thoughts Back to Your Life
As I spent two days in sadness. My mind was filled with negative thoughts. I couldn’t get out of this negative state of mind. This is how one feels when they are sad or depressed. It is worse when one is depressed. It is hard to break a way from those negative thoughts. I couldn’t even think of anything to write on here, even though I wanted to make a motivational post. I just couldn’t think of anything positive or motivational to write. I was stuck.
I decided to listen to music, since that always helps me. I kept listening to sad music at first, but then I decided I would try inspirational music. I am happy I did that, because listening to inspirational music made me see the brighter side of things. It made me see there is hope, and there is positive things in the world. I was focusing too much on the dark side of depression, but there are also stories of people who have overcame depression and are stronger.
Mental illness is a struggle, but it can be overcome. We are not as weak as we think. We can be pretty damn strong. Not everyone can win the battle, but when we can, it is a beautiful feeling. You learn so much about yourself when you can. You just have to find that one thing that can break you out of that negative mindset. I think inspirational songs and stories can be helpful. Maybe try reading stories of people who overcame depression. Other things like hanging out with friends, exercising, mindfulness, talking to an empathetic person, doing activities you enjoy, going out in nature, writing, reading, keeping busy, can all be helpful.
I would also recommend staying away from social media, or the internet. Take time to focus on yourself. There can be a lot of triggers on there. I felt so much better staying away from the social media sites I regularly visit. It just gave me a sense of peace not having those reminders. Just stay away from anything online that triggers your sadness.
I know it is hard to break away from the negativity when depression or sadness hits, but the feeling of despair is not something you want to consume and permeate your life. Push yourself to see the light. Find that something that can push you to see the light. I found music, but we are all different. Just find that one thing that can bring you hope and positive thoughts. It is there. You just have to find it. Don’t give in to a void of hopelessness, despair, and negativity.
Positive Mindset
Having a positive outlook on life is a beautiful thing. It helps one cope with things in life, and allows oneself to live life to their full potential. Having negative self-talk, and being pessimistic hinders your potential. Negative thoughts come from a place of no control. If your thoughts are towards negativity. You think the situation is out of your control. And that is furthest from the truth, because you do have control. You have the power! Whatever situation that causes distress try to look at the positive of the situation. Even in your everyday daily activities. Having a positive mindset takes work and patience, but you don’t want negative thoughts pervading your life. Negative thoughts about life, turns to negative thoughts about oneself, and leads to negativity towards others. It is a toxic mentality. The neurons in our brains will strengthen with negativity to where negativity pervades our thoughts and way of life. A pessimistic outlook can lead to depression, anxiety, and difficulty coping with life struggles. It could effect you physically as well. Now, I am not saying be happy about things in life that causes discomfort. I understand, it is unsettling. We all go through it, but it would be helpful to try to make an effort to see the positive in that situation. I think it will benefit you greatly. You can see things much more clearly when you have a positive mindset, and you can get things done much easier with a positive mindset. There was an interesting article I read in the Huffington Post The Science of Positive Thinking: How Positive Thoughts Build Your Skills, Boost Your Health, and Improve Your Work. In this article they talk about a study by Barbara Fredrikson. In the study people were put into different groups, some with positive emotions, others with neutral emotions, and other groups with negative emotions. The results showed that the group with positive emotions wrote down more responses to different situations than the neutral and negative group. The negative emotions group also had the fewest responses. This study showed that positive emotions open people up to lots of options. Negativity closes you off to any solutions, or ideas, because there is a sense of no control. With that negative mindset you will most likely not get anything done, there will be no action. And as I said before, if there is no action, nothing will be achieved in life. You can’t achieve your goals with that mindset. Instead of I can’t, say I can! Instead of it won’t happen, say it will happen! The laws of attraction, if you believe in something, it will happen. So allow those positive thoughts to lead to positive results in your life. Yeah, it is hard to believe that a positive thought can lead to results. It isn’t just the thought. That is where it starts. If you really believe in something, you will take action, and that is where the results come from. You can start with little positive thoughts each day. Start your day with a positive thought. You can say it will be a great day, or it is nice out, my breakfast is delicious, or I look great today. Just find some positive in your day. Believe me you can find it, you just have to look. We all have those days when something bad happens and we say we will have a bad day and guess what?, we have a bad day. That is because that negative mindset pervaded our thoughts and mind, and gave us the perception of a bad day, but you can switch that around to a more positive mindset. Small bits of positive thoughts can cultivate more positive neurons, so that they can one day override those negative neurons, so that positive thoughts are permeating our lives. We can rewire our brain to be more positive. A positive mindset promotes creativity. It can reduce stress and depression. It can lead to a healthier immune system. You can live longer. I believe it can help you see yourself in a more positive light as well, because a positive mindset can showcase your best qualities, and bring them to light. Aren’t these wonderful benefits? And it helps you to live healthier and become happier. I admit I struggle sometimes with the positive mindset, and we all will, but we must push ourselves to see the brighter side of things, because in the end, it only benefits us, and anything that makes our lives easier and better is worth trying. It is easy to let everything fall on us, and have the mentality that the sky is falling, but it takes strength to see things at it is, and look at the sunshine. Lets show our strength and look on the bright side.
Accepting Bumps in the Road:Life Struggles
Everyone would love a smooth and peaceful ride through life. Wouldn’t it be great if everything happened they way we wanted it too? We love predictability. We are just enjoying our lives, and then Bam!, An unpredictable occurrence happens that puts us into turmoil and distress. We don’t like instability. There is a paradox there. Humans hate instability, but what we must understand, and accept is that life is unpredictable.
That is the biggest problem we face. We just can’t accept that things won’t always go our way. We have this false notion that we deserve the world, and everything should be given to us, so when that doesn’t happen, it causes distress. You ask questions why did this happen?, why me?, what did I do to deserve this? I understand these questions, but those questions won’t help you solve the issue. You know what solve’s problems? Actions.
The questions you should ask when a problem arises is what can I do about this? What steps should I take to get over this hurdle? These questions are productive. We like to feel sorry for ourselves, or internalize the situation, or problem, but that isn’t a healthy way to look at things. We have to accept that struggles in life happen, yes they suck, but it is something we have to go through, it is part of living. And you know what? Struggles build our character, they make us stronger, they teach us lessons. Instead of viewing an unfortunate situation as “the worst thing in the world.” You may try to see it as what can be learned from this, and how can it help me grow as an individual. I know this can be hard, but trying to find the positive of a situation can be very helpful mentally.
Our situations don’t make us. It is how we perceive that situation that makes us. We all have a choice. We can allow a bad experience to control us to where it consumes our lives in a negative way, or we can choose to accept the situation, learn, and grow from it. We should try to use the latter, because a positive mindset only benefits you. And that is what matters, you! Make your life better. Many people have stated that they have become a better person from life struggles. You learn how strong you really are, and how well you can handle adversity.
Life is about growth and learning. You can’t learn and grow from comfort and predictability. If we had comfort and stability in life. We would be the same person from the day we are born to the day we die, and honestly how boring is that? Life struggles are not fun. I agree it sucks, but we can’t control struggles in life, but we can control our perception of it, and that is where we have power, so better to use that power in a good way, and help build your character.
Just thought of this quote while I was writing this. You don’t become a better person from stability. You become a better person from adversity. Lets all try to rise from adversity.
Psychology of Mindfulness 