Don’t Let the Waves Crush You

Life is hard. It’s not all rainbows, fairy tales, and candy.

Life can be unfair. Sometimes, it can become a bit too much for us. There are past incidents that may haunt you. There are current troubles that may be affecting you. The future could be scary.

As someone who has been through a lot, I can tell you right now, you have two options. Either you can throw your hands down and sit in the puddle of sadness or you can pick yourself up, put on that ‘boss’ hat, and smile at the fire.

If we allow defeat, we miss chances we may have had for our future. If we walk, daringly, into the future, we may find a life much better than what we had. Then, we’d wonder why we were ever down to begin with.

You’ll look in the mirror and see a sense of pride in yourself for being able to pick yourself up even as your heart was crumbling (this applies for all kinds of situations).

Of course, staying positive is easier said than done, just like anything worth our time. It’s always easier said than done. BUT, YOU CAN DO IT!

Start by gaining that little streak of gold and pure happiness. If you allow it to, it will carry you away to a place much better.

That’s not to say there won’t be big waves to face in your future, but you’ll learn how to face those when the time comes. And, if you are positive, instead of the wave crashing down on you, it will be more like gentle touch from the water.

I have combined 11 tips to help you remain positive. I hope these help!

1. Search for the Positive in the Negative.

This is one of the most important aspects. Of course there are going to be negative, not so “good-feeling-inside” times.

Sit down. Take a look around you. Find a focal point. Then, close your eyes and escape the negativity even just for a moment. Search for the positive; even if it’s something small. What was it? Write it down.

Now, are there any learning opportunities in the negative situation? Is there anything you should do differently to avoid this negativity? If so, perfect, write it down. If you aren’t sure or can’t think of anything right now, write that down too. It will come to you.

Don’t allow the negative waves to drown you in the ocean of life.

2. Create Your Own Energy

Negativity sucks the energy out of you. Have you ever had your soul crushed, for any reason, and felt completely exhausted? Your energy has been taken up by the negative.

But… here’s the good. Find something positive. This can be a person, a group of people, nature, anything. Immerse yourself in positivity. Create your own happy environment.

It’s important to note here- watch who you spend your time with. If you notice there is someone ‘sucking your energy,’ determine whether or not the person or situation is worth giving away some of your positive energy and exchanging it for negative. Sometimes it is… many times it isn’t.

Find influences in your life who care about you. People who love you. People who are also positive, or working to be more positive, because happiness is contagious.

3. Walk First, Then Run

If you try to run first, you will likely fall too quickly. Of course, this can be done, but it’s all determined based on how you feel.

Slow down; allow your body and mind to calm once you do reach that positive environment. This will help your energies to balance.

4. Don’t exaggerate a small issue.

Next time you become extremely upset with something, ask yourself if it matters enough to be this down. It’s much easier to be pessimistic than optimistic.

If you are pessimistic, you never expect anything. You don’t expect anything from work, from significant others, from friends. But, this will lead you right back to the negative ocean you were drowning in to begin with. Don’t allow yourself to get back there.

Breathe, re-focus, write down what you are grateful for, write down why you are working so hard in this life (your kids, your family, your husband or wife, etc).

Let go of the little things that won’t matter once they’re over.

5. Make Someone Else’s Life Better

Do you believe in karma? What goes around comes back around.

The energy you send out will find it’s way back to you. When you show kindness, love, and happiness to others, you will see your life change. When you’re positive in life, you will see more positivity surrounding you.

Once you have your feet firmly planted on the ground, help someone who doesn’t. Help someone get to where you are. Listen to their problems and provide advice using your own personal experiences. Be encouraging. Uplift.

6&7. Diet and Exercise are Critical

Diet and exercise are critical. I am sure you hear that a lot. More than this, sleep is important. In order for your mind and body to be completely calm, be sure to sleep well, eat healthy foods, and exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

When you exercise, you’ll notice you feel happier. That’s because, when you exercise, ‘feel good’ hormones are released by your brain to help you balance.

A healthy lifestyle= A healthy life

8. Don’t Get Offended Easily

If you take a risk, the likelihood of you being criticized is high. When I first started my company, I received SO much criticism, both good and bad. It was very difficult to focus on only the good when those who had ‘bad’ things to say were close to me.

Guess what? I continued to press on regardless of the negative criticism. I focused on the positive criticism, the constructive criticism, and built a company that supports my family by itself.

Never let the fear of being criticized hold you back from your dreams.

9. Start your day positively.

Start your day with positivity. The moment you open your eyes, think of something positive that is going to happen that day.

Want to know something silly? This ‘happiness’ could be as simple as looking forward to your morning cup of coffee (hint hint: I absolutely love the fresh taste of coffee in the morning).

If you wake up ‘on the wrong side of the bed,’ try your hardest to cling on to that positivity. If you can’t, and this is EXTREMELY important to remember, it is okay to have a bad day sometimes. Don’t get discouraged.

There are a lot of people who swear by meditation in the morning. I suppose I do my own type of meditation, but if you feel this is something that would work for you, it’s definitely worth a try.

I enjoy listening to classical music, mainly Fantasia, to help my mind get right. If I am having a bad day, or wake up ‘on the wrong side of the bed,’ I look at my beautiful children and we escape to nature. That’s where my soul is — and luckily I have two children who share my love for the Earth.

10. Perfect Days are Rare

There is not really any such thing as a completely perfect day. Every day, we are going to encounter obstacles. The questions are:

How are we going to face those obstacles?

Are the obstacles big or small?

What action plan do we have in place to handle them?

If you find yourself in a positive mindset, even the largest of obstacles won’t seem so large. You’ll be more focused and more able to determine the best route to go to push the rock in your path aside.

11. Find humor in bad situations.

Sometimes, you may even be able to find humor in bad situations. When you face a difficult time, put your gloves on and fight for the good. And, the likelihood that it will become a story later on, will become high.

Your hardships will become inspiration for others. They will ask you what you did. How did you get through that? Why didn’t you quit? Wouldn’t it have been easier to give up?

Uh, of course it would have been easier. But, that’s not what we’re all about. We’re fighters. We are warriors.

Most importantly, WE ARE HAPPY. WE ARE POSITIVE.

Lighten up and focus on the obstacle. Look for the humor. Figure out how to tell the story of what you went through when overcoming every obstacle put in your way.

Your Call to Action: The Power of Positive

The “power of positive thinking” is a concept that is so critical there are classes on it. If you go to Google, and search positivity courses online, I guarantee you will find your fair share.

If you enjoy learning online, check it out. It’s always good to train your brain even further to a better way of thinking.

This article may appear to be cliché, but you would be surprised how many people need this advice. You never know what people have gone through, what they are going through, or what stories they have to tell.

Those who focus on a positive mindset will tell you how much it has changed their life for the better. They will tell you all of the amazing things they have accomplished. They will tell you who they have become.

You can do it! Always remember, YOU CAN DO IT! Now, get started!

Until next time!

Xoxo.