Our actions are the brushes and our thoughts are the colors. The world is a canvas.
Perception is a powerful thing. History and things that have happened to us have shaped how we react to things. We know that if “A” happens, then if we do “B” then “C” will be the end result. We understand how consequence works because of our own experiences or from those we have learned from.
But what if the reactions we are most comfortable with don’t create the best results for us? What if we could change the outcome of our life on a daily basis? I am not saying you should go out and take grand action in your life, but there are small decisions we can make every single day to make our days much more enjoyable. There are so many moments we can take for granted.
We have the ability to make our life much more joyful through our perception of the world. We have the choice to make the best of each situation we find ourselves in. Failures happen and that is something you should not fear, but embrace. Moping around gets no one anywhere. Take action and pick yourself back up when the going gets tough.
The little things in life that we do add up really fast. They can carve our character into a better one.
Here are some things I remind myself to do each day live a life with more joy and meaning.
Smile and say hello to others.
Acknowledging others and showing respect is a big deal. Loneliness and depression is more common that you think. I deal with it myself. The worst part about it is that it even happens when we are surrounded by people.
The most common place I see this is at work. We all gather in the elevator and everyone looks down, at the wall or stares straight away. Folks usually don’t even peep a word. It’s amazing how a simple “hi, how is it going?” Can make a person smile. Conversation is so healthy for us psychologically, even when it’s with a stranger. We gain confidence in ourself and might even make a new friend out of the situation. Stories can be heard and laughs can happen. Most of the time people are friendly. You can’t really lose.
Be thankful for what you have.
There is nothing wrong with wanting more with our life, but if we cannot choose to be content with what we currently have, when will we ever be? Choosing to be grateful in your current situation allows you to appreciate any gain in your life as well as any loss. You learn to take the bad or the loss in your life and make the best of your situation. Appreciation leads to greater choices too. Especially in your relationships. Choose what is best and you most likely will get the best result. Selfishness is a dead end path.
Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.
This is probably one of the more difficult ways of thinking, but it keeps me level headed when it comes to making tough choices. You can’t go running around being optimistic all the time like all of your dreams are going to come true. You have to prepare yourself for failures. You have to realize that other people will probably let you down in one way or another.
Finding that proper balance of being optimistic and realistic in your life is important to reaching goals. What is great about that is when you do achieve the impossible, you will overwhelm yourself with joy. That right there is an incredible feeling.
So I encourage you to take the tools you have in your life and the make the best of them with positive thoughts. With an enriched positive attitude you can truly paint a better world for yourself. It won’t be perfect, but that’s ok, because imperfection is a beautiful thing.
