Friday, January 18, 2013

Be Positive!


Do you ever catch yourself wondering how to stay motivated when life throws you a wrench? Does it seem impossible sometimes to turn the negative into positive? I may be able to help shed some light on how to keep your spirits up when you feel all you have left in your cherry bowl is pits! The truth is, life isn't easy. If it was, we'd never have anything to praise God for. Through our trials, we learn, we grow and we teach others how to walk through those dark moments. 
Instead of focusing on those down times, find strength in different avenues and trust that through God, nothing bad is going to last forever ... and it doesn't! 
Here are a few ways you can begin to focus on the good and positive and begin to eliminate the negative in your life.
  1. Take time to be grateful for all you have.  I admit, sometimes I become too preoccupied with what's not going right to really be thankful for all the blessings in my life. Every cloud has a silver lining, every challenge has a great outcome on the other side if you stay focused and don't give up. When I've had a down time in my business or in life, I take some quiet time to reflect. What exactly is the problem and how do I solve it? Instead of becoming dragged down with "What's Wrong", focus on "What's Right." Try making a list. Begin writing down everything in your business or life. It could be back-ordered items, not enough business, no referrals or an argument with your spouse. Write these things in your "What's Wrong" list. Now list all the things that are right. I really love being my own boss, setting my own hours, controlling my income (even if it does get shaky once in awhile). I love that my husband works hard to care for me and our children. Put these things on your "What's Right" list and pretty soon, you'll find the "What's Right" list is much longer than the other. Take that list and hang it where you can see it. Focus on the "What's Right" when things seem to be all wrong.
  2. Take a break from your devices once in awhile. I know this is a killer but the more I'm connected to everyone and everything in as many ways as possible, the less time I have for me and my thoughts. If you have challenges in your business and your life, sometimes it's best to just disconnect and have some quiet time to reflect. It's difficult for an over stimulated mind to come up with solutions, so you've got to allow yourself some down time. My solution is to turn everything off and go a quiet place in the house or outdoors when it's nice, along with a good book and read. Escaping into a story is a nice and much needed reprieve! Do yourself and your over-stimulated brain a favor and power everything down for at least a couple hours each week and give yourself some time off from everything. You'll be glad you did!
  3. Take time to say Thank You. Even better, take time to send a thank you note to someone who helped you or was gracious to you or who remembered you in a special way. Send thank you notes to your clients, customers or those who have referred business to you and watch as more business suddenly appears!  Sending Thank You notes seems to be a lost art that is in need of revival. When was the last time you were surprised with a special note in the mail?  How did it make you feel? NEVER underestimate the power of a handwritten Thank You note!
  4. Believe anything is POSSIBLE. "Never let life impede on your ability to manifest your dreams. Dig deeper into your dreams and deeper into yourself and believe that anything is possible, and make it happen." Wow, that's powerful and so true! Focusing on problems creates more problems and you have less time to really focus on everything that you want that is just within your reach. "Shoot for the Moon; even if you miss you'll land among the stars!" Surround yourself with visual reminders that anything is possible!
  5. Get rid of the drama. I DON'T DO DRAMA! I don't  have time for it and it zaps my energy. Get rid of the drama (and people who cause it) in your life. Let's face it some people are just meant to be miserable. They look miserable, act miserable and feel miserable ALL THE TIME! Everything is wrong, nothing is going well and they sure want you to know about it. They LOVE to talk about other people and they want to suck you into the gossip circle! I have one word of advice for you, RUN! Run as fast as you can and as far away as possible. Nothing good ever comes from gossip, drama or whatever  you want to call it. Get rid of it right away!
  6. Map out your life.That's right, use today as a starting point and begin creating a map of what you want your life to look like; 6 months from now, 1 year from now, 5 years from now and beyond. It's really about taking goal setting to a new level! Use lifelines (deadlines are terrifying) and really start to think about what you want to happen, how you want to feel and who you want to become in the process. None of us knows for sure how much time we have on this earth so all we can do is make the most of every moment and plan for good things to come! Life really is wonderful! 
God Bless!

1 comment:

  1. Kristie -

    Thank you for the great reminder!

    I am always encouraged by reading your blog - it helps remember the important things in life!

    ~B

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