a change in perspective

Are you having a rough day today? Do you feel like whining and complaining about the state of affairs? Does it just seem a lot more challenging today than usual to replace any negative thoughts with positive ones? Is all you really want to do to crawl up in your room and hide from the world?

We all have days like this. It’s inevitable. But we have a choice in how to react and what to make of days like that. We can sulk and whine and complain and claim the world’s not fair. Or we can do something and be proactive!

There are things we can change by taking action. Some won’t be changed overnight, but we can take the first step today, right now! Other things can be remedied instantly. Others yet are not within our power to change. But what we can change is our perspective! We can decide to stop being resentful or angry or just plain negative about any given situation by changing the way we look at it! Sometimes all it takes is to stop feeding so much energy into what’s upsetting us. Stop focusing on it, and focus instead on other things in your life that you feel good about!

Now, here is my suggestion. Give yourself five minutes to sulk. Sit down and write out your woes. Or call a close friend and ask them if it would be okay for you to complain to them for five minutes. Five minutes. No more! Tell your friend they are to cut you off if you go on complaining beyond the pre-determined timeframe. Tell them you don’t need their sympathy and you don’t want them to feel bad for you. All you need is for them to listen to you and to hear you.

If you don’t have a friend available to do this exercise with, sit down and write in your journal. Or talk to your cat or your dog, or even a stuffed animal or a picture of someone you love. It could be your deceased mother, your brother who lives in another state, or your great-grandmother that you’ve never met. You can talk to whatever higher power you may believe in – God, the Universe, Spirit, your guardian angels, [fill in the blank].

Regardless of which route you choose, let it all out! Complain, whine and sulk all you want – for five minutes. Then let it go! Let it go, and move on with your day and your life. If the negative thoughts start to creep back up, tell them firmly and politely that they had their chance to be heard, their time is up, and you are now busy with other, more productive thoughts. Close the door on them and send them away. Then take a deep breath and get on with your life!