This article was last updated on September 5, 2017
We all have bad days. Some of us more than others. Whether poor decisions led you to an unfavorable situation or there are circumstances outside of your control, sometimes it’s just hard to keep smiling and stay focused. Even when life gets in the way and things don’t go the way we hoped, there is always another chance and a brighter way of looking at things. You have the power to turn things around. Within each of us lies the ability to transform our lives and it starts in our minds. Using positive thinking and practicing self worth we can begin to love ourselves again. Finding purpose in our lives and more joy in our days. As long as you know that you can do better than your current situation and are willing to make the best of every day, then you can use that fuel to transform your life.
Prepare Mentally
Pick a day and make it a priority to become a new person, a better version of yourself, or the type of person you always wanted to be. Feeling sorry for yourself and doing nothing about it will get you nowhere. Both excuses and old, ineffective habits will need to be changed. As you prepare yourself for the dramatic changes, you’ll need to let go of doubts and start embracing self love – even when you sense fear sneaking in and even when you no longer feel like fighting. Pushing through these hardships by thinking positively and keeping your “eye on the prize” are vital to keeping a positive outlook on life.
Reflect and Meditate
Meditation is another great way to get into good spirits and tackle any situation confidently. Sit and be still in a meditative state. You’ll want to focus on letting go of mundane thoughts that keep you stuck in negative thoughts. Change the poor thoughts and feelings by taking the time to sit up nice and tall and breath to relax. Breathe in through your nose and out through the nose and just let yourself be in the moment with your mind totally cleared. See how just doing that exercise really helps change your mood.
Meditation helps with stress and even has the power to change how your brain works. The Washington Post covered one neuroscientist’s studies on the fact that areas of the brain changed when subjects went through a mindfulness-based stress reduction program using meditation practices.
Aside from meditation and quiet contemplation, you can also seek the help of a life coach who can help you get on the right path to attain happiness and peace of mind. Having an outside perspective on your journey is sometimes beneficial, as a life coach can provide an unbiased, yet ultimately positive perspective on how you can reach your goals, whether you’re looking to enhance your career, love life, or self image.
Take Stock of Positive and Negative Influences
As you make the journey to a more positive and prosperous life, think about how you treat yourself and how those who you keep around you make you feel. It’s important that you stop being so unfair to yourself and that you remain aware of any negative self critiques. These manifest in self-defeating thoughts like, “I’m not good enough for this,” “ I don’t deserve it” “I will never be able to” and have the potential to set you back from all of the work you have been doing to improve.
If you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others or judging yourself and others, you’ll always set yourself back in terms of reaching any set goal. Instead, choose to embrace differences and accept the fact that some people will not be in your life forever and that you are responsible for your own well being. You need to make a conscious choice to stay away from those things, thoughts and people that keep you from achieving your dreams and that you defined as no longer necessary in your life.
Have the courage to say no when they come back up in your life and find tools for dealing with selfish people in your life. Take the initiative to “clean house” and retain only a circle of people around you who share your vision and are rooting for you and want to see you happy and successful.
Believe in Yourself
Dedicating time to making significant changes is among the most difficult steps in transforming your life. It’s an extremely difficult task, but there is no one who can do it for you. It takes dedication and the ability to push through obstacles on your own to succeed. Believing in yourself means telling yourself that you deserve success. Once you hold yourself to that standard, it’ll be much easier to make transformative choices. Telling yourself it’s OK to fail but that you’re not going to be afraid of negative things anymore can help you be stronger through your journey. As you begin to appreciate the person that you are and love everything about yourself – even your flaws, you can learn to feel better about being yourself and hold true to your dreams no matter what happens.
Choose Love
Many inspirational speakers and experts and will talk a lot about choosing love above all else. This idea, popularized by Deepak Chopra’s methods of meditation, helps you to forget about the things that have been keeping you down or limiting your growth and instead focus on things that make you happy, that bring love back into your life. By doing so, you will find the power to help guide and change your circumstances.
This means having faith even when it seems impossible and using our faith to help make our dreams to come true. If you can take time to appreciate yourself more and have more understanding and compassion, you will start to diminish negativity and see growth. Having true love for yourself is the best way to combat your inner fears and criticisms so you can once again love yourself and begin your journey to a positive life.
