“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”. I read this quote a few years ago and it got stuck in my mind. It’s true, most of our planet’s natural treasures are located in remote places, with no easy access. I remember that one time I went to Tuscany, and didn’t feel like being around too many tourists, so I ended up on Cala Violina a Scarlino. It’s a beautiful Caribbean-like beach, with hardly any tourists. The difficulty was getting there. You can only access the beach by a 2-mile hike through a pine forest set within a national park. Sometimes, so is life – many times you’ll end up in a good place, after a period of struggling. So no matter how hard your day, week, the month was, as long as you believe in yourself and trust the process with a positive mindset – you will be A-OK!!! I mean nobody said life is easy, and even if it looks easy for some people, I’m pretty sure that every single one of us had times that seemed harder than others. So instead of being stuck in self-pity, or looking left and right, comparing yourself to someone else and their “perfect/ not-so-perfect” life, just stop, breath & smile 🙂 Yes, smile as bright as you can. Laugh, laugh as loud as you can. This is literally the first thing you can do to change your situation. If you walk around with a smile on your face, you will meet the world in a different way. People will perceive you in a different way, and consequently, react in a different way. I am a huge believer in the power of positivity, and implementing just a few positive habits into your day-to-day struggles, will make a huge impact! You should give it a try. Here are a couple of easy things you can do to attract more positivity and good energy into your life:
+ Watch your attitude
Your attitude can control your whole day and make it or ruin it. When something goes wrong we tend to get stressed out and panic. This mood shift will automatically turn the rest of your day into an event of a lot of things going wrong. Instead, try to relax, fix it & keep going. For example, You don’t hear your alarm and are late for work. So you rush to get ready and spill your coffee. Now you have to change your clothes and are even more behind schedule. Then, trying to get out of the house as quickly as possible, you forget something important at home. Your day keeps going from bad to worse. In moments like this just take a break, breath, refocus, bring positivity back and keep going from there.
+ Be grateful
Pay attention to the small things and really appreciate them. Every time I feel down, I just stop and think about how blessed I am to be healthy and have 2 healthy kids. We tend to forget how important our health is when we’re always busy chasing the next big thing. Being happy with what you have here and now is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. For more tips on how to live a grateful life check out this post.
+ Be present
Easier said than done. We are masters in distracting ourselves from living in the now. Living in a world where leaving the house without your phone in your pocket will make you feel incomplete or naked because you can’t be reached or keep up with the latest news, can make it very hard to be 100% present. So instead of checking social feeds, or being in your head, going through your to-do list, just look around and pay attention to what’s actually happening at that moment. If you don’t you might miss out on a lot of happy situations, or even opportunities. Being present can be practiced through meditation. Set yourself a time slot during the day for a short meditation. It can be 5, 10, or 30 minutes, whatever fits in your schedule. The important thing is that you take your mind off of everything and just reconnect with yourself. It’ll help you with your concentration, calm you down, and give you energy. If practiced on a regular basis, you’ll see that mediation will also help you solve a lot of internal struggles, since you take note of your feelings and needs. I prefer a morning and evening session, one is to start the day on a positive note and the other one is to end my day and put all the things I have encountered during that day “to bed”.
+ Positive affirmations
A good way to avoid negativity coming your way is to start your day with a positive affirmation, like: “today is going to be a great day” or “I will reach my goals for today”. Entering a new day on this note you already set your mood in the right direction. You can write it down on a post-it and stick it on your fridge or your notebook. Every time you look at it you’ll be reminded of the intention you set for yourself.
+ Wake up early
If you wake up 30-45 mins before your alarm is supposed to ring, it’ll give you some time you can use to focus on yourself and do something you need. I prefer to get active first thing in the morning. A 30 mins run is my good morning/ wake-up ritual. It helps me get my blood flowing, and mentally prepare myself for the day to come. We only have a limited amount of time every day, but taking some time for yourself every day, is something that will benefit you in the long run. If you don’t feel like working out, you can also prepare your favorite tea, read the news, write in your journal, or just take a really long shower. It’s a really good feeling to have TIME in the morning and not feels rushed or stressed because you have to get ready and leave. It will set the tone for the rest of your day and I’m sure you’ll love the effect it has on you.
+ Reduce negativity
The things you surround yourself with have an impact on your life. So if you want to live a positive life you also have to surround yourself with positive things. Be aware of the things you read, watch, think about, or who you hang out with. If you have a friend who always complains and is just never in a good mood, you might want to consider some distance from that person.