Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point Of View
What if you knew that the way you saw things in your life was wrong? That all it would take to change that opinion of yourself was a few small tweaks which could profoundly change your happiness and overall outlook on life.
Let's get honest, I know it can be hard going on day by day, constantly fighting for gain. And with so much stress going around these days; whether it be from your boss or everyday commitments like family and work - how can one focus on living a good life? One way is to see everything through the lens of positivity. You see it all through the filter of your own experiences and whoever has been nice to you lately, instead of focusing on the people who don't always have your best interests at heart.
Imagine, after a fight with your boyfriend, when you go home and spend time burning off this anger through prayer and meditation - what happens? You start to see things in a more positive light - you realize that fight was really just a misunderstanding. Suddenly there's no negativity surrounding you, unless maybe some of those negative thoughts have rationalized themselves into the logic that it was all a misunderstanding because they're too scared that you might leave them if they don't change their point of view.
One of the worst things we do is stick to our own opinion. You see, that opinion isn't always right - even if you're stuck on that opinion like a dog to its bone. People change their minds all the time, and it's okay to do so as well! It's called being flexible when giving up on your old way of thinking for something new.
I'm not saying go about changing everything about you or how you behave in life, but sometimes it helps to just loosen up and let the good stuff flow into your heart / mind / soul (you get the idea).
It's like a game of chess. When my friend told me to imagine the queen being put in another chair when I'm playing chess with her, it made sense. If we started seeing things through a different point of view, you'd be surprised how different the game would be. Plus, chess is pretty fun when played right.
For those of you who want to get a taste of this new viewpoint of life and continue on more personal growth paths - here's some ideas:
1) Stop talking over others at work - this isn't the most fun thing to do, but it helps everyone. Just imagine that your boss is being nice to you and not everyone else because they're secretly really competitive and want you to lose so they can take your job. It'll make it easier to focus on something that doesn't revolve around you. Think of this as a mini-meditation.
2) Stop fighting with your friends / family - again, not the most fun, but it's really worth it. When you stop giving energy over to a fight, you start to see how great life can be without all the negativity. And once you do that, well... trust me... it's a beautiful thing.
3) Start meditating - there's plenty of things out there for meditation these days and for some reason every time I see one I think about pizza or something like that haha [insert cheesy smile here]. But seriously, meditating is like a mini-meditation in itself. It gives you a positive outlook on life and helps you see how it's all connected.
4) Don't be afraid to change your mind - I mean, people do it all the time... maybe not on such a personal level as this, but that's what meditation is for. Think about how many times has your friend or family member changed their mind about something? It happens, and you should be open to hearing them out. Honestly, not everyone is right no matter what their point of view is - that's why it's called an opinion (or sometimes referred to as points of view). You get to choose which points of view you like best, and which ones are worth keeping.
5) Take a chill pill - and I'm not just talking about pain killers (though they might help). If a person or situation makes you mad, don't let them push your buttons. Think about it this way: what's more important - getting upset over something that happens for 15 minutes and then it's over, or the relationships you have with your family and friends? Take the higher road - it feels better.
6) Light some candles - these probably won't help with much except make a room smell pretty I suppose but when life gets rough lighting some candles really do cheer me up... I think my favorite one is vanilla.
7) Spend some time with your significant other - you'd be surprised how uplifting it is to be around people you care about and really appreciate. This doesn't mean putting down everyone else and spending all your time with them; it just means being alone together, maybe sharing a meal (or pizza), watching a movie, or just cuddling in bed for a few hours. It's nice to have someone to hold on to when life gets tough.
8) Make friends - I don't mean add people on Facebook or anything like that, but connect more genuinely with people who share values and interests instead of just meeting up because you think their opinions are cool. If you build relationships like this, they're worth more than gold.
9) Get outside - go for a walk, go swimming, just get outside. If you can't do this for too long, take a few minutes or even hours and just sit in the grass/ground and meditate. I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards.
10) Try something new - life is made up of new experiences... why not have one? I remember when I first tried meditation, it was really hard, but now it's something I always do when life gets rough.
11) Connect with nature - sometimes the best thing you can do is go outside and connect with nature. Find a spot in a park, or outside your house, or on the side of the road (but not too close to traffic) and sit down and meditate. You'll feel better afterwards, trust me.
12) Try something old - meditation isn't the only thing you should try when life gets tough... the good old saying "if it aint broke, don't fix it" applies here. Try something new, but also try something old. You won't regret it, I promise.
13) Take a walk - again, nothing too fancy, just go for a walk and connect with nature/people you meet along the way.
14) Pray - I know some pray every night before they sleep and some people pray every morning... whatever works for you! Just pray (or meditate). Don't let your thoughts bring you down - stay strong and strong will win the day.
15) Do something kind - this is what really helps when life gets rough.
Conclusion
Life is meant to be lived, not repeated. I know this sounds like a cheesy saying, but it's true. You get out what you put in and if you want to live life as a lake, it's pretty easy to do. But if you want life to be more like an ocean, that's ok too! Sometimes the ocean gets mad and sometimes it gets happy... but in any case, it always has something going on. Everyone likes to swim in calm water sometimes and relax, but everyone needs a little adventure too. It's all about finding your balance so you can grow as a human being instead of just repeating yourself over and over again (and getting stuck).