It is very easy to dwell on the negative. The ego loves to find fault within and without. Negativism abounds everywhere in the form of complaining and whining these days. Perpetual negativism quickly becomes a label you wear on your forehead: I am a victim! Victim consciousness is rampant in our society, but for every complaint there is a bright side to look at. There is a silver lining to every grey cloud. Yes, there is much in the world that is positive, much in the world to celebrate! All it takes is looking at the world through a different pair of lenses. One of my colleagues, Ilan Shamir, has turned his advertising executive skills toward making the world a better place. One of his slogans is this “1,000 things went right today.” It is his effort to turn people’s attention away from the negative and focus on the positive. GREAT IDEA! Ilan’s idea is that nothing should be taken for granted, and he’s right. We have much to be grateful for, much to be appreciate of. Gratitude is a perception that is easy to adopt. Give it a try.
• Stress Tip For The Day:
Can you think of 1,000 things that went right today, or even yesterday? Can you thing of ten things that went right? Sure you can. Make a list— start with 10 things. Start with the obvious: breathing (some people cannot do this easily), walking with two legs, having three meals to eat, having a roof over your head. Add to this list things you ARE grateful for. It shouldn’t be hard. At the end of each day before you lay your head on the pillow, come up with ten more things that went right today. Take nothing for granted. Let this be the lens in which you choose to see the world.
• Links/Books/Movies Worth Noting:
Ilan has started a company called Your True Nature. Here is a link to his site.
http://www.yourtruenature.com/
• Quote for the Day:
“ Every situation has a good side and a bad side, each moment you decide.” —Anonymous
Photo of the Day:
I was in New England last weekend, clear up through yesterday speaking at several conferences. The weather was quite cold; 20 below zero a times (by comparison, I came home to temps in the high 50’s). Despite the cold, I went out with my camera on day because I saw these beautiful red berries on a tree and just had to get a better look. Enjoy!
Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net
© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
