How To Get Up On The Right Side Of The Bed More Often
So much of how we experience life and the world around us is determined by what we are focusing on. We get what we focus on in life. What we focus on, tends to expand. When we focus on reasons to be happy and grateful, we enrich our life experience and fill more of the moments of our day with peace, tranquillity, bliss, and inner joy. It certainly is hard to feel angry or fearful when your mind is being populated with the many wonders and beauties of life. An attitude of gratitude is the best kind of antidote to any form of negative emotional state. The more you can focus on life’s blessings by consistently asking yourself high-quality questions such as ‘What do I have to be grateful for in my life right now?’ the happier you will be, and the more you will enjoy life and the process of living.
A gratitude journal is a great tool for helping you do this. When you awaken each morning, take a moment to write down a few things that you have to be grateful for in your life right now. Maybe it’s something as simple as having a nice warm bed to wake up in, or that the sun is shining bright outside. Be an appreciator of all the good things you have in your life. Bring the feelings associated with these things into you. Flood yourself with positive emotions. A morning gratitude ritual will help you get up on the right side of the bed more often, and will recondition your mind to always look for reasons to be happy and grateful. Whatever it is that you are focused on in life, your brain is going to find and give you more of. You will become like a human metal detector, only it will be more of life’s blessings that you will be picking up on and attracting into your life.
Everyone has something they can be grateful for, even during seasons where life seems unbearable. The key to managing your state during difficult times is to bring your awareness into the present moment, find these things, and focus on them. Choose to see the good amidst the chaos that may be befalling you.
Always frame the circumstances and events of your life in a positive and empowering way. People who are happy, peaceful, relaxed, and successful, simply choose to look at the bright side of everything. As Ray Bradbury reminds us, ‘‘You can make yourself happy or miserable — it’s the same amount of effort.’’
When it seems like things aren’t going your way, or when success feels like it’s far off or even hopeless, look for evidence of things slowly working out in your favour. Ask yourself high-questions that aim at solutions, such as ‘What’s good about this?’ ‘What can I learn from this?’ and ‘How can I use this to help me get better moving forward?’ Consistently asking yourself high-quality questions that presuppose empowering answers will help you keep moving forward, no matter how many setbacks you encounter along your path.
The more moments of your day you can spend cultivating an attitude of gratitude, the happier you will be. The more you will enjoy life and its journey, and the less you will focus on the destination. Because as Thich Nhat Hanh so beautifully reminds us, ‘‘There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.’’
