Self-Concept Thursday!

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Before I even go in on the subject of bad days, let me assure that I have my share of them. So, I’m in no position to lecture anyone about how they should be happy and positive all the time. That’s unrealistic, and to be perfectly honest, people who seem happy all the time kind of annoy me.

I will say, though, that I’ve learned how to keep my bad days in the right perspective and not allow them to sour my whole outlook on life (like I used to).

While some days we walk around with our pockets full of sunshine, there are other days when dark storm clouds seem to follow us wherever we go. Things go wrong. We receive bad news. We have arguments and misunderstandings. And things just seem to snowball.

And sometimes on these days, we feel so gloomy that we think everything about our lives is wrong. It’s like we open ourselves up and allow every negative thought that comes up to just run free.

Here’s where your perspective is so important. Major tragedies aside, most things that bring us down are simply inconveniences that we’ve overemphasized in our minds.

When things aren’t going your way and you’re feeling down and out, don’t lose sight of these truths:

* The more you learn to roll with the punches of life, the less suffering you will endure. Remember, pain may be brought on by external sources but suffering is a state of mind that we can control.

*Nothing is permanent. The more we come to accept the impermanence of things, the more peace of mind we’ll have. By definition, situations are always changing. When we cling to things – we suffer. So just let go, and observe what you can learn from the situation.

*Find strength and understanding in the midst of what’s going on. You’ve been sad before. You’ve felt disconnected and uncertain before. And you got through it. Take a break. Don’t make any decisions or sweeping assumptions while you’re feeling bad. Rest. Pray. Get back to balance and start again tomorrow.