We are being bombarded from all sides with dire news. The economy, the war, the stock market, the falling dollar, the changing weather patterns-it's enough to make a happy person crazy, but what about the person that isn't baseline happy already?
What do they do? What do you do? Changing our mood isn't always as easy as 1-2-3. Changing your mind, changing your focus can be easier said than done. But it can be done. What I'm noticing though, is as a country we are becoming habitually UNhappy. And UNhappy is becoming the norm, and we are learning to live with it. NO NO NO!
One of the things about our brain is that it focuses on whatever we tell it to. It collects information from the world around us, based on what we have DECIDED is important to pay attention to. Some people MUST watch the news. My husband is like that. He watches the news every night before he goes to bed, and he gets upset about the world every night.
"Do you really want to fill yourself with gloom right before bedtime?" I've asked him, and he scowls and says,
"You have to know what's going on."
I shrug and wonder if we really do? What does it matter whether I know about the price of rice in Afghanistan? I'm joking, kinda, but you know, does it matter to the world if I don't know what's going on? He would say "I have to know what the weather is going to be like."
I think, "Why? If it rains, it rains. Knowing about it doesn't change a thing." He isn't going to change his behavior because of the rain. We aren't farmers. What does it matter if they say it will be hot or cold tomorrow? When I go outside, I'll figure it out!
But in order to get the weather news, I have to listen to a lot of really negative, primarily negative, other stuff.
1. Change your habitual negative influences Do you have habits that bring you down? My husband loves to watch the news, and I watch him get more and more angry and depressed AS he's watching it! Not me boy. I go in the other room and watch something funny. If you have negative friends, give them some distance. Stop reading the obituaries.
2.Listen to your internal talk. Do you self talk yourself down? Talk nice to yourself! "I'm never going to..." "It's so bad..." Learn to listen to that background voice because it tends to be the one that holds the unconscious beliefs. "I'm always late" "This is never going to work". We don't talk nice to ourselves, have you noticed. I've heard people say "I'm so stupid!" Come on, would we say that to someone else? Why say it to ourselves? Change that voice!
3.Give yourself some slack. Be gentle on yourself!Can you be your own best friend? If you are running late, the world will not fall apart. It's ok. Most of us are really little kids inside, and it's the child that doesn't want to get in trouble that feels bad. The feeling body is younger than our chronological age. Be nice to the child inside. Somehow in our world we've come to believe that we have to be hard on ourselves, and that it's better for us. Throw that one out, would ya?
4. Daydream more! Play in your head! Be creative, have fun! Most of us got in trouble for daydreaming, but it's your most creative state. I say, daydream more! Give yourself dream time! Set it aside. Let it be ok. What would the world look like if you were the one creating it? We have to be able to dream it to make it real, and this is a very real step in manifesting. DREAM MORE. It makes you happy! All of the classes, whether it's theta or shamanism or psychism or even trauma resolution, is about using your creative dream state.
5.Count Your Blessings Even if you have to prime the pump with "I'm grateful I'm breathing" to get yourself going, start that gratitude journal. It works. Why? Because, look back at the beginning-you are teaching your brain what to focus on! Focus on the good things. It makes you happier. My son's computer just fried in a puff of smoke and green light. WHAM. But, when we took it down, it's under warranty and he walked out with a newer computer that's even better than what he had. BLESSINGS! Count em and they multiply. Truly. Focus on the good, and more good shows up.
By the same token, focus on what's wrong, and you start a snowball of wrongness.
6.Let it GOAgain, it works. You've heard this. Don't sweat the small stuff. Get it in perspective. When you count your blessings, getting a dent in the car is small compared to no one got hurt. My husband says I'm a Pollyanna, but you know what, I am a happier person! Yes, my cup is always half full! I always know the sun will come out. I know there are rainbows even when I can't see them. Sue me.
7.Stop comparing.This is a big one. We are trained to be competitive. If you realize there is no race, then you will stop feeling like you are about to lose. No one really cares what you are doing, or how well you are doing it-they are too worried about themselves! By the same token, no one is holding out that blue ribbon either. Most of us are still trying to get mommy and daddy's approval. From our boss, from our spouse, from our friends. Become true to yourself, and back to #3, be a friend to that wounded child inside that is still seeking approval. Be the approval you always wanted. There is always going to be someone ahead. Try holding out a hand to those behind you and realize we are all going to the same place anyway.
8.Treat Yourself!Buy yourself flowers instead of complaining that no one buys you flowers. I started to do this. I buy myself a bunch of flowers and arrange them in a vase because it makes ME happy to see them! I listen to music I like and I have learned to sing outloud again. I don't have much of a voice, so overcoming my own limiting voice (see #2) that said not to sing, was a biggie. Singing makes us happy! Oh wait-that should be #9.
9. SING out loud!Sing in the car, sing in the shower, sing whenever your can. There is something truly freeing about vocalizing in a positive way, and singing is positive! It's definitely few of us can do angry, unless we are in opera. So free yourself to sing out! And don't be timid! Let it rip!
10. Get out into the SUN! This is biochemical as well as emotional and energetic. Vitamin D is a hormone, and we get it from sunshine on our skin. Yep. Being in the sun definitely does make us feel better and it's been proven! Hah! It is not our imagination. A day in the sun helps. Get out on your lunch hour, sit outside, turn your face up. Don't be afraid of the sun, it literally feeds us. Open that sunroof, put your arm out the window, get it on your skin! Feel it as it feeds you! SUN glorious SUN!
11.Look up! This sounds strangely simple, but it works. When you are in a negative state, you will tend to look down, slow your breathing and slump. You are internally replaying the negative talk, the negative experience, the negative feeling. Look up! Raise your eyes up and you will begin to feel better. I swear. Try it! Look up! You will take a breath, fill your lungs, and lighten up. Honest. You may not even remember what you were just thinking. But if you look back down again, you can find that feeling. So look up! Stay up! What's that old saying? "Raise your eyes towards Heaven." Well why not if it works! Don't knock it until you try it.
Looking up, going up is what Theta is all about, isn't it?
BE happy!