5 Simple Ways to stay Positive

"Life is tough, my darling, but so are you."  Stephanie Bennett-Henry 

In a world that is already harsh, dark, and constantly trying to instill fear, it is no wonder why so many people are more stressed out than ever.  As someone who already lives with anxiety 24/7, having stress on top of that, is fucking awful. 

When I fall down the rabbit hole of negative thinking, everything spirals down all at once.  Whereas before I would not acknowledge my negativity, nowadays I am very much aware when things start to change in my brain.

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Here are a few things I do daily, in order to stay positive, centered, and present.  Although there are often times when I don't feel like the most positive person, there is one thing that always stays constant--my awareness of my way of thinking. 

Meditation-  I've been practicing meditation for almost six years now and it has literally taken all of those six years to finally start being comfortable with it.  In the beginning, my mindset was that I had to shut off all thought before I could meditate properly, which never worked.  Once I learned that the objective is not to shut off all thoughts, but rather, let them flow freely, meditation became much easier.  There are several mediations that I do that always help.  One of my favorites is the Emotional Flood exercise by Tony Robbins.  If you don't know who Tony Robbins is, I suggest you watch his new film, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru on Netflix.  Although this exercise may not constitute as a meditation per say, it definitely does its wonders on my brain and soul.  I also like to use apps for mediating and I recently downloaded the Insight Timer app on my iPhone.  It has a bundle of guided meditations to follow, based on your mood, and most importantly, it is free.  I've been doing it almost every day and I love it.  

Read a Book-  It is no surprise, nor is it a secret, that my love for reading is infinite.  If I could marry reading, I would, that is how much I love it.  And whenever I am not being as positive as I would like, I pick up a book and start making my way through whatever story is in front of me.  Reading opens my imagination to all things beautiful, magical, creative, and of course, positive.  It never fails me and always, always, brings me out of any rut I may be in.  So if you are ever feeling a little negative and meditation is not your key, try picking up a book (of any genre) and letting the story reignite your soul. 

Stay Grateful-  My mom once told me that the happiest of people are those who are genuinely grateful.  I didn't understand what that meant until now.  Honestly, my ego has always gotten in my way and has led me down a path I am not entirely proud of.  But, my ego has taught me a lot of things as well.  Trying to be grateful is much different than just naturally being grateful, and I have not always been the best at that.  Until recently I was always trying to be this, do that, feel this, and none of it was working.  I always knew that deep down inside, my genuine gratitude was waiting to be set free, but my fear (aka, The Ego) always prevented me from doing so.  Now I can honestly say that my gratitude is not only genuine, but stronger and better than ever.  Staying grateful is not hard, when you know 100% that without a doubt, your life is incredible. 

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Hug a Dog- Look, there is no surprise that dogs have some sort of magical power within them.  The word spelled backwards does spell God, so it kind of just speaks for itself.  Dogs provide the kind of uplifting every human needs in their life.  Every time that I have been sad, upset, anxious, worried, scared, or sick, Jeeves, our Yorkshire Terrier, always knows.  He will come cuddle up next to me, lick me more than he normally does, and stay by my side until he knows my soul has been healed.  It breaks my heart, but its as if he takes all my pain so that I am no longer hurting and then gives me a look as if to say, "I have your pain now, you are okay."  He is 14 years old and I don't know nor do I want to know, what life would be like without him.  One thing is for sure though, hugging a dog and just being near one, is a surefire way to heal any pain you may be having, especially a negative mind. 

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Stay Active- I've been exercising religiously now for almost three months.  I have lost three pounds in the process but more than anything, I have released so much pent up negativity, that I already feel lighter based off of that alone.   It is the very first time ever that I have actually stuck to my exercise plan, and I am proud to say that I have not broken this since I began.  Something awoke within me when I first started out on this plan and it has not quieted down.  I'm very thankful for this because everyday I say to myself, "Okay, I have cardio today, let's get this shit done."  And then I do, and then my mind eases and I am able to think more clearly.  Exercising has been in a huge way, a catharsis if  you will.  It has helped me tremendously to train my mind and let go of the thoughts that only cause harm. 

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I am getting to the point in my adulthood where I am realizing more than ever, just how important it is to train your brain now, before it becomes too late.  I have way too much to live for, to love for, to be happy with.  Life is abundant and wonderful, and I don't ever want to waste another second of my life being stuck in the negative. 

To peace and light within,

Kim