Before I get into the nitty-gritty of this vast topic, let me ask you something
If you could go back to just one happy moment in your life, what would that be?
Can you put down in words the state of bliss you experienced that day?
Ever since I was a kid, my dad taught me “What you live today is the result of your yesterday’s thoughts, and what you will live tomorrow is the result of your today’s thoughts.” But, believe me when I say I couldn’t relate to any bit of this advice.
But the universe had some plans in store to make me realize the true power of my thoughts, which I was lacking in life. There came a day when I was devastated, completely lost, no confidence, no direction, no hopes, my mind was consumed with short snippets of all the flashbacks that happened to me till then and it felt heavy as if I had lived the same moment multiple times. Everything that day was just how I had visualized it before. All I could say was “See, I told you this is coming.” Was it because I was continuously sending those negative signals to the universe? Was it because I was unconsciously asking for it? Well, yes. I realized it not much later.
And believe me, the day I witnessed the real verity was when I not only acknowledged but also appreciated the potency of optimism. And believe me, there has been no looking back since then. I feel a greater sense of purpose in life and hence this gives me more courage to try harder every single time that I stumble upon a roadblock. Whenever I think about what I want and how can I get there, my eyes may be stoned but my mind carries me off the present state to my glittery fantasy world where the line between my dream and reality is blurred. As hard as I persist and focus on seeing the bright side of things, this attitude adds to vibrancy, zeal, and positivity and I gather every bit of myself and set into motion my emotions. But now, more consciously because I can’t afford to repeat the same mistake twice.
I could go on and on, however, don’t take my word for it until you learn this art of channeling your thoughts in a positive direction. If you ask me how did I manage to control my thoughts or give them the right direction. I would say,
“The best part of being positive and perfecting this art of optimism is that it can be mastered by adopting a constructive mindset.”
When I lost my job, I felt helpless but I did not want to stop there so I quickly started to look out for better opportunities. Let me tell you, I got another offer with much better benefits and exposure. Had my previous employer not laid me off, this chance would have been beyond my wildest dreams.
So if you want to take control of your life, first learn to take control of your thoughts. Be that optimist who sees opportunity in every difficulty.
You must have heard people say “Train your mind to think positive and you’ll see positive things happen to you”. But my mind played around with me all the time. I used to console myself by saying “Let something positive happen in my life and I will try to be positive”. But these arguments were not helping me at all. Above all, my father constantly reminded me that “Both these statements go hand in hand. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s the interpretation of circumstances and their meanings which I attach to it that will determine my mental and emotional well-being.”
So the moment I started focusing on the good and positive in any given situation, I would not feel defeated anymore rather I used to be prepared to get up and start over with much more enthusiasm. To begin with, I committed myself to look forward and envision a better and happier life, and eventually, I was not daunted by any obstacles, problems, or delays.
Despite what you may have heard, can you imagine how great this felt to me?
I started working on myself, one step at a time.
The immediate roadblock for me was Procrastination and I took that one decision I was procrastinating for a long. The decision that no matter what, I will allow my mind only to breathe in the air of positive thoughts. To be honest, it was difficult in the beginning but I resolved to look at the brighter side and be grateful for every blessing in life. I accepted the fact that many people did not even have what I took for granted. So the way I looked at things improved and made me feel content and peaceful inside.
In addition to this, I started practicing positive affirmations as they subtly command the mind to encourage a positive attitude. Anyone can be positive when life is a bed of roses, but your attitude during unexpected setbacks define the real you. So I made sure, my thoughts have to be in control. I identified my areas of negativity and as I would see them approaching, I used to get out of my comfort zone and pivot my mind in anything that made me feel happy. I started reading fiction stories as they would take me off to a beautiful “All is well in the end” world, I engrossed myself in spirituality, practiced conscious thinking, watched soothing videos, and started writing how I felt. And believe me, writing was a blessing in disguise. I never knew the power of expression could be so impactful. And today, I put in efforts to express how I want my tomorrow with a belief that this will come to life soon.
Last but not the least, I swallowed the bitter potion- What’s gone will not change. No matter how bad I want it, and I have to take a step ahead. I should not crib over anything forever. Hence I decided that I will start my day on a positive note, every day.
To sum it up, all I want to say is “Your desire, passion, and dedication dwell on your state of mind. In a nutshell, your attitude structures your life. So make sure it is a good one.”
