It All Starts With Perception
September 28, 2017Life is hard. It’s a constant learning experience that teaches you how to grow, to love, to laugh, to communicate and to develop – but most importantly it’s a continuing education on perception: How you perceive your life, the situations you face and how you see your future panning out. In the school of life experience, perception is probably the toughest subject of all.
When we are negative, we look at things negatively. When we are positive, we look at things positively. However, to live a fulfilled, nourished and content life, you have to learn to look for the positive, gratitude and silver lining in even the most negative of situations. That’s why perception is so difficult. Our minds determine how we feel about our lives at any given moment and if we’re having a bad day then more than likely we will be feeling pretty crap to go along with it. Continuous bad days are the times when that life lesson of perception really kicks in and tries to educate us.
If we allowed those continuous ‘bad’ days and negative moments to run our lives then that’s when we head in a downward spiral and into a pretty dark place. No matter how negative you feel, it will always be hard to feel happy and positive again, that’s why it’s one of the hardest lessons that life teaches us. It’s not always easy to be positive and to look for the good in every situation and for the majority of us it doesn’t come naturally, but when it becomes a practise and habit, it’s so worth it! No one wants to feel sad all the time and there are ways that you can work towards feeling happy again – it all starts with perception.
Look for the positive:
When something ‘bad’ happens, try and look for the positive in it. What ‘good’ came out of that bad thing happening?
Have gratitude:
When we feel crap, we tend to wallow in self-pity and think that the world is totally against us. However, at any given time, no matter where you are in life, you will ALWAYS have something to be grateful for – it could be family, love, finances, home etc. Even if we are feeling the lowest of the low, there will be something that we can feel gratitude for – perhaps we just need to look a bit harder sometimes, but I promise you it’s there. Remind yourself why you’re happy about your life and what you’re happy for.
Download my free gratitude journal to help you cultivate a gratitude practise.
Look for the sliver lining:
This is slightly different to ‘looking for the positive’ – look for the reason it was a positive experience, not just what good thing came out of it. For example: if you were fired, then why was that a positive experience for you to go through? Or if you had a break up then why was that a good experience or what good did that experience provide you with?
Make a change:
Look at all the areas of your life that are important to you such as finances, career, education, relationships, health etc. and note how fulfilled you are in every area.
If you’re experiencing continuing ‘down’ days then more likely than not, you are also experiencing deficiencies in one or more of these areas. Look for the areas that you don’t feel content and fulfilled in and then make little action plans to make the changes you need to. Take your life into your own hands and stop playing the blame game. Blaming someone or something else for what happens in your life might make you feel good for all of five minutes but it’s not long lasting. Work out what you need to change in order to move your life into the direction you want.
Design a new life path:
We all have an ideal life that we want to be living and by either living or not living that life, we will either be happy or unhappy. Sometimes our design doesn’t quite match with us anymore and therefore by not achieving the life we desire, we constantly feel let down and upset. So analyse your life expectations – do they gel and complement who you are and the direction you are heading in? If not, then start to create a new life path for yourself – design a new blueprint for you and where you want your life to lead you. Consider if your priorities are matching your expectations. When everything is in line then you’ll find your journey is a lot smoother. Work out the kinks and what doesn’t quite align with you, then work on living that new blueprint towards a more fulfilling life.
Remember: You’re not alone.
Everyone goes through tough times and no person’s ‘tough’ moment is more or less important than another’s. A crisis is a crisis no matter what it is. Surround yourself by people who support and understand you and who can help you through those times.
Out of all 5, practising gratitude is my number 1 tip. It doesn’t matter how sad you are, there’s always something (even something small) to be grateful for. It could be something we take for granted for every day such as sight, movement or even writing – that’s why it’s such a fantastic practise to turn into a habit. It’s my number 1 tip for changing perception. The more you practise it, the more you’ll be able to change your perception on any situation when you need to.
So, next time you’re feeling down in the dumps or like life is against you, then sign yourself up for a life lesson in perception. Work on how you see that situation and change how you perceive it. It’s not an easy task and it can be quite challenging, but everyone finds it challenging but I promise you, all the hard work you put into it will pay off and be worth it. After all, living a nourished life also means nourishing your mind and practising self-care.
Educate your perception of positivity.
Educate your perception of your life.
Let that perception be one that fulfils you and builds you up.
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