#11: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

A wonderful tip for today and all days. With the Full Moon upon us, today is a day to really be actionable - at work, with your goals for the new year, in setting appointments and making commitments. As you make things happen today, keep your thoughts positive.

Think positive thoughts.When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, stop it immediately by any means necessary. Slap yourself in the face, yell something positive at the top of your lungs or jump up and down. Do whatever it takes to get back to a positive mindset as such is essential for continual happiness and success.

Stay present and consult reality when you start to have negative thoughts. I've mentioned this before...Usually we slump into negativity when we are experiencing rejection, worry, anxiety, regret, intimidation, etc. None of those things can exist in the present. If you are worried, anxious, or intimidated, realize that these feelings can only affect us when we obsess about the future (which doesn't exist right now). Feeling rejected or regretful and any other kind of dwelling in the past are hurtful too. So let's all be proactive with our positive thinking! New year = new possibilities. Like one of my earlier posts mentions, forcing yourself to smile and thinking about something exciting really can help to repel negative thoughts. There are lots of other natural ways to boost your mood too, including eating a plant-based diet, getting plenty of exercise, and even sitting in the sun for 20 minutes. Those more regimented mood-boosters can help us work towards this tip of the day, which is more about the immediate "slap on the wrist" to train ourselves to deflect unrealities and negative thoughts. It may take time to condition ourselves, so we must be patient and persistent. Share with me what works for you to help snap you out of it! I like to be vocal - either saying "Okay, really? STOP THAT!" aloud (if I'm at work, I like to imagine that one of my friends is saying it) or blasting a mood-boosting song are usually good ways to induce a reality check (be proactive and make a HAPPY play list if music resonates with you as a good deflector).

#7: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

A nice follow-up from my last post (#6 - Be Present)...

Even more specifically, live in THIS moment. Even 10 minutes ago is the past. If you live purely in this moment, you will always be happy because there is nothing wrong in this split-second.

 Wow! This brings a nice sense of relief when you really think about what it's saying. "Even 10 minutes ago is the past" - if we can make a conscious effort to not live in the past, even if it was just a few minutes ago, we can never be ruled by those emotions that only live when we are not present. Awesome! Taking this with me into the new year...

#6: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

Just in time for the holidays, when we feel called to reflect on the months past and look forward to 2012...

Learn to focus only on the present. The past is unchangeable so it is futile to reflect on it unless you are making sure you do not repeat past mistakes. The future is but a result of your actions today. So learn from the past to do better in the present so that you can succeed in the future.

How great is this? All we have is right now. Literally. The past does NOT exist and we don't have access to it - we can't change it, so why dwell? Of course, we reflect and reminisce. But to live in the past and to base your mood on what has already occurred is exhausting and counterproductive. The best (and sometimes the hardest) thing we can do for ourselves is to live in this moment. There is no telling what the future will hold, and if we spend the present stressing about the future, then we aren't really living the life that we have right now. We are essentially just wasting precious time. All of the familiar quotes like "Carpe Diem" and "live every moment like it's your last" may seem so cliche, but they couldn't be more true. Being present and celebrating what we are experience in this very moment can only add to our excitement and satisfaction with life. Negative feelings like regret and resentment can only be experienced when living in the past. Stress and anxiety are often are a result of focusing too much on the future. If we can all practice being more actionable and embracing the present, we would all be infinitely more happy and balanced.

Oh... and just in case I wasn't clear...focus on the present, not the presents. ;)