The Power of Positive Thinking

How are you doing? How is life treating you at the moment?

Life doesn't need to crash completely for you to feel "down on your luck." A failed promotion, or work project that didn't go as planned, or a missed opportunity can set you back months.

Maybe the boss is riding you each day for quicker results? Sometimes you just feel under-valued, and you want to throw in the towel.

When things at work feel tense, it's hard to keep going, and you feel stuck. Sometimes your personal life blows up at the same time. Your husband might have a fall at work and earn himself an expensive trip to the ER.

Your kid breaks an arm at the wrong time of the month and the insurance deductibles ramp up your spending. Anything can happen to make a rainy day into a tropical storm.

The saying: "When life gives you lemons - make lemonade," can leave a nasty aftertaste in your mouth. It's easier said than done.

Many people live paycheck to paycheck, and it's not easy to change jobs or routines when money is the driver behind our actions. You simply cannot afford to lose money.

What if I told you that if something doesn't feel right - then it probably isn't. That nagging feeling we all have inside, tells us that we need a change. 

Are you paying attention to what your mind is telling you?

Think about your life and what's going on.

Are you happy at work? If the answer is no, then think about your skills.

What are your strengths? Are you good with numbers, computers, people or animals? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Think about your ideal job.

What would you like to do for a living?

If your mind is telling you something different from where you work, then maybe you need to start looking for new opportunities.

Pause - Take a mental health day and relax. Where does your mind go when you daydream?

Breathe - Deep breathing and Yoga is fantastic for regulating your nervous system and de-stress.

Ponder - Think about what you want from your career. Where is your mind taking you?

Choose - Look for job openings and new opportunities. Research a business loan if you are considering starting up your own business.

Do - If you believe it, then you will achieve it. Go for it.

I'm an MFA student and I will graduate in this spring. I should have graduated last summer, but I was forced to delay due to life / work commitments.

It turns out that I'm not superwoman, and working full time while supporting my family is not conducive to studying as much as I want. There simply isn't enough hours in the day if I want to sleep at some point.

Other people on my MFA program can devote more time to their thesis research because they don't work as much as I do. Some weeks I've struggled to read everything on the reading lists and turn in weekly assignments. 

I've got good grades but I wanted to do more.

Do you ever feel like you want more?

The turning point for me came a few months ago when someone on the program realized that I was under pressure, and asked me the questions that I posed at the beginning of this article.

How are you doing? How is life treating you at the moment? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Imagining yourself in your dream job can do miracles for your mental health. If you can believe that you can achieve your dreams, then you are half-way there. The first step is to believe that you can.

Just one small step.

Once you see a clear step towards your goal, the day-to-day don't seem as demanding. 

You can handle everything better because you know that it's not forever. 

Your mind is your greatest friend when you think positively about your life. If you start thinking negatively, your mind turns against you too and everything starts to feel harder and challenging. 

Keep your chin up and think of your goals and dreams.

Where do you want to be in five years? What's holding you back?

My name is Lizzy. I'm a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

If you like reading my posts, then please follow me.

For more about me: www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com

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Here are a few links to my articles:

Looking for a Change?

https://medium.com/activated-thinker/looking-for-a-change-f391e85abbd7

A Search for Identity

https://medium.com/beyond-lines/a-search-for-identity-893df7c970c2

Are You Searching for Peace?

https://medium.com/illumination/are-you-searching-for-peace-cd54d76231c8

Are You Dealing With Burnout?

https://medium.com/illumination/are-you-dealing-with-burnout-374f774141b4