An Attitude of Happiness and a Spirit of Optimism



I was raised with the saying, “Just give it time, things always work out.” 
That is true, but I always worried about HOW it was going to work out! 
Was it going to be what I hoped  for or was it going to be just bad.  

Well I have learned that however things work out there is a purpose and reason for it.  Whether it is for the overall good, a personal learning experience, or many times its just out of our control, then we just deal with what we must.  Its just called life!

The key it to all is to look a little closer for the good.   You can’t create anything good out of pessimism or cynicism.   Look for the sunlight peeping out through the clouds.  Being optimistic is the key to allowing the world to flow around you.  It is the key to seeing opportunities. 
Tragedy is always around us, YES!  Problems are everywhere, YES!  Yet there is much fun, joy and laughter in living, if we will cultivate an Attitude of Happiness and Optimism.

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.  Most putts don’t drop.  Most beef is tough.  Most children grow up to be just people.  Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.  Most jobs are often dull than otherwise....  Life is like an old-time journey– delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.  The trick it to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”   – Jenkins Lloyd Jones

Believe in yourself.  Believe in God and his love for you.  Believe in your capacity to do great and good things.  There is so much of good and decent in our world, look for those things. 
Look for those people, just like you, who are trying to make a difference.  Who are reaching out with encouragement and love and making a difference in their lives as well and so many other lives around them.

Don’t let that bad day take you out of the game.  Don’t let the negative voices around you slow your progress forward.  Believe that no trial, struggle, or heartache is so great that you cannot survive it. 
You have infinite possibilities, You are the captain of your life.

Do it with a smile on your face, hope and optimism in your heart and happiness will never be illusive.

sheronnewman.com

                    
Being YOU!

Have you ever seen someone that just struggles in social situations or someone who always makes everyone around them miserable or someone who is boisterous and brash; or how about someone who is so shy they can hardly speak, or someone that is afraid of social situations.

That is because you are not seeing the real person– you are seeing a mask they are wearing.  They have covered their real self, because of fear, anxiety or  lack of confidence, fear of judgment, unhappiness or shame.  There are many reasons.

“Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.” -Alan Watts

Our true self is who we are when we let go of our stories, and often the false beliefs that accompany them.   Part of all of that is the ‘stuff’ we take on from other people.  We willingly carry their baggage as our own, believing that we are some how helping them, or that what we are being told about our self is true! To uncover our true nature and find peace and contentment with ourselves here are some things we can be more aware of.

LOVE YOURSELF
Have you ever watched small children?  You will notice that they are naturally loving and happy.  That is their true nature.  I have a beautiful granddaughter (many of them actually), that the moment she hears music, her hips start swaying, her head starts rocking and her whole little body is in movement with the music.  She doesn’t feel silly, shy or dumb.  She just opens her whole heart to the flow of music through her body.  She is confident in herself and just experiencing the moment to its fullest. 

Children are just pure love and light.  A hug, and “I love you” will quickly wipe away their tears.  They forgive immediately and offer love again, quickly. 
To open our hearts to love, we need to forget what the world around us tells us we should be.  Move passed fears of allowing the world to see us as we really are– and just be free and open, letting our true nature bloom.  You are so amazing as an individual, you are worthy of love from others and from yourself.

BE NICE TO YOURSELF
A scientific study showed that over 70% of our thoughts were negative.  From our earliest memories we have developed self-defeating mental patterns. 
Sadly a lot of that comes from our families and very early years of life.  Some say that by the ages of 5, and others say by the age of 7 that we have developed/ learned everything about ourselves that we need to know.

How many times have you said things like this to yourself:
“I’m so stupid”
“I’m not smart enough”
“ I’m just dumb”

Every single one of those statements are completely false.  I don’t care who you are!
Imagine if you said:
“I am really great”
“ I am fun to be around”
“ Others enjoy my company”
“ I have much to offer the world.”
“ I am smart enough”


Imagine a world of kind and supportive people.  (That may not always be our world)– but you can be the one to love yourself enough to lift and encourage others around you.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
In years passed I have gone so long ignoring myself because I felt obligated to others around me. Their happiness was more important than mine.  I realized that if I didn’t value myself,  why was it a surprise that others didn’t either.

You are hear to make a difference in your own life and in the world.  You are meant to follow those little ideas and nudges that are trying to tell you what to do for your own true happiness.
Don’t get caught up in being martyr for someone else’s cause.

Believe in yourself and when you are committed to that you will find that your inner self, your intuition, spirit, or soul.... whatever you want to call it, will guide you in the best possible direction.

Don’t be a victim, let go of your negative story!  I’m sorry to tell you this but we all have a story and if we can’t let them go they glue us in place and we can’t move on.   Now don’t get me wrong.... our story has created the person we are now.  That’s true, so we have to acknowledge it,  thank it, and for the most part let it go, so that we can now create our new story, full of happiness, hope, and joy.
 
So relax and let go of your own personal judgements as well as others that people throw at you.  You have everything you need to align yourself with the peace and happiness of your true authentically beautiful self. 

http://www.sheronnewman.com/