Feeling Good when things are Bad

💔 How do you feel good when things are bad? So much of my reading about personal development comes down to this question.

Go looking for an answer, and you’ll encounter a flood of theories, buzzwords, and tools. Most of the ideas are valid and helpful in the right circumstances. But sometimes, their application feels just out of reach - or you just don’t have the energy to figure out how to get started.
 
When I feel this way, I focus on three essential ideas:

First, every moment is full of potential. Life's unpredictable nature is a refuge! It means that your current perspective is not the only one that might be true and that positive twists may lie ahead.

Second, in ways that you can’t know or predict, your actions and decisions - your engagement in your surroundings and circumstances - influence the outcomes in your unpredictable life. You have more power to change things than you might realize.

Third, in this moment you are an alive, energetic mind that imagines a more positive mind-state and is willing to explore shifts of perspective and belief to achieve that state. This openness drives engagement and committed action which will inevitably change the scene.

Nothing revolutionary here but I find these truths to be sturdy and comforting when my mind is static-y and self-defeating. What works for you?

(Originally published on LinkedIn)