Determining Your Future

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. – Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

I’m willing to bet that you know some real sour pusses. Grumpy, Mr. Negativity, never has anything pleasant to say, whiner – you know someone like this, right? And if you don’t, I don’t know how you do it, but keep it up!

There are some people who refuse to be happy. The glass is always half full and rather than seeing all the good in their life, their eyes are strictly on the places that suck. I wouldn’t want to be able to hear their thoughts. I imagine their minds are dark morasses of dank and stinking muck and vapor, a miserable place that nothing can bloom and no one would want to live.

Well, screw them. If they want to be sour pusses, let them. But don’t let them drag you down with them. Because, if you let them, their negativity will poison your mind and through your mind your life.

When you see nothing but the bad, you miss out on the good, and you miss out on opportunities because you’re always certain that it’ll fail or worse. You don’t improve anything because what’s the point? You don’t try because what’s the point? You don’t bother smiling or being happy because it’ll be over in just a moment, and it takes just too much energy to bother being happy. Man, that is a sucky way to live.

Life is wonderful. Are there bad parts? Of course. Nothing’s perfect. But don’t dwell on them. Fix them where you can. Accept them where you can’t. Concentrate instead on the great parts. You’re alive. You have at least some health, otherwise how are you getting my blog? You have opportunities to change your life, and obviously (since you’re reading this), you have enough gumption to be willing to change. Perhaps not your life as a whole, not yet, but your thinking, your attitude, your hope, a little at a time.

If you are a sour puss and want to change, don’t expect to do it overnight. Maybe you will, if you have a week to live and need to make the most of these last few days. But, without such a drastic motivator, most people will change slowly instead of quickly. Do one of the following. Then, each week (or month if you have a really bad case), add another one to your life. Say “please” whenever you make a request. Say “thank you” whenever someone does something for you, even if it’s just respond to you about how they can’t help you right now. Say hello to people you know. Smile for a couple of minutes for no reason other than to keep in practice. Give thanks to the Higher Power (or circumstance, if you are an atheist) for one thing every day. Watch an uplifting movie. Read an uplifting book. Toss out one negative book/movie/knick-knack/etc. from your home. Yes, knick-knacks can be negative, but I’ll deal with that next time. Give someone a compliment on their clothes or work or attitude. There are plenty of other ways you can emphasize the positive in your life, but these will do quite nicely as a start.

You can think your way into a brighter, more positive Future, or a darker and angrier one. It’s your choice.