Do You Choose to be Happy?

As I mentioned in my first post the first few steps of changing your life involve the following:

• Be purposeful with your thoughts and actions
• Have an attitude of gratitude
• Exercise
• Cut out the junk

I realize I could go on and on about each of these topics. The snippets in the first post were just to wet your whistle. Hopefully you have decided to be ALL IN and are ready to delve deeper into the world that is, in your control (even though it, sometimes feels otherwise).

Are you ready? I’m ready 😉

Today lets talk about being purposeful with your thoughts and actions. You may have heard that before. You may even have an idea what it means. Or you may be like me…the person that reads “be more purposeful with your thoughts and actions” and thinks ‘Yeah! I can do that! I need to be more purposeful.’ And that is where the thought ends because you don’t really know what it means.

Thinking you need to be more purposeful with your thoughts and actions and actually being purposeful with your thoughts and actions are two very different things. So how is it you change from just knowing you should be doing something different to actually DOING something different? Well that is what I want to talk with y’all about today.

How do you start your mornings? Are you disappointed when the urge to pee wakes you up and you have to trudge, sleepy-eyed to the bathroom? Do you think UGH my back hurts this morning, UGH I’m still tired, UGH how it is ONLY Tuesday?! Some of the negative thoughts you experience, first thing in the morning might not even occur to you. They’re second nature. You have been thinking them for so long, you no longer have to think about thinking them. Sad isn’t it? When you realize you haven’t even had control of what is going through your mind lately. But here’s the good news. You CAN AND WILL regain control if you work at it.

Yes I said work at it. Positive, intentional thinking takes practice. Takes work. Requires attention and focus. I started by purposefully stopping myself from thinking anything negative when I first wake up. Before I even get out of bed, before I reach for my phone to go through my missed notifications, I thank God for waking me up. Now you may not have a relationship with Jesus Christ but I do. Each morning I thank him for allowing me to wake another day. You may say thank you to the universe, thank you to Allah, thank you to Mother Nature. Whatever “being” you are connected to, say thank you. You have another day to live! It is a gift. What do you do when you receive a gift? YOU SAY THANK YOU! 🙂

Then find three more things to be thankful for. It might be hard at first. If you have been stuck in a rut or are feeling alone…whatever you’re going through, if you’re having a hard time finding something to be thankful for, start with the basics. “I’m thankful for this blanket to keep me warm. I’m thankful for the sleep I was able to get last night. I’m thankful for my job.” NOW don’t get me wrong…your blanket may be worn and old, you may have only gotten 3 hours of sleep, and you may not have your dream job but being thankful for the things you have will get you closer to the things you want. Why? Because positive energy begets positive energy. What you put out will come back to you. That blanket is better than no blanket at all, 3 hours of sleep may be better than the day before when you got no sleep, and your job may be an opportunity for you to receive your next opportunity. Being thankful and having an attitude of gratitude will change your life. The more thankful you are, the easier being thankful becomes.

Being intentional with your thoughts and actions also deals with how you think about and treat yourself. I started listening to positive affirmations as I was getting ready for work in the morning. (Find them on YouTube) Repeating I am a successful person, I am leading a life of wealth and abundance, I am full of joy and compassion…sounds corny right…it felt corny too, at first. But it set me up to feel powerful and confident first thing in the morning. It changed the whole tone of my day and didn’t require me to do anything except basically tell myself how happy and awesome I am. After about day three I started feeling happy as I was repeating the words. They pumped life into my heart and boosted a part of me that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I started to believe what I was repeating. I started liking what I was seeing. I looked and felt happier, I looked and felt more confident. I was starting to like myself again and it felt AWESOME! So awesome in fact, I painted my neglected toes and waxed my neglected eyebrows (or manbrows as my loving daughter pointed out…little stinker). Any other woman can tell you how pretty a fresh coat of nail polish and some on fleek brows make you feel.

So…baby steps right. Here is what you do:

• Say three things you’re grateful for, FIRST THING in the morning
• Say and believe positive, affirming things about yourself
• Treat yourself with love and kindness. Even if it is just painting your toes ❤

You can do it. Choose to be happy. Choose to control your thoughts and actions. Choose yourself! You’re worth it!