January 11 – Pure Positivity: Go the entire day without complaining about anything or criticizing anyone (this includes cursing). Note: if you “slip up”, forgive yourself , “replace” your mis-statement, & continue with the activity. Bonus Activity: Whenever tempted to be negative, go out of your way to say something positive &/or do something Caring (e.g. defend those others are gossiping about).

There are many times in life when we become upset. And even though our negativity may seem well-founded at the time, looking upon its source from a “larger perspective” more often than not shows us that we have blown our “crises” out of proportion. Sometimes we become upset over a situation that is actually filled with Beauty.

Sometimes our resignation blinds us to obvious solutions.

And sometimes we even get upset over our lives being “too full”.

We are all aware of the Truth that we are the only ones who can determine our state of happiness (or unhappiness),

… and yet many of us are left with the reasonable question: how can I practically enliven this Truth? How can I choose to be happy in those times when I am surrounded by negativity – or ever when I myself am not happy?

Well, you will have to actively test various behaviors in order to find the ones that are best for you, of course, and yet here are few ideas to get you started. They have all worked for me over the past seven+ years, each with varying degrees of success. As such, I will list them here in order, from those that were least effective at bringing me deep-seated Happiness, to those that worked most effectively.

Tip #01: Coping … This one commonly employed by many folks I know, and its basic self-focus precludes it from being a truly effective pathway to positivity.

Tip #02: Smiling anyway … Though it has been proven that activating the muscles required to smile (by forcing a smile onto your face) releases endorphines that chemically induce a feeling of euphoria, this effect is short-lived and does nothing to alter the self-centeredness that is the root of one’s depression in the first place.

Tip #03: Forced enthusiasm … This method is similar to #2 that precedes it, though instead of merely forcing a smile onto your visage, you are here forcing a “gung ho” attitude upon your Here&Now (whatever you are doing at that time). Again, while effective on the short-term, this tactic does nothing to alter the root-cause of one’s dis-ease: selfishness.

Tip #04: Loving yourself … While it is true that “you cannot give away what you do not already possess”, choosing to “defeat” depression in any form by concentrating on caring for yourself is ultimately self-defeating. The source of all dis-ease is the very self-focus that this method employs! Again, short-term benefit for long-term futility.

*Note: As your Soul-Self is already composed completely of selfless love, there is no need to “acquire” any more of the same before giving it to another.

Tip #05: Finding humor … Here we reach the “next level” of effectiveness, as choosing to see the humor (i.e. the innate meaninglessness) of any “tragedy” is the first real step towards replacing a focus on self with a focus on others – the ultimate source of lasting Happiness.

Tip #06: Removing expectation … even though this is traditionally seen as an “eastern concept”, there is no law that says we here in the west cannot adopt what works for those elsewhere! And consciously engaging any act caringly while simultaneously not caring about its outcome, is a very effective way to make the leap into selfless Love. In-deed, it is literally impossible to be sad or angry or afraid in those moments when you are purposefully not caring about what happens to or for you.

Tip #07: Bewonderment … Also an effective method of attaining a sense of positivity, this one involves pausing consciously while sad (or angry or afraid or frustrated etc) in order to purposefully focus on a Wonder in your immediate surroundings. This practice automatically shifts your focus away from self and towards an appreciation for the innate amazingness of the Universe.

Tip #08: radical Gratitude … Also quite effective, this method goes one small step further, in that it purposefully extends conscious feelings of gratitude for the life that is purposefully recognized witnessed in method #7 above.

Tip #09: Complimenting others … The last two methods have shown to be the most effective means of transforming one’s self that I have experienced over the past seven+ years of experimenting with the same. Here, positivity is experienced on an intimate level by purposefully attempting to bring the same to another.

Tip #10: Serving others … Finally, the best method I have ever used to attain a sense of lasting Peace & joy in my life has been to consciously serve another during those times when I least want to do so. Hint: when first attempting this method of re-Awakening, it is important to start off with acts of anonymous kindness (preferably for an “enemy”), as any reward that comes back to self from more open “good deeds” (e.g. receiving words thanks or compliments from witnesses or even acts of goodwill in return) severely dampens the selflessness of the act.

Regardless of the methods you employ to enliven your positivity, the more you choose to do so, the easier it becomes. There can be no Love without compassion, and there can be no compassion with a shift in attitude – away from the ego-self that is programmed to pine and year for “more” & “better”, and towards the Soul-Self that constantly appreciates life during its acts of radical kindness. And the more positive you make your internal state of mind,

… the more acts of kindness for others you will engage, and the more Joy-full your life will become.

See you when I see you …

… and until then, Be Now!

Scaughdt

Filed under: 366 Days of Kindness by Scaughdt