0 to 10 is better than 5 to 8

I've pretty much established the fact that I'm a raving optimist.  My glass is a little more than half full in fact.  But I'm also human and go through the "D" moods (feeling depressed, discouraged & distraught).  Recently I found myself feeling discouraged with so many areas of life; I was feeling that despite all my best efforts no great results were being seen.  It was just one of those times where nothing was progressing or going my way; to make matters worse I even found myself feeling as if I was moving backwards.  Helplessness was definitely starting to set in.  I even thought to myself "I'd just like to resign from life right now."  I wanted to throw my hands up in the air- not for dancing purposes, but simply to give up.  Have you ever felt this way?  Chances are if you classify yourself within the human species you have.  So my status was 0 out of 10 on the scale of life.  Maybe I was being dramatic at the time, but that's how I felt.  Then something amazing happened.  I got a call (I'll explain the content of the call in another posting soon hopefully) and the world turned around.  My efforts in one of the areas I was working on had paid off.  Success!  If I was physically able to bounce (as a friend so cleverly described) I would have.  My happiness and positivity were off the charts- definitely a 10.  So I've had a really great day since then as I continue to feel the rush that this news brought....so now I'm reflecting back on all of this and figuring out what it all means.

First off patience is linked to positivity;  when we expect instant results it is much more likely that we're left feeling negatively about the outcome or lack there of.  I'm an instant gratification gal.  This mentality really leads to feeling discouraged so much more quickly.  I hate feeling down about things.  Knowing that I could have avoided days of negative emotion had I just been a little more patient and believed that my efforts would pay off really bothers me.  This is something I must work on.  Some great things happen in an instant and some take a little or a lot longer; I have to remind myself of this more often.  

Then there's the aftermath of accomplishment (or receiving a good result.)  So now that I've had this one piece of the puzzle fall into place, I'm feeling much more optimistic that the other areas I'm working on will also see the result I'm hoping for.  Again, I need to remind myself to be patient.  But it's really incredible how my attitude has turned from feeling that nothing will be alright to everything will fall into place in its right time.  If I've made the right efforts to get things in order to work, more likely than not they will.  I'm really loving how my attitude has changed about every current endeavor after just one good piece of news.

The fact that I am this elated over this news is tied to how upset I was prior to receiving it.  Had everything else been going really well I would have certainly been happy to get this outcome, but not nearly as happy as I currently am (going from a 5 to an 8.)  I feel so much more appreciative of this great news because I hadn't been getting any for a little while.  This whole rush is really exhilarating.  It makes me feel that while it isn't preferable to feel that life is at a 0, it certainly makes the sweet a lot sweeter.  There's something to be said about feeling as if a breakthrough has occurred.  Generally we don't find ourselves feeling that "wow finally something great" unless we are devoid of that emotion.  Again when you're feeling as if there's no hope, it's hard to remind yourself of how great you'll feel when something good does happen.  After this entire experience I will definitely try to push that thought through my head.  It's a notion that may provide a bit of positivity during a vulnerable time. 

It Sounded Great in Your Head...How does it Sound when its Out?

So you took my advice and took some time for yourself.  You cleared your head, thought without interruption and possibly came up with great ideas or plans.  Now you want to put those plans into action.  Go for it!  But it's always a smart idea to get a second opinion.  It's the same idea as when you think up a joke in your head.  It's the greatest joke ever concocted by a human- up until you tell it to a few people and barely get a chuckle.  Not to say that everything you think up isn't as great as you believe it to be; however a second opinion can really be essential to making a great idea or plan even better.  So go ahead turn to a friend, colleague, mentor, or life coach and share your new thoughts.  Your motivation to carry these ideas out will only skyrocket when outside parties find value in your new concept.

Solitude is Bliss

I came across a song on my ipod that I downloaded in a mix a few months ago.  It's called "Solitude is Bliss" by Tame Impala.  It has a really great laid back california surfer type feel to it (at least I think); but what's really great about the song is the truth of the title.  I consider myself a very social person.  I love and cherish the fact that I have an amazing family and group of friends who bring so much to my life from our interactions.  However, sometimes we need our own time.  I need to stop my endless chatter and just take some quiet time for myself.  Yesterday I spent the whole day with me; I ate, shopped, and lived a good number of hours without any socializing.  It was incredible.  I got to hear my own thoughts without any outside interference (interference isn't a bad thing necessarily).  But the fact that I was able to just truly focus on myself (when I do it so rarely) was a wonderful experience.  The inward reflection really refreshed me.  "Me time" is essential.  You may have the best outside influences and advisors around you but until you can hear your own voice uninterrupted clarity and peace can be difficult to find.  Listen to the Song!

Failure is an option when you make it the only option.

So far I haven't written about an experience that brought so much inspiration to a blog entry.  I just ended a life coaching session with one of the most amazing people I know (whose name I won't reveal for privacy reasons) but not only was this person just beaming after our session but so was I.  Our discussion was about the possibility of failure in the workplace.  We were talking about the likelihood of failure, failure as an option and what could be done to prevent failure from occurring.  While going through the process I realize that when people say "failure isn't an option" it's a really complicated statement.  An option according Merriam- Webster is "an act of choosing."  This means when failure occurs it is because we have chosen to fail.  So unless you are planning to do some self sabotaging, failure is not on the menu of outcomes.  Failure is the worst result, why consider it when you are vying for success?  Failure and success do not belong in the same thought.  If success is a possibility then failure is not.  Failure is simply a default outcome.  The only option I see when it comes to considering failure is to take it off the list.

Positivity and Motivation are Best Friends Forever (and ever)

Motivation is what makes you tick, move, accomplish etc.  Without motivation it's really tough to achieve goals or simply keep moving forward in life.  Staying motivated is rooted in a positive attitude.  If you believe that you'll accomplish the goal that positivity will feed into the motivation needed to complete it.  So yet we find another reason why staying positive is so important.  Positivity ignites the sparks of motivation which in turn push us down the road toward success.  Turn your ignition on.

The "Aha" Moment

Everything happens for a reason.  You may not find this understanding immediatley, but trust that it is there.  Knowing that something better is out there, and the uncertainty as to when it will come adds variety/excitement- embrace it.

The Good Selfish

So many of us try so hard to please everyone without first taking care of the most important person in our lives- ourselves.  Maybe you feel obligated to put others before yourself (a people pleaser).  Maybe you genuinely enjoy seeing other people happy, which in turn makes you happy.  But if there are areas of your life that you need to improve to heighten your own happiness then it is important to attend to those needs first.  After all, a happier you will better serve everyone else.  Don't neglect yourself; you are just as deserving of the positivity that you bring into others lives.  You are number one- now act like it.