If you were hungry, what would you do? Yep, that is right. You would probably head to the fridge or go somewhere that had or sold food to satisfy that need. Even if it were as simple as just staying at home and creating some random concoction from something in the ole’ pantry, you’d take care of it. So when you want or need something bad enough, you find a way. Well, through a good bit of analysis of people in my life, I have come to realize something. We all have our highs and lows in life. The hard part is figuring out how to pull out of the lows and what and who we need to do it.
People always say that we create our own happiness, that we can turn a bad day around with a good attitude or other cliche stay-positive quotes. But you know what? There is more to this than just “THINK HAPPY.” Just like anything in life, there must be a strategy behind the madness. There must be action. People don’t just get depressed for months, sometimes almost years, and have a close friend say “just be happy and cheer up” and then boom that person is back to normal. It is not that simple. We have to try a ton of different strategies before we can find something that will pull us out of our so-called “funk.”
If ever I am going through a hard time, the last thing I can imagine doing is being around happy people. For example, one day I thought, gah, I don’t want to be around my girlfriend and her new man while I am in this crazy condition and single. But eventually, I realized and remembered that my friends make me happy and the right thing to do was to be happy for my friend and her happiness. The more I cared about someone else's happiness, usually the happier I became. Now, I am not saying be a doormat; I am just saying when we are sad, we normally retreat because we don’t know what else to do. That is that not the trick. The trick is to focus your energy on helping someone else in their life, learning from their ups and downs.
Eventually, their happiness just latches on to you and gives you that extra strength you need to dig deep and get yourself back to having the maximum amount of happiness. This is what I call feeding your soul. So, do not steer away from the super-smiley type because you are in the dumps. That doesn’t fix anything. Have the courage to put yourself in what might be an uncomfortable situation with happy people and learn from them. You WILL NOT be unhappy forever. Pain is temporary. God does not close one door without opening another. All in all, when you surface from your funk, you don't want to look back and realize you lost some great friends because you never took the time to be a part of their world.
People always say that we create our own happiness, that we can turn a bad day around with a good attitude or other cliche stay-positive quotes. But you know what? There is more to this than just “THINK HAPPY.” Just like anything in life, there must be a strategy behind the madness. There must be action. People don’t just get depressed for months, sometimes almost years, and have a close friend say “just be happy and cheer up” and then boom that person is back to normal. It is not that simple. We have to try a ton of different strategies before we can find something that will pull us out of our so-called “funk.”
If ever I am going through a hard time, the last thing I can imagine doing is being around happy people. For example, one day I thought, gah, I don’t want to be around my girlfriend and her new man while I am in this crazy condition and single. But eventually, I realized and remembered that my friends make me happy and the right thing to do was to be happy for my friend and her happiness. The more I cared about someone else's happiness, usually the happier I became. Now, I am not saying be a doormat; I am just saying when we are sad, we normally retreat because we don’t know what else to do. That is that not the trick. The trick is to focus your energy on helping someone else in their life, learning from their ups and downs.
Eventually, their happiness just latches on to you and gives you that extra strength you need to dig deep and get yourself back to having the maximum amount of happiness. This is what I call feeding your soul. So, do not steer away from the super-smiley type because you are in the dumps. That doesn’t fix anything. Have the courage to put yourself in what might be an uncomfortable situation with happy people and learn from them. You WILL NOT be unhappy forever. Pain is temporary. God does not close one door without opening another. All in all, when you surface from your funk, you don't want to look back and realize you lost some great friends because you never took the time to be a part of their world.
This song always gives me a piece of mind... check it out:) |
5 Ways to Feed Your Soul:
1) Exercise...
Personally, some type of exercise/dancing is something I need to keep me moving in the right direction. With releasing endorphins and working towards a goal, I feel accomplished and strong. If you are someone who doesn't love the thought of exercising, try any kind of physical activity that floats your boat!
Looking for specific work outs to get you started? Check out my GET IT RIGHT, GET IT TIGHT board on my PINTEREST, for ideas!
2) Get a new hobby...
Don't just jump out there and try to pick up some random hobby. Put some thought into it people! Think of something you have always wanted to do, but have continuously put off. You would be surprised how stimulating this can be.
3) Listen to feel good music...
In this article, How Music Affects Our Moods, it is a proven fact that music can help alter a persons' mood tremendously. I am a huge fan of Pandora, 8 Tracks, and browsing new tunes on the good ole' YouTube. Through these applications, you can pick specific artists/songs to create your own personal playlists gauged from your moods or preference.
4) Create a goal...
Everyone loves a good challenge! Am I right? Write down one goal or multiple goals that you would like to accomplish with in a time frame, whether it be a day, week, or year. Once you have discovered a goal, write down 5 ways you are going to accomplish this.
5) Find your own personal balance...
We all have our own limits, but sometimes lose sight of what those are. Don't ignore the red flags or the messages our subconscious sends us daily. They are there for a reason. Make sure to not overwhelm yourself too much, nor be a lazy bum. Our mind and body deserves more attention than that. You know what you can and can't handle.
1) Exercise...
Personally, some type of exercise/dancing is something I need to keep me moving in the right direction. With releasing endorphins and working towards a goal, I feel accomplished and strong. If you are someone who doesn't love the thought of exercising, try any kind of physical activity that floats your boat!
Looking for specific work outs to get you started? Check out my GET IT RIGHT, GET IT TIGHT board on my PINTEREST, for ideas!
2) Get a new hobby...
Don't just jump out there and try to pick up some random hobby. Put some thought into it people! Think of something you have always wanted to do, but have continuously put off. You would be surprised how stimulating this can be.
3) Listen to feel good music...
In this article, How Music Affects Our Moods, it is a proven fact that music can help alter a persons' mood tremendously. I am a huge fan of Pandora, 8 Tracks, and browsing new tunes on the good ole' YouTube. Through these applications, you can pick specific artists/songs to create your own personal playlists gauged from your moods or preference.
4) Create a goal...
Everyone loves a good challenge! Am I right? Write down one goal or multiple goals that you would like to accomplish with in a time frame, whether it be a day, week, or year. Once you have discovered a goal, write down 5 ways you are going to accomplish this.
5) Find your own personal balance...
We all have our own limits, but sometimes lose sight of what those are. Don't ignore the red flags or the messages our subconscious sends us daily. They are there for a reason. Make sure to not overwhelm yourself too much, nor be a lazy bum. Our mind and body deserves more attention than that. You know what you can and can't handle.