One of the best ways to make a big, lasting shift in your mood and outlook on life is to make a lot of little shifts in the way you approach each day. Shifting your perspective on the events that unfold within your daily life is one of the biggest keys to creating an energy within yourself that is better aligned with making those big dreams of yours happen. And the easiest way to achieve this mindshift is to inject a little mindfulness and gratitude into your day.
The easiest way???
Yup. We make it out to be such a difficult thing, but practicing mindfulness and gratitude is really very easy. The hardest part is just remembering to do it, that’s all.
The spiral’s edge…
For example: on Monday, I had to go to a dental appointment that was on the outskirts of the downtown core of the city I live in (I live in the suburbs). I would normally drive there, as it’s a bit of pain to get to by bus (takes a couple of buses to get there). But I share a car with someone and he needed the car that day for a golf game. (I know. Priorities, right? He did offer to give me a ride to the appointment, but I was going to be on my own getting home again, plus I was going to have to walk the kids home from school in the rain that night.)
Anyhow. I woke up on Monday morning after having slept horribly (I’m the Insomnia Queen, in case I’ve never mentioned that fact before). It was pouring rain out when my alarm woke me up, and I only had time for one cup of coffee that morning (usually I need two, and after a mostly sleepless night, I definitely needed that second cup that I didn’t get!) So I was not a happy camper on my way to the dentist’s office.
After the appointment, I was really feeling the fatigue and lack of caffeine, and the first bus I needed to catch was late. And it was raining. And the wind blew my umbrella inside out, so I gave up on it, threw into my purse soaking wet. And stood glowering in the rain thinking evil thoughts about the evil public transit system, getting grumpier by the minute.
A moment’s pause…
And that’s when I happened to glance down at the sidewalk. And there, right in front of me was a dime. And it made me smile. Because it made me think of my kids – especially my son. He gets so excited when he sees money (or even just shiny bottle caps) on the road – it’s like he’s discovered some fantastic treasure and it’s so adorable. So when I see coins on the street, I always pick them up and think about my kids.
#Mindfulness is a simple as *choosing* what you're going to #focus on at any given time Click To TweetSo that made me smile (in the rain), and I was in a much better mood when the bus showed up. I wasn’t sure where my next stop was, so I asked the driver and he was very helpful, and I wished him a cheery “Have a great afternoon!” when I stepped off the bus.
The snowball gathers speed…
And there, right in front of me was a Starbucks (Hallelujah! Coffee at last!). I walked into the coffee shop just ahead of a crowd of people, and there was no one else at the counter so I didn’t have to wait in line at all. Had a nice chat with the barrista (barristo?) while he was making my coffee, and we both agreed that it was a shame that they never have the Kenya coffee available as the brewed coffee because it’s by far the best one they have.
Then I got to the next bus stop, which had a large bus shelter, just as the sky opened up and it started pouring cats and dogs. And I as I stood there in the bus shelter, I thought to myself how grateful I was that, even though it was raining, it was warm out. And I thought about how grateful I was to be standing under the shelter, protected from the driving rain.
When my next bus came, I was grateful that I got a seat (a window seat, no less!) and didn’t have to stand all the way out to the suburbs. And I was grateful to be able to just sit and enjoy the scenery without having to worry about the traffic or having to drive.
And by the time I got back home, I was actually in a really good mood, which was pretty impressive considering the way the day had started.
The power of mindfulness and gratitude
But do you see how easy it is to make that shift in your mood? How focusing on something as small as a coin on a sidewalk, and being grateful for it can pull you out of a negative headspace? There’s a snowball effect with our thoughts sometimes… and that snowball can roll either way; it can make a bad mood worse, or it can make a good mood even stronger. You just have to decide which side of the hill you’re going to send it rolling down.
Little shifts in #perspective add up to big changes in your #mood! Click To TweetP.S. The video in this post is from my very first ever livestream broadcast. I’ll be doing more of these at random in the future, and if you want to catch them live, you can follow me on Periscope to get notified when a broadcast starts. They’re live, totally unscripted and off-the-cuff, and they’re interactive, so you’ll be able to ask me questions and interact with me live. You can also heart broadcasts you like by tapping your screen, and you can even share them with your own followers or send them out on Twitter if you feel like it. You can get the Periscope app for iOS or Android, and my handle is @VibeShifting or Vibe Shifting (use the search to find me).
P.P.S. Have you ever had this kind of perspective-altering experience that shifted what could have been a bad day over into a good one? Tell me about it in the comments below — I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🙂
photo credit: pixabay.com cc (modified by me)
This was really good and I am glad. Little shifts can certainly alter mood, but so can huge arguments, which can shift you out of your vibration for days. Some people just love spreading the turmoil, and you can see how ridiculous they are, but it is still hard not to get so upset, because they spit out all that poison when they are talking to you so it seems like it is directly aimed at you, when it is their beliefs and stance they are projecting onto you, it is not really aimed at you anyway. That is what I do not like about this dimension, yet it is up to us to not allow it to affect us. That is what’s hard.
You’re focusing on the other person and all the power they have. THEY love to cause turmoil. THEY shift you out of your vibration. THEY are being ridiculous. THEY are spitting out poison and making you upset.
Take a step back and look at it as if you were watching someone else in the situation instead of you. What do you see? Is it possible that this person is attributing all the power in the situation to the other person? Can you see how they are turning themselves into a victim by doing that?
No one can make you feel anything. Your feelings are the result of how you choose to interpret the interactions you are experiencing. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel hurt by the things that other people say and do, but Ian made a very valid point — whatever negativity they are spewing at you really has nothing to do with YOU and everything to do with THEM. It’s their perspective that causes them to lash out at other people. When you can accept that, it makes it a little bit easier to not be hurt by it all.
I’ve always like Eleanor Roosevelt’s words on such situations: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Very interesting read,
Here are some thoughts about vibe shifting when someone tries to interfere with your current happy state…
Remember that you never have to own another persons thought. If they come to you in a negative way, just know inside that THEY own that negative vibration in that particular moment. Not you. You really don’t want to let this person transmit their low energy into your own mental factory and having it affect you.
Rather be aware when emotions are trying to overwhelm you. Focus and stay positive keeping your inner state harmonious. If you let another person bring you down or altering your state of emotion to a negative vibration, you are the one who has given them the power to do so. Just remember that its a mere choice.
You don’t have to own up to how they are feeling. You can actually respond by saying “I am sorry that YOU are feeling so and so about X..” This is how you make clear to the person that they are coming from a negative state and that it is not overpowering you. You can then continue to look for a solution rather than starting to argue.
Stay blessed!
Ian
Agreed — being aware of where the power lies in these types of situation is critical. When someone else is in a low vibration state, one of three things will happen: 1) you will help to bring them up to a higher vibe; 2) they will bring you down to their lower vibe; or 3) both vibes will be equally stable, and you’ll push away from each other like oppositely-charged magnets. All of these things involve the element of choice. When you drop to a lower vibe, you are handing your power over to the other person and allowing them to call the shots in your reality/experience of life.
I like the idea of responding with something along the lines of “It’s too bad that you’re feeling X about this”… it’s a good verbal reinforcement for yourself that you are in charge of your own vibe and that you don’t have to accept the other person’s perspective or feelings as your own.
Ian,
That was lovely and thank you! I deeply appreciate the comment. Even if it was not for me, it really resonated with me. How about if you realize this person sabotages your life all the time. I realized this person has never had a good idea on anything and I am where I am because I listened to her when I should have just went on with a transaction. It would have prevented a certain mess. This person has no 6th sense like I do and yet wants to pull me down in everything.
I guess you will say stay away, which I do and not allow it to happen. It is still frustrating and I ask how can she be so stupid? Instead, I guess I should feel sorry for her, because she is so clueless. Again, hard stuff. She just won’t go away.