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We’re faced with challenges throughout our lives. Now, we can either think about these challenges as great inconveniences OR we could realise that they are perhaps opportunities for personal growth.
A couple of weeks ago, I thought I had been robbed of my purse. I couldn’t find it anywhere. My driver’s license, ID, medical aid card and debit card were all gone. Talk about an inconvenience.
I endured the tedious process at Home Affairs TWICE – first for my temporary ID then the permanent one. I then went to the bank where I cancelled my missing debit card and was kindly reissued a new one. I then applied for a new driver’s license card and endured an intensive glare from a police woman who, after some questioning, let me fill out an affidavit declaring that my purse was indeed missing.
Two weeks later, I look under my desk, and what do I find? My purse of course.
I went completely blank; I was shocked, stunned, and speechless. If it weren’t for my Editor, Lili Radloff, who said to me that I now at least have duplicates of everything – one to store safely and the other to carry with me - I would have probably been more angry about the fact that I had spent my entire Saturday sorting out my legal existence.
A classic example of either seeing the glass half empty or half full. Life really is mind over matter and what we think greatly effects the quality of life we live.
This all sounds fantastic in theory, but first, disrupt the following 10 thinking-patterns to improve your quality of life:
1. Always thinking of the worst case scenario. This is a rather common way of thinking that causes you unnecessary trauma, drama and stress. Such negativity only breeds more negativity. It is also such a tragic waste of imagination because you’re creating a series of events that are highly unlikely to happen.
Firstly, chill. Deal with what IS happening, rather than figuring out a modus operandi for what isn’t.
2. Never living in the now. If you’re guilty of the point above, chances are you’re pretty much guilty of this one too.
“You can’t change yesterday, but you can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.”– I could not have stated this any more effectively. Kudos, Mind Unleashed.
3. Jumping to conclusions. Have you ever walked into a break room at work, found a group of colleagues suddenly go quiet and you probably thought they’re talking about you?
Chance are they weren’t, but this goes to show just how we jump to conclusion. There’s always more to life than meets the eye and sometimes it’s good to remind yourself that the world does not revolve around you. There are many, many, MANY more topics.
4. Being unforgiving of your mistakes. I cannot stress enough the importance of forgiving yourself of your mistakes because dwelling on them will only cause bitterness.
Don’t imprison yourself like that, rather learn from the error of your ways and make peace. Let the past be forgotten for you no longer living there.
5. Mental filtering. People often tend to filter out anything and everything great about whatever is happening to them only to persuade themselves out of it. I don’t know why people do this –perhaps it’s fear?
If you’re doing this to yourself to avoid people, events or situations, remember that the only things you ever regret is the things you don’t do. So, live and love openly.
6. Allowing the doubt of others to direct your life. Relationships and friendships aren’t eternally guaranteed, but living with who are you is. So, do what’s in your heart because you can’t live without your heart.
7. Taking things personally. Do you often find yourself feeling offended by what people say or do? Don’t, because what people say or do has more to do with who they are than you.
8. Trying to compete with everyone else. Realise this: When competing with others, you become bitter, but when you compete with a previous version of yourself, you will become better.
9. Emotional reasoning. When we feel bad, we reflect this emotion into reality and suddenly everything happening around us seems bad.
Separate what you feel from everything else that is happening and deal with it. You’ll then open yourself up to accept all the good life has coming your way.
10. Take responsibility. Believe and accept that you’re in control of your life. Ultimately, if you are unhappy with an aspect in your life, it is up to you to correct it –peacefully and happily.
