How to create fail-safes for those dark days…Day 1 of 30 days of Happiness

Day 1 – Fail-Safes

Think positive thoughts and positive energy comes to you. It’s a simple as that. When you’re happy and grateful the energy you’re sending out is happy and grateful and this energy attracts like to it.

That’s why it is so important to have fail-safes in place for those times when you’re feeling down. We all experience these times, but what makes us different is how we cope. For some the easiest approach would be to crawl back into bed, and say you’re never coming out; to pull the blinds down on all the windows, pull the blankets up over your head and cocoon yourself; to withdraw inside. It’s only natural, at this stage, to mentally list all the wrongs in your life; all the things that you don’t have but so and so does (keeping up with the Jones’ by comparing yourself to others and believing you’re lacking).

Think positive thoughts and positive energy comes to you. It’s a simple as that.

These mental lists can bring you further down and make you more miserable. You believe the lies you’re telling yourself and you’re sending out negative energy, which attracts negative energy to it. It’s a vicious circle but, thankfully, one that can be broken.

The other approach you can take, takes a little more effort on your part but shows immediate results. Instead of making a “poor me” list, a list of all you lack, all that is wrong or bad in your life make a list of all the things that have gone right with your life, all the positive aspects of your life, your talents and your natural gifts. (Things that come naturally to you, accomplishments you’re proud of.)

I remember one exceptionally hot summer afternoon in July many years ago. I was cooling down in my parents’ swimming pool after a particularly hard day at work. Instead of letting my day go and enjoying the moment of cool water lapping against me, I was reliving the entire day – obsessing on all the unpleasant situation that took place, going over them in my mind, over and over and over. It physically wore me down. My thoughts then turned ugly and I thought about what a loser I was, how I’m fat and ugly and I’ll never amount to anything. This list of negative self-talk grew until I felt very heavy and depressed.

Out of nowhere, a thought popped into my head: mentally list all the things you like about yourself, list your talents. Nothing came to mind. What do people say you’re good at, came a prompt. I’m good with computers; people are always calling me to help them.

Good, what else?

And so began my positive list. Where did that initial positive thought come from? Was it someone guiding and prompting me? At the time I thought it was me – my voice in my head. But now, I know better. It was God, his angels, and my guides – my spirit team. They were lifting me from the darkness I created. Several minutes passed of thinking positive thoughts. I felt lighter, happier, like the storm cloud above me had moved on. Thinking positive thoughts of myself was difficult at first and I needed the guidance from my spirit team, but once I started down that road, and I began to feel the positive effects – lighter, happier – it was so much easier to think positive thoughts.

Fail-safes are objects, intentions and/or people you put in place to ignite the positive energy when you slip into a negative or dark place.

The dark days are not gone for good but they are fewer and farther between. There are still times I’m in the middle of a negative experience and I need a reminder that I don’t need to be there.

If you find yourself in that dark place, don’t beat yourself up. It’s OK. It is what it is. Just accept you’re there for a reason, look to your fail-safes to help lift you up to a lighter more positive place.

Fail-safes are objects, intentions and/or people you put in place to ignite the positive energy when you slip into a negative or dark place. They can be beautiful photographs or images that inspire you; Inspirational quotes or funny sayings that you have posted around your home or office; A beautiful and positive loving letter you’ve written to yourself; Making a list of all your wonderful qualifications, traits, and talents; or a feel-good movie or comedy that’s sure to make you laugh. A fail-safe is anything that can trigger happy, loving, positive thoughts that can lift you out of the darkness.

Here is a sample of a fail-safe I use. I smile every time I see this picture, It never gets old. I remember watching this horse get down and start rolling around, scratching his back. I was delighted my phone was in my pocket so I could capture this moment.

So surround yourself with things, people, places that make you smile, laugh, and oh so happy!

Do you use fail-safes? What are some of your favourites?

~ Wanda