Steps Towards Being More Positive
Focus on What Is Good in Your Life
Do you have loving and supportive family and/or friends? Do you have some animal companions that bring joy to your life? Do you have a hobby that you enjoy? Have you been able to meet some fellow fibro warriors through social media who provide you with needed support?
Dwelling on what good you do have in your life can be that big boost of positivity that you needed.
Avoid Comparisons
To a certain extent the occasional reminder that others are suffering worse than you are can help you to recall all that you have to be thankful for.
But for the most part, comparisons should be avoided as they can lead to unhealthy and even destructive thinking. Comparing yourself and what you are able to do with other people is not healthy.
We all have different degrees of illness, we all have different limitations, and we all have different abilities. What is important is that we each do the very best that we can with what we have.
Encourage Others
When you do start feeling down, look for ways to brighten someone else's day. This will benefit not only them, but you too. Acts 20:35 says, "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving." And how very true those words are! When you find something optimistic and hopeful to reassure someone else, you will be encouraged as well. Those positive thoughts will remain in your mind and help to brighten up your own mood.
The fact of the matter is we will have bad days. When you do, don’t beat yourself up about it. That is a natural part of coping with a chronic illness. What is important is to not allow yourself to become completely consumed by this antagonistic way of thinking.
Fight it by looking for something positive as the target for your thoughts. Find something that you are grateful for and then share that with someone else in order to brighten their day, too. No matter how bleak things may seem on the surface, I believe that we can always find something positive to be thankful for.
