Quote of the Day: 2/12/2018

Written by Admin S
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​"Take life day by day, and be grateful for the little things. Don't get caught up in what you can't control. Focus on the positive."

I picked this quote today because it is so important in today's fast-paced world. It's also something I personally have been trying to tell myself as I go through my pregnancy.

Taking life day by day in today's society is easier said than done. We have more stressors now than humans ever had before. There is no taking time to be grateful for the little things, because we always want more. We feel like we have to control EVERYTHING (work life, home life, relationships, kids, traffic, the weather, etc). It's also hard to focus on the positive when our country is in chaos.
So how can we learn to take life day by day, be grateful for the little things, give up control on things we really cannot control, and focus on the positive?

Mindfulness!

Mindfulness is a therapy technique I been using on and off for years. It's all about learning to settle the mind and be in the present. It's all about taking a breath, and focusing on the sights and smells around you.
Try this: Go to the store, buy some chocolate, and settle yourself in a quiet room. Take a bite of that chocolate and just focus on what you are tasting. Is it milky, is there filling, is it bitter, is it sweet, etc. Ask yourself those questions. Write the answers down. Congratulations! You just focused 100% on the present. You can also do this in a quiet room with your favorite candle. You can zone in on the smell of the candle, the noise of the flame and wick. Breathe in and out, settling yourself down. Give up control and focus on the present for 5 mins a day. You can increase the timing as you see fit.

During your day, instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the positive. Don't think about everything that is going wrong. Think about all the right in your life.

For example: My pregnancy wasn't planned. My baby's father abandoned us. The pregnancy has been difficult and high risk, and I have had people leave my life because they don't accept me anymore. This has caused me a lot of distress, but in my therapy sessions, I'm learning to focus on the positive. I have friends who accept me and have been extremely encouraging. I have close-knit family members who have been accepting. I have a roof over my head, a cat that loves me, and a beautiful baby boy that continues to grow in my tummy. When I sit back and think about it, I'm much better off than some in this world.
I cannot control what people will say and think about me. What I CAN do is focus on the people who love me for me, and focus on this human that I will be bringing into the world in May.

No matter what is going wrong in your life, it won't be righted if you focus on the negative. Sometimes, focusing on the positive can help you solve your negative situation.

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