Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning to dance in the rain!

In a world full of 'storms' which can come in all shapes and forms, it is increasingly important to work on staying resilient and looking for positives.  I recently saw a great post on Facebook which on the surface was designed to be funny, however the more I looked at it sadly I could see this could easily be reality for some people. The quote is as follows:

'I thought I was in a bad mood, but it's been a few years so I guess that's who I am now'

You only have to look back over the past week or two and the world has witnessed mass shootings, assassinations, tragedys from the power of nature as well as political unrest. All of this is enough to put anyone in a bad mood and slightly depressed, let alone what every individual deals with and faces on a daily basis of just living. Our life has become extremely fast paced and seemingly more demanding.  So how do we reclaim our resilience, find enjoyment daily and treat life as the precious gift that it is?

I have come up with a few tips and things to think about in order to 'learn to dance in the rain'. I have some favourite quotes that I remind myself of every day and try to follow and actively live them in my quest of 'finding the beauty in every day'.

• Don't get upset with people or situations, both are powerless without your reaction
• When you can't control what's happening, challenge yourself in how you respond to what is happening, that is where your power lies.
• It wasn't a waste of time if you learned something
• When someone does something wrong, don't forget the things they did right
• Don't trust everything you see, even salt looks like sugar
• Don't judge, you don't know what storms someone has just passed through
• People who feel the need to control others, don't have control of themselves
• You are responsible for your happiness, if you expect others to make you happy you will always be disappointed
• A good laugh and a long sleep are two of the best cures for anything
• Don't judge others, you're not perfect
• The best apology is changed behaviour
• Believe what you like, just don't force your beliefs on others
• Never feel bad for putting yourself first and doing what is right for you

Sometimes I need to go off on my own, I'm not sad, I'm not angry, I am recharging my batteries. I love recharging listening to music, as the quote goes 'music is life that's why our hearts have beats'! I do actively try and stay away from negative people, it is quite well known that you can't argue with a negative person as they only hear what suits them and listen only to respond. Negative people also always have a problem for every solution, dealing with this is exhausting and robs you of your resilience very quickly.

Living a positive life doesn't just happen, you have to work at it but as the saying goes and I wholeheartedly agree, beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity, I also like to think, when living a positive life, we are role modelling for our youth an alternative way of  living that they want to embrace.

Start trying to live a positive life today, keep working at it and eventually you might start finding the beauty in every day! And who knows you might just start learning how to dance in the rain 😃💃😘

Mary-Lou x

Thursday Thoughts!

'You'll never be who you want to be if you keep blaming everyone for who you are now!'

I find this to be so true! This statement goes hand in hand with living in the space of negativity, when we start living positively, looking for good rather than focussing on negatives, you are able to start taking responsibility for yourself and your own happiness.

Life is a series of choices, we choose to participate or not participate in situations every day. There a definitely times when situations occur outside of our control in which we find ourselves as a unwilling participant however we can still choose whether we continue to participate by way of actions or thoughts of the situation. There is a great saying;

"I forgive people"

It does not mean I accept their behaviours or trust them again,

It means I forgive them for me, so I can let go

And move on with my life

"For me"

Bad things and situations happen to people every day, yet if you look at those who triumph and live a life we admire, these people, in most people's opinion, have the right to be bitter about their situation due to what has happened.  When I have listened to some of their stories and how they have triumphed living life positively, every single one of them started their journey of healing by taking control and responsibility for their own actions and reactions followed closely by them forgiving either the situation or person involved. Not one of these people that I have had the pleasure of hearing their story, blames anyone and in fact they all have found something to be thankful for out of their own experience or resulting situation. These people are my heroes and make me want to better myself.

'Healing is no accident, you have to do it on purpose'.  To all those people going through shit but trying their hardest to be positive, I am proud of you!

As my previous post about starting your week positively said - choose to be positive today, take control and be who you want to be!