When You're Feeling Down & Out. . .

Well, you can always lift up your head and shout . . . "I'm not going to take it any more!". . . And, if that makes you feel good and as long as you don't have a gun in your hand and are doing your shouting in a shopping mall or some other public place, go ahead and shout and get it out of your system.

But, there are better solutions to handling how you are feeling right now. Just accepting that it is within your power to change whatever you perceive as going wrong in your life is an empowering belief and will help you alter your thinking. Feeling powerless is what makes people give up and lose hope.

I can guarantee that almost everyone in the world has had events or circumstances that made them feel helpless and at a loss as to what to do to change things. Just knowing that you are not alone in what you are facing and knowing that others have faced similar or even more difficult times and come out on top should be motivating.

It truly is all about choice. You can choose your thoughts and your thoughts impact your feelings. That is one of the basic concepts of "The Secret." There is no magic involved; we are attracted to what we think about and get more of whatever that is whether it is good or bad. If you are feeling bad, you need to recognize what kind of thoughts you are thinking and change those to more positive thinking. Learn how to change your perspective. Focusing on the good things in your life and an attitude of gratitude really helps; write down what you do like about your life. Feel grateful for the good friends - even if there is only one, you are much richer by having one good friend you can count on to listen to you. Look around and become aware of people who have so much less than you do. All you have to do is listen to the radio, watch news on tv, or read a newspaper and immediately you will feel better.

Another powerful action you can take to alter your current mood and help change your perspective is to pick up some tapes or cds that you can listen to daily - in the morning, afternoon or evening. I suggest a couple times per day. Have some tapes in your car so you can feed your mind with positive thoughts while you are driving to work, etc. You will be amazed at how fast that impacts your attitude. Maybe at this point, I should say "Been there - done that." As I indicated earlier, almost everyone in the world has been where you are now. Another effective mood changer is to watch some truly funny movies that make you laugh out loud. Laughter has been proven to actually cause physical changes in the endorphins in our body.

"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." Dale Carnegie

"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours."
Dale Carnegie

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." Dale Carnegie

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie

"Most fears cannot withstand the test of careful scrutiny and analysis. When we expose our fears to the light of thoughtful examination they usually just evaporate." Jack Canfield

“Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.” Jack Canfield

“Most everything that you want is just outside your comfort zone.” Jack Canfield

“Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” Jack Canfield