Perspective is everything you need to smile more.
It’s no secret that the majority of people in life will feel depressed at least once in their lifetime. Then there are those who struggle with depression daily. These people (like myself) have to find ways to help their minds relax and that can be hard to achieve. But did you know that having a better perspective and focusing on the big picture can make for easier trials.
I’m just relearning how to do this because my happiness used to depend a lot on health. And if you have kept up with my blogs then you know I was just diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and had to fight C.diff for 8 months. Hell, C.diff alone was mentally exhausting, imagine coming out of that fight and learning you have to deal with Crohn’s disease for the rest of your life. It’s pretty exhausting and I’m not alone in this, there are thousands of cronies all over the world who deal with this daily. And it did lead me to feeling depressed about the future, health, having children and being able to live a normal life.
That’s when I realized perspective is going to be my key in surviving any trials that might come my way in life. If you think about it when has anyone really had a perfect year? There’s always something that comes up and if for some reason continue to think negative then we’ll never truly be happy. Your perspective and point of view in life will determine your long-term success on living life to the fullest.
There’s no better time to start incorporating positive changes in your life then now. Why wait for tomorrow when you can start fresh today. Realize no matter what you’re going through, (a chronic illness, a break up, loss of a loved one) you’re stronger than you feel and if you try your hardest to be positive and learn from everything you go through, it’ll be easier to handle. Life’s never going to stop throwing you or your family and friends curve balls. But when you’re positive and learn instead of thinking “why me, why me, why me,” there’s opportunity to learn and to help others who might one day find themselves in a battle you already conquered.
[ Discovery Offers Hope for Crohn’s Disease Sufferers (VIDEO) ]
A good example in my life are my Crohn’s support groups and those I’ve become close to online. We all suffer from a similar trial and we have been through a lot when it comes to health. And through the time I’ve spent online, I’ve learned a lot about Crohn’s and how to deal with it but I’ve also learned I can make a difference in the lives of others with my own experience.
Perspective in my case is being thankful to be alive. Being thankful I can breath, I can shower, I can go for a walk around the neighborhood and I’m surrounded by family who supports me and loves me regardless of what disease I’m battling. So, yeah, it could be worse, right?
A few things that have opened my perspective can be applied to your life now.
What are you focusing on the most? Is it negative or positive? Try to counter that feeling by saying something positive to yourself.
Remain optimistic. Being depressed never cured anyone and it most certainly doesn’t make life better. But a simple change in attitude and perspective with a dash of positivity has healed people in the past (some might call that a miracle) I think it’s willpower and the fact that I believe the body does heal itself pretty well when you’re relaxed and not over worrying.
Do something new every day. This is something I started recently and I already feel the benefits of not allowing a trial to waste my day. This does take practice when you don’t feel well mentally but it can be done.
Get outside more. Life is too short to not get outside and soak in some vitamin D. It doesn’t matter what you do, walk the dog, throw on some headphones and walk around the block, go on a hike, whatever you like, just do it.
Exercise as much as you can fit into a week. It helps the body release feel good chemicals and you’ll even start to feel better emotionally and physically.
Spend time with those you love. This is the one thing everybody should be doing. Remember, Facebook isn’t really spending time with those you love. It’s keeping in touch. But creating memories with your family, using your phone less and focusing on the good helps in more ways than one could imagine. And the hours you spend on Facebook are hours you will never get back, how do you want to remember your life. Scrolling a feed or becoming a part of real memories?
There are many ways to start shifting your perspective but the first one is admitting you have to change for the better. Being positive and changing the negative thinking patterns in your life may not be easy. It takes time to change and relearn how to see life.
I hope anyone struggling to smile will realize how awesome you really are and that you deserve happiness. I hope that if you’re fighting a chronic illness, you can find peace in the good in life (it’s the small things that count) and I hope everyone can learn to spend more time with people, create memories and become more positive. Be strong.
Blessed be.
