I am writing this in the summer -when it is cold and raining! Well, I know it is the UK I get it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Hopefully by the time you read this, summer as we know it, as in long warm, balmy days of blue skies and sun, an excuse to drinking Pimm’s enjoy picnics and outdoor concerts or films or even just a humble glass of vino in the back garden after a hot day at work, will be in full swing!
Well we can hope can’t we. But as we know the weather can firstly never be relied upon and secondly never changed. It can of course change at will usually it seems to catch us unawares, a downpour when we’ve planned the BBQ and beautiful sunshine when we have reluctantly decided to go for food indoors based on the forecast.
But this is about more that the meteorological weather, what I’m referring to by the title is the way in which In life creating sunshine is up to us. It’s a common theme in my articles because I find it is something people struggle with a lot. We seem bound to situations, to what ‘happens’ when of course real peace and happiness stem from within.
So, the rainy days serveas a reminder that whether it’s the weather or another aspect of life, what happens, which may not be what we’d wanted, is less important than our reaction to what happens.
In terms of creating our own sunshine the following 5 steps should pretty much do it for anyone if the problems they are experiencing are within the range we could call normal!
Be Grateful
You might feel you are sick of hearing this but honestly it is a game changer. When we focus on what we have rather than what we don’t have, especially the stuff that is good but that we often take for granted, our whole outlook can change. The basics like our health and faculties if we are lucky enough to have them but also our home, food and bed. It is so easy to take such things for granted but we can remind ourselves that not everyone has those things. That doesn’t mean we can’t have aspirations and desires, but it does mean we can focus on the good we already have, in relation to the law of attraction and abundance gratitude is a door opener.
Be Kind
More of the same when we lift our heads up to see others and not just our own situation, that too can help us. But the motivation for kindness shouldn’t be our own benefit – clearly the main point of kindness is helping others BUT when we do that the bonus that it does seem to have a positive impact on us. Noting others and doing the small things that we can to help has a positive impact on our own attitude. So, bring on those random act of kindness – it doesn’t have to be big stuff, a smile or kind words can literally change another person’s day.
See the Big Picture
It is very easy to get caught up intheminutiae of a day and lose sight of the big stuff. Okay so the train is late, or the motorway Is clogged and yes that can be very irritating but if we arrive safely then it probably isn’t too bad. We all do it but when we stop and think we can realise that possibly for other people the day has been life altering – and we would all rather be the person held up on the road than the person involved in the accident that caused the delay.
Stay in the Moment
One of things that can regularly cause black clouds to appear is when we spend time dwelling on either the past or the future. Obviously, a degree of reflection is useful, and we all need to think and plan a bit for the future but when we start to spend too much time looking back or forward, we can cause ourselves problems. Often that is when we get stuck in overthinking past conversations or regretting past actions both of which we can do nothing about, but both of which can steal our peace of mind. When it comes to the future most of our anxiety and worry is caused dwelling on what might happen – usually the negative possibilities rather than the positive ones. It is worth learning some techniques like mindfulness to help you stay firmly rooted in the moment.
Be Expectant
They say that miracles often happen to those who go looking for them. While it clearly isn’t a guarantee there does seem to be something about a positive attitude bringing about more opportunities and ‘good things’ than a negative one. In terms of our weather analogy Iguess it means taking the umbrella if it’s raining but also putting the sunglasses in our pockets expecting change, because you never know!
I hope this summer has lots of sunshine for us all but if not then determine that you will simply make your own.
Just a reminder that you can buy a copy of my book ‘make it magnificent’ form amazon or the attuned education website.
