Self-Improvement Starts Between Your Ears
By JB Lester
January is the time for making New Year’s Resolutions. Seems like a fool’s errand for many as most people ask too much of themselves. Change can be a good thing. All of us can improve on who we are and how we perceive the world around us. But be realistic. Start with improving your attitude and everything else will follow.
It’s been a tough year for me health wise, as it might have been for many of you. Once you get over 70, plenty of health problems raise their ugly heads. The positive thing is at least I made it to 73. There were times in my life I wondered if that would happen. Like many of you, it is sometimes hard to put a happy face on bad times. But as hard as it might be, I want to encourage all of you to try. Nothing takes us down the rabbit hole faster than feeling sorry for ourselves. Just having the love of family, friends, coworkers, etc. should be enough to get you through some difficult patches. Self-improvement starts between your ears. Medical science has proven that a positive attitude can help heal and recover from a number of ailments. And positive thinking just makes you and everyone around you feel good, too.
You might be looking to lose a few pounds, stop smoking or drinking too much alcohol. Whatever improvement you want to make, you need to cut yourself some slack. Don’t make your goals too unachievable or you are doomed to fail. That’s called self-sabotaging. Take baby steps. One day at a time and you will be surprised at how success will come your way. Feel good about yourself first. Just the fact that you have identified your self-improvement needs and are willing to work on them is the first big step. When you love yourself, others will love you, too. Everyone will enjoy your company and you will be able to enjoy all the joys of life.
Bad things happen to good people. That’s just a fact. There is no rhyme or reason to it sometimes. So don’t beat yourself up trying to figure out “why”? I am going to accept the bad things as bad and try to focus on the good things in my life. Even one good thing each day keeps me going. Even during difficult times. The smile of a grandchild, holding hands with my wife, spending time with friends. It’s not all flowers but at least I have learned to “stop and smell the roses.”
I can be a grump at times. We sometimes call me grumpy grampy. But I have identified my grumpiness and I will try to improve on my attitude. After all, we are all special. There is no one just like you.
Embrace gratitude. Perform a random act of kindness whenever you can. Turn that frown upside down. Have the best new year ever!