Sacred Sunday: Keeping the Glass Full
Overcoming a scarcity mindset
If anyone had told me, even a year ago, that I’d feel as happy as I do now, I wouldn’t have believed them. Given that nothing externally has changed that much in my life, it’s a relief to feel the difference internally.
It wasn’t that long ago when I woke up and decided to start choosing my long-term happiness and keep my glass full.
When I began implementing the right routines and practices I noticed that my perspective of life became drastically different. Nature started to look more beautiful and vibrant than usual, everyone I met treated me with more kindness, and I had a greater sense of self-love and confidence. Instead of waking up anxious every day, I now wake up grateful, energized, and ready to take on any situation the day decides to hand me. Instead of having panic attacks over small setbacks, I can now accept that bad and unfair things are a part of life, and keep it pushing. Instead of complaining about other people, I focus on my own actions and move with the energy I want to attract.
Throughout the 7-8 years I spent struggling with my mental health, I had been living with a scarcity mindset. I solely focused on what was going wrong and what I didn’t have in life; I felt defeated and hopeless, failing to imagine a future where it would ever be better. It reminds me of a quote I read in the book “The Body Keeps The Score” By Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, explaining the significant lack of imagination in traumatized subjects.
Imagination is an integral element to a vitalized life, as a lack of it leads to a lack of experimentation. Without imagination, people will refuse to try new methods to cope with their pain and sadness, step out of their comfort zone, and welcome experiences that will break their recurring cycles of debilitating sadness, shame, and anger.
Imagination is the quality that can shift basic perspectives from “glass half empty” to “glass half full”; what we call an abundance mindset. To attract anything you want, you first have to believe you can.
Source: Forte Labs, Matrrix
Transforming A Scarcity Mindset
My mother was always right when she told me to “choose happiness”. Happiness isn’t a quality that can be handed to you just because you want it or feel like you deserve it, it is a choice that sometimes requires effort to make.
Our mindsets can create the realities we live in, what we focus on shapes how we behave and act.
I was an avid complainer and not very mindful of how my ego was holding onto the same reality I was trying to rid my life of. While feeling negative emotions is important, it’s easy to get lost in sorrow and hyper-fixate on the issues that create it in the first place.
This can lead to a cycle of relying on short-term coping behaviors that can worsen or stagnate your situation in the long run. It can be hard to have patience for the light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes we’re more comfortable complaining than putting in the work. This is why so many people rely on drugs, alcohol, and even relationships to distract or ease their minds. Yet when those highs wear off, people are still in the same place distressed over the same things.
At the end of the day, there’s always something to complain about but it won’t change or fix anything for you. The joy, love, and success you want to feel are never out of reach, they could just be hiding behind all the negativity that clouds your mind instead.
How did I do it?
Practicing gratitude and appreciation daily
Focus on what you have, not what you don’t. Journal five things to be grateful for right when you wake up, and right before bed, write five good things about your day. One day you’ll notice that you’re naturally focused on all the opportunities and positives of life rather than the limitations because you trained your brain to do so.
Automatically redirect your thoughts and words
Deliberately shifting your negative thoughts and words to positive and constructive ones can foster better habits and daily experiences. This practice also teaches you critical thinking skills, as everything we believe to be true isn’t always so. In regards to mental health, this can be a vital skill to have when it comes to combating issues like anxiety and depression.
Surround yourself with positivity
It's crucial to be mindful of the energy we both give and receive. Misery LOVES company so choose who you spend time around carefully. We often admire our friends, family, and loved ones (at least we should) and naturally adopt some of their qualities.
Source: Right as rain, Forbes
This topic reminds me of my biggest regret with my healing and growth journey… that I didn’t start sooner.
The could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve’s don’t help anyone and I’ll be the first to say that, but it is natural to have those thoughts when looking back on your life and the decisions you’ve made. It didn’t take years of work to get me to this point, only weeks of consistency.
Sometimes we deny ourselves the chance to be happy because we’re so used to and comfortable with our sadness. We believe that it’s all we’ll ever feel so we don’t want to try and change that just to end up disappointed. But are you really willing to lose years of happiness just because you’re comfortable sitting in negativity? Can you look yourself in the mirror and honestly say you wouldn’t want to experience a better life?
Choose happiness. Choose life. Choose yourself.
Change always comes but your mindset will determine what that change will be. So do you want it to be for the better or the worse?