Lessons Learned ~~ Being Positive

Within each of us is a tiny voice. Some of us choose to ignore it. Others listen to it …no, not that voice…you do not have MPD (multiple personality disorder)--the one that can inspire us to greatness or drag us down into an abysmal life.

It is our inner voice that can make us or destroy us. It is the voice that awakens the wonder of our soul and spurs us onward to greatness. It is the voice that challenges us to push beyond our expectations for ourselves. It is the voice that brings forth from us the best of who we are. It is the little voice that will help you to keep going even in the face of the greatest adversity.

Find your inner voice and listen to the positives only that come from it. Feed it with positive thoughts. Where to find those thoughts---from inspirational writers and speakers, from your the Bible or other religious literature, from sources that lift you up and inspire you.

The quote from Kiyosaki says it so well...those words you whisper to yourself are the ones that have the power---the power to make you or to break you. Maybe today is the day to begin living anew. Begin finding the positive side to every situation.

Stuff happens. Unwanted, catastrophic, devastating, inconvenient *&^$^ happens to each one of us. We can make that our reality for every day we walk the planet or we can make the best of the situation.

"Yeah, right? Easy for you to say. Sitting up in your nice house, with money coming in, a car that runs, food to eat. Yeah, but look at me, I am homeless."

Having lived the homeless life, I can attest to the fear and angst it brings. But I can also tell you that living that way taught me what to value.

I was at the lowest point. I asked my "What is the worst that can happen?" Well obviously it would have been if something had happened to my daughter and grandson. And, thank goodness, nothing ever did. We were at our lowest, living in a van. And it became our new reality. While we worked every day to get out of the homeless situation, we still LIVED our lives.

There was a rooster in the campground where we lived. I have written about him in another hub. The campground belonged to him. We were unwelcome. Every time we went to the restroom, he chased us, squawking all the way across the camp grounds!! How could we not find humor in that??

When we finally moved out of the camp ground, we moved into a wretched, falling down trailer, but it had walls and a roof!!! We pulled unwanted, ramshackle chairs from a nearby pile of discarded trash to use to set on our porch so we had seats outside. We laughed hysterically at how outrageous it was.

I hate to say this because it is so over-used...but our attitude was (before this expression was even used)---IT IS WHAT IT IS.

What I share with you is from my own life's experience. Doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and others have their own empirical data that may agree or disagree with what I say. I can only tell you that often what I learn what I really need to know from those just like me who have had similar experiences. Many times I find that what they share to be more real for my life. I do not mean to disparage professionals. I think there is a time and a place for medical intervention and even medication. If you are clinically depressed, seek HELP. Review the signs of depression and if you are exhibiting those signs, you need more help than even you or your friends can provide. You will hear me say this more than once.

But I do also believe that we can learn from one another. Sharing our beliefs and experiences gives us one more way to mull over and consider the validity of what is being said and how it applies to our lives.

This little voice can also lead us to places we do not want to go. The little voice will make us believe we are unworthy. The little voice will make us do things we question even as we do them. The little voice will drag us down and destroy our lives. If we let it.

. Only if we allow the negative thoughts inside of our heads to speak louder than the positives will be destroyed.

If you find yourself thinking:

• I wish I were like her (him).
• I wish I was as beautiful (handsome)as she (he).
• I could never do that.
• I wish I could be as assertive as she (he) is..
• If you carry this mind baggage around, the self doubt piece of luggage will decimate your life.

Accepting your physical self and loving you the way you are is an important step in the right direction.At the same time, have an awareness of how you can overcome what is holding you back.

If you just are in a slump, you can recover and move on. It takes a concerted effort on your part to find a way to rectify whatever it is that has caused your life to be out of your control. Sometimes even at this point you may need help. Maybe you do not professional help but a trusted, objective person to listen to you. That may be all you need. Sometimes just by talking through a situation you find your answer yourself. If you do not, then perhaps the person listening may offer possible alternatives. At least you would have some options and possible solutions.

Playing mind games with yourself can be effective. If you are in a slump, pull yourself out it by talking yourself through it.

One trick I use is this: I ask myself in a given situation: What is the worst that can happen if I do this?

If the answer is one that will not mean dire consequences for my life and the lives of my family, then I will do it. That sounds like a negative approach and in a way it is. But before I have resorted to that question I already know what the positive result will be.

Your destiny is in your hands to a large degree. What I do with my life to reiterate is really up to me. I can allow myself to sink into despondency and feel sorry for myself. Which by the way will be a lonely place as no one wants to coddle someone for very long . Granted if you have faced an earth shattering experience in your life your friends an family will support and uplift you for a time. But after a while if you are making no effort to seek help, to recover, others may lose patience with you. If you cannot recover on your own---it is time to seek help.

It is not that your family and friends do not love you. It is because they do not understand your struggle. If you find that you are clinically depressed, you will need help. And this is a topic which needs a hub all of its own. Been there, done that.

Learning to keep on keeping on even in difficult times. It was not easy, not going to pretend it was. We had a choice: give up and give in or pick up one foot after the other and keep on going.

http://pstraubie48.hubpages.com/hub/pstraubie48hubpagescomhomelesspoorinAmerica

Now you can listen to your little voice again. The positive voice. The voice that will lead you to where you need to go. This may sound silly but try this:

When negative thoughts come to mind, say: Cancel, cancel. Crowd out those thoughts so that you have room only for the positive ones. I learned that technique on a self hypnosis tape I used. It stuck with me. And believe it our not, it worked. Saying the words reprogrammed my thinking and caused me to refocus my thinking back onto my goal at that time. And I believe it can work in other situations as well.

Listen to your inner voice. It will not lead you astray if you practice positive thinking.

Ok, you say. How do I that when I have so many issues that are weighing me down/? It ain’t easy. That is my response. But I can tell you that you can survive.

I have been homeless and wondered how I would get out of the situation.

I have had less than two nickels to rub together, no clothes to speak of, and little food.

A van was my home. A van that did not run was my home with my daughter, my grandson, and our kitty. And we were told that if we did not find a home, my daughter's child, my only grand child at the time, would be taken away from us.

So, I got a job as quickly as I could and walked to work. It was only about three miles. When I got home, my daughter took the bus to a restaurant across town and returned home after one in the morning having received a ride from some one who was headed our way. We were able to make enough money to rent a falling down, ramshackle trailer. You can read more of this story in the article that is referenced near the top of the page.

So many good things happened during this time that the bad things are insignificant. They were very real then but time has distanced me from them and I choose not to recall them. We had Angels and our inner strength, voice, power to keep us going.

Depression symptoms in children and teens
Children and teens may display these symptoms-- can be a little different in children and teens than they are in adults.

In younger children, look for:

• sadness
• irritability
• hopelessness
• worry
• In teens, you may notice:
• anxiety, anger and avoidance of social interaction.
• Changes in thinking and sleep are common signs of depression in adolescents and adults but are not as common in younger children.
• In children and teens, depression often occurs along with behavior problems and other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Schoolwork may suffer in children who are depressed.

Older Adults

In older adults, depression may go undiagnosed because symptoms such as:

• fatigue, loss of appetite
• sleep problems
• loss of interest in sex — may seem to be caused by other illnesses.
• Older adults with depression may experience symptoms and display behaviors that are not such clear cut indicators of depression. Some of these are:
• feeling dissatisfied with life in general
• bored
• feeling helpless or worthless
• little desire to go out or socialize
• little interest in doing new things.
• Suicidal thinking or feelings in older adults is a sign of serious depression that should never be taken lightly, especially in men. Of all people with depression, older adult men are at the highest risk of suicide.

for more intormation: View mayo clinic's sitehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175/DSECTION=symptoms

This site was also the source for the informaton on depresssion.

Feelings of

• unhappiness
• Irritability or frustration, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
• Reduced sex drive
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes increased cravings for food and weight gain
• Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
• Irritability or angry outbursts
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
• Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration
• Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
• Crying spells for no apparent reason
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

Reading her words and thinking of her life leaves me in awe as I read these words she has shared.

How honest is she. How powerful these words are...they can indeed change a life.

You can be free of the negativity in your life. It is a choice.

• Choosing to disassociate yourself from those who will try to drag you down is an important action you can take.
• Learn to recognize when you are slipping into feelings that are negative and self destructive.
• Do things that help you to be physically and mentally energized.
• Stay positive.
• Listen once again to that little voice that tells you all will be well.
• Count your blessings literally every day. There is always, always someone who is worse off than you are.
• Find things to smile about, to laugh about every single day.

When we were homeless, the restroom we used was about a block from where our van was parked (our van that did not run). On the way to and from that restroom, a bold, assertive, blustery rooster chased us boisterously. We HAD to laugh. It was just funny. And you know, it helped. We named him Chaunticleer and I have a metal one (pictured in this article) that reminds me of him to this day.

I have a sign on my porch not far from Chaunticleer that says: Life is hard but God is good.

Life is hard but we can survive. Keep listening to your positive little voice.

http://www.movemequotes.com/top-15-power-of-positive-thinking-quotes/