How to stay positive?

[Phoenix]

Hi All,

:rain:

I've been really down in the dumps recently. I can't seem to be happy anymore knowing how messed up the world is.

How do you stay positive?

Thanks.

-Phoenix

[GCS1103]

Hi, Phoenix-
I am having a hard time being happy also, for the same reason. I get so frustrated about what is happening around us and how blind most people are. We are lucky to have this forum where we can talk about this without being thought of as crazy.

Goldie

[Referee]

I have been having the same issue. I want to tell everyone I know and people just look at me like I am not all there. I am interested in starting to try some meditation techniques is there a good resource for a novice?

[Ria]

I look at all you tube animal videos that always puts a smile on my face.
Visualizes what you do wont.
Acknowledge what you do have.
Go and help someone who needs it.

[modwiz]

I really feel for the OP here and the following two posters. Have you watched the Inelia Benz interview? Bill Ryan, the mods and administrator(s) have spoken highly of it and of the uplifting feeling it aroused in them. I may be paraphrasing a bit here.

[Tony]

I think you have been watching too much brain-washing propaganda. Everything that happens in the phenomena world has no reality. Everything that happens in the mind has no reality. That which sees all of this is pure perception = you! It is happy, it has always been happy, it will always be happy. It is unconditional happiness, it is not relying on conditions to make it happy. If one relies on conditional happiness, one that relies on condition, this will always lead you to suffering, because conditions are impermanent.

Happiness is your natural state. But it is not too high and not too low. There are two types of propaganda going around, one doom and gloom=fear. The other, I am sorry to say this is exaggerated "Everything is light, I am wonderful, we shall ascend together!" Nope! This is not going to happen.

Find the middle way. Both these extremes have an element of truth in them, but it is not the whole story. Find the middle way, find sanity.

As you watch this screen, notice your peripheral vision and the muscles in your face. Notice your breath. Let everything rest naturally. Know you are conscious space. Thoughts come in, they are just temporary events. Conscious space is unmoved. That is the only constant in the universe.

You are already happy.

[nickc2496]

One way is to realize that feeling down about the worlds problems is a sign you care and then just remember that you are part of the solution just by thinking about it, also remember that we exist in multiple densities simultaniously and its a team effort - basically it means you are working on it...its the people who feel nothing that are the ones in true pain...Also go and help someone, anyone, or an animal or plant, they will thank you and you will recieive a nice dose of good energy :) But always remember even if we all die in this lifetime tomorrow, we have lived many times and many times are still to come, this is not the endgame, its the opening chapter for the next 250,000 years :)

[Lily de Cuir]

Hello Everyone,

I understand how you all feel. I've been at this stuff for over 3 years now. In the first 6 months, my head was reeling at how the world really was/is. It's a lot to take in. And it can be a real shock to finally find out the truth and how we've all been conned. It knocks the stuffing out of you.

You need to take a break from stuff that is really hard to take. Not to say you don't look at it, but do it in bite-size pieces and balance it by looking at inspirational stuff.

Believe it or not watching funny animal videos really helps! It brings everything back into perspective about how wonderful all life is on this planet.

Listen to your favourite music, be it classical or head thumping music, lol...whatever rocks your boat.

Here is one site you might want to look at. It tells the truth on a wide variety of subjects but also gives you the opportunity to view truly inspirational stuff as well. This is the home page, but be sure to check out in the contents column, i.e., 'Building a Brighter Future'. There are also some excellent online courses you can do at your own pace.

http://www.wanttoknow.info/

Also, take the time to notice every day the wonderful things, how beautiful the clouds are today, appreciate the Love with your family and friends, and say so. At the end of phone call, surprise them and say, 'I love you'.

Say hello to strangers with a smile and look them directly in the eye, when getting your morning paper or ordering a coffee.

Ask the older lady or man across the street, if you can do any shopping for them.

At one time I truly believed our space brothers and sisters would come and save us. Mmmm, wishful thinking. We have to do it for ourselves and it starts with the little things.

Love and Gratitude...

I know I'm blathering on here, but at the time I found out this stuff I was going through a horrible divorce. If you are going through something not so nice, find the silver lining in it. For me, I was thankful, despite everything, that I didn't live in a war zone and saw loved ones die.

Hey, you have an internet connection, you are connected to many. Many are not.

Yeah, and we all get cranky and pissed off sometimes, goes with the territory of being human. It's OK. We are not all Love and Light.

Look for the silver lining and remember we are all each other.:victory:

In Lakesh, (Thanks Max Igan).
Love Lily
x

[Lily de Cuir]

Hope this cheers you up:

Ultimate Dog Tease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7dDMwFer6c

Cheers,:hungry:
Lily

[TraineeHuman]

Sometimes we are busy working. At those times, you can stop feeling down by really involving yourself totally in what you are doing. Then there's no space between the activity and you, so to speak.

At other times, you can always stop everything for a few minutes and get in touch with how your body feels just simply to be alive. (OR even just truly get in touch with your body. How do the soles of your feet really feel? Then go inward, or over all.) That's the inner sensation, not emotion. Your body inwardly feels happy, or at least OK, about being alive. Stay in touch with that, and you'll become more in touch with your soul, your essence, your core. That part of you is always free from unhappiness. Meditation or physical exercise will also take you there, provided at the end of exercising you stop and just feel the inner sensation.

[Tony]

Something you could look at, is the effect on the subtle body.

Just chanting or singing can do it. It has an effect on the subtle body (the internal channel/wind/bindu).
Basically it takes the downward wind back to below the navel.
When we get agitated energy rises up to the head or heart, where it should not be.

Gentle breath control is another way, just imagine your breath taking these tensions to below the navel,
hold gently for a count of six or so and release. Do this until the whole system relaxes.
This is called lung practice. (pronounced loong).
All our accumulated tensions are in the subtle body, that is where we feel things, it carries all the residue of memories.

The only way to know is to practise.

[Lily de Cuir]

oops, sorry, pressed wrong button.

[EileenCookies]

There is a time for everything Phoenix.
Sometime we need to go out, read everything, do stuff, get involved.
Then there are the times we need to go in, and see what is happening with our lives, from our own internal viewpoint.

If you havn't found the time to learn to be conscious, there are only a few other avenues you can still use (as the rest are fast disappearing), one would be as simple as moving into a part of the world you havn't been (hence a new experience).
I imagined last year living in Costa Rica and all that would involve. It didn't need a change in consciousness, and it kept me occupied, researching all the best beaches, how long you can live there till you needed to renew your visa, friendliness toward westerners, etc.
The only other option, if you can't move to somewhere serene (with less computer, TV access and fewer American's bitching about the way things were), is to buy a farm and start farming (which you would have to do under the local 'Agenda 21 members' radar).

So for more happiness, move to beach or start a farm.
I've got nothing else to offer (other than remembrances of when we had lots of options).

[Marikins]

This is such a good thread, Phoenix.

I like to notice when I am not being positive because, as Pie points out, happiness is our given state. So when I'm not happy it's because something is tripping the things I need to work on. So just looking at it from that point of view helps distance me from the trouble. Mostly for me, I am unhappy when people (inc me) are hurting and I feel helpless. I am working on accepting what I can't change and realizing I am not available to help if I go negative, but I become part of the problem.

Also, lately I have stopped reading things that depress me. A lot of the threads here are depressing by necessity so I have to step away sometimes.

My quick fixes are:

Singing (however this usually makes others around me unhappy so I sing alone)
Walk in nature
Watching the birds in the bird bath. It ALWAYS makes me happy.
Being kind to someone else. Not like Lady Bountiful, but it is fun to be in a happiness conspiracy
Talk to children. They are so adorable.
Listen to old time radio. There is something so charming about those thrillers and shows of yesteryear.
Read inspirational passages from the White Eagle book series
Count my blessings

Thanks again for the great thread!

[phillipbbg]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8VDFDMu2I9c/TTWBnt-fNyI/AAAAAAAAAt0/HPwi7oEjzdA/s1600/glass-full.jpg

[benevolentcrow]

Practice Gratitude

Noticing and appreciating the positives in our lives offers a great mood boost.

To increase your gratefulness, you can:

* Write a gratitude letter. Researcher Martin Seligman, PhD, asked subjects to write a letter thanking someone who had been particularly kind to them and then deliver it in person. The letter-writers enjoyed impressive positive effects even a month later.
* Keep a gratitude journal. Write down anything large or small that makes you smile, including terrific achievements, touching moments and great relationships.
* Remind yourself to savor. Yes, stop and smell the roses-and look at them and touch them. Do whatever you can to really soak in the lovelier aspects of your life.
* Share your good news. Studies of people's reactions to positive developments suggest that those who tell a friend about a happy event enjoy it even more.

Avoid Negative Thinking

If you want to feel positive, it pays to decrease the downers in your life. With practice, you can resist worrisome thoughts and perhaps even transform your internal critic into more of a cheering squad.

* Avoid dwelling on downers. Focusing on negatives isn't just unpleasant, it also can make you less effective in tackling tasks you face. In a study of test-takers, those who fixated on worrisome thoughts performed worse than those who were distracted from their worries. To stifle your obsessing:

o Ask yourself if the issue is really worth your energy. Will this issue matter in a year, for example?
o Tell yourself you'll worry about it at a specific time later. Chances are you'll feel better by the appointed time.
o Instead of just spinning your worry wheels, try a concrete problem-solving exercise.
o Distract yourself: Go to a movie, pump up some music, find something fun to do.

http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/positive

[Phoenix]

Hi All,

These thoughts are appreciated more than you realize. I will think about each persons comment and write back when I can.

Thanks :)

-Phoenix

[Solphilos]

Hi All,

:rain:

I've been really down in the dumps recently. I can't seem to be happy anymore knowing how messed up the world is.

How do you stay positive?

Thanks.

-Phoenix

The world isn't messed up mate, it's kicking us in the ass everyday like it's supposed to :happy:

We currently inhabit a world of polarities, and there is no avoiding the consequences. However, we can cultivate understanding through knowledge and free ourselves.
Life makes us feel like shxt so that we may experience and know comfort, it gives us ugliness that we may know beauty, cold that we may know warmth, and gives us death that we may experience life.

Without the grand interplay of opposites the material world could not exist, and the negative/passive aspects are just as vital as the positive/active.

All this being said, it is not necessary to live under the mental fog of negativity. It is important for you to know that this state is spawned from negative thinking, and does not exist outside of thought. YOU are responsible for your inner state and can change it any time you wish. The way you interpret circumstances and the way it affects your state of being is entirely your choice.

In LVX

[Tony]

Hello Phoenix,
How are you? Part of us all feel the same way. Q. How is your diet, and are you getting enough sun? Sitting in a dark room looking at this forum screen, is not the healthiest of activities! How do you stay positive? By not pretending to be positive. Have a good grump and a moan, tell yourself how bad evil wicked everything and every person is, really do it.

There will be part of you that will say, "How on a minute, it's not 'that' bad. There's wind, I like wind!" Underneath it all, people are kind, just don't believe everything you read!

Except this of course!!!!!!

[hexenomega]

yeah,
sometimes life sucks, big time, but ,hey it could be worse, you could be me!, joking aside, look around you, is this not the most wonderful, amazing planet to be unhappy on?, only if your down do the highs become higer, personally i would hate to be happy all the time, its probably impossible to be so, and would get a bit boring, remember, for those that have much to put in them, a day has a hundred pockets, so, good luck, and like a pheonix you will surely rise from the ashes, stronger than before, i'm sure of it


regards hexen

[RMorgan]

My advice is to get rid of the whole concept of happiness/sadness. It´s not real and it´s so polar.

IMHO, the way to go is between these two states of mind, something that the Hindus all equanimity.

Just be calm, try to be relaxed, and just BE.

Meditation will help a lot and a good way to start meditation is:

-Stay in a natural and comfortable position, lying on your bed, or sitting on your favorite chair.
-Close you eyes.
-Don´t let any noise or sound disturb you and don´t try to avoid them. They are part of your life, part of the experience.
-Start focusing and relaxing each part of your body, once at a time, feel that part, feel the warmness, vibrations, blood and energy flow of that part.
-Start focusing and relaxing your whole body now. Feel your body, each cell, each muscle. Visualize and try to feel the blood and energy flow of your body.
-Visualize an imaginary "energy ball" flowing trough your members. Try to control its flow and try to move it trough your body.
-Don´t try to "think of nothing". Let your thoughts fly freely but don´t focus on them, just let them fly and relax.

At some point, you´ll get lost on your thoughts and you will get very close to "thinking on nothing", which is the same as "thinking on everything".

You will not fall asleep, but you will get into a very beautiful state of mind, like you were sleeping and conscious at the same time.

Most of us, at some part of the day (17:00, for me) feel very tired. This is the perfect time to practice.

Practice it every day. It´s not that easy in the beginning, but you will start to get some really good experiences and results after a couple of weeks.

If you want, you can keep a journal, to write down your meditation experiences. It might help you to realize how fast you can evolve using these techniques.

I use these techniques since I was a kid. I´ve learned them by myself, but most meditation techniques are very similar to that. I´ve just cut off the "religious" part of it.

Meditation is a natural thing. You don´t need to follow any religion to master it. It´s part of the "being human" process.

I´m sure you´ll have amazing experiences and don´t hesitate to drop me a note if you need any help or advice.

I´m here to help.

Cheers,

Rafael.

[ceetee9]

I wish I had some words of wisdom for this one, but it is something I think we all struggle with from time to time.

Here are a couple other very informative and inspiring educational sites. One word of caution, however: the inspirational parts are balanced with information designed to awaken the masses as to what is really going on behind the scenes and some might find some of the information very disturbing. Overall, I think, for me at least, they've done an excellent job at balancing real world information with inspirational pieces designed to help you cope with the more disturbing information.
http://www.transformationteam.net/
http://www.personalgrowthcourses.net/

[ceetee9]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8VDFDMu2I9c/TTWBnt-fNyI/AAAAAAAAAt0/HPwi7oEjzdA/s1600/glass-full.jpg
LOL! Thanks for that philipbbg. ;)

[Phoenix]

Hi, Phoenix-
I am having a hard time being happy also, for the same reason. I get so frustrated about what is happening around us and how blind most people are. We are lucky to have this forum where we can talk about this without being thought of as crazy.

Goldie

I'm with you Goldie. Thanks for pointing out how lucky we are to have this channel of invaluable information. How is the journey going today? What are you doing to be more at ease?


I have been having the same issue. I want to tell everyone I know and people just look at me like I am not all there. I am interested in starting to try some meditation techniques is there a good resource for a novice?

Referee, check this thread out: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?24708-Being-Awake-When-Many-Are-Sleeping

It really helped me realize that the opinion of others shouldn't discourage us no matter what. Also, I'm interested in mediation techniques as well, any luck on finding some?


I really feel for the OP here and the following two posters. Have you watched the Inelia Benz interview? Bill Ryan, the mods and administrator(s) have spoken highly of it and of the uplifting feeling it aroused in them. I may be paraphrasing a bit here.

Your words are appreciated. I haven't, I'll try to make time for that, thank you.


I think you have been watching too much brain-washing propaganda. Everything that happens in the phenomena world has no reality. Everything that happens in the mind has no reality. That which sees all of this is pure perception = you! It is happy, it has always been happy, it will always be happy. It is unconditional happiness, it is not relying on conditions to make it happy. If one relies on conditional happiness, one that relies on condition, this will always lead you to suffering, because conditions are impermanent.

Happiness is your natural state. But it is not too high and not too low. There are two types of propaganda going around, one doom and gloom=fear. The other, I am sorry to say this is exaggerated "Everything is light, I am wonderful, we shall ascend together!" Nope! This is not going to happen.

Find the middle way. Both these extremes have an element of truth in them, but it is not the whole story. Find the middle way, find sanity.

As you watch this screen, notice your peripheral vision and the muscles in your face. Notice your breath. Let everything rest naturally. Know you are conscious space. Thoughts come in, they are just temporary events. Conscious space is unmoved. That is the only constant in the universe.

You are already happy.

Wow this 'stillness' is something I already knew was inside me, its just tough to see it though sometimes. This is great, thank you.


One way is to realize that feeling down about the worlds problems is a sign you care and then just remember that you are part of the solution just by thinking about it, also remember that we exist in multiple densities simultaniously and its a team effort - basically it means you are working on it...its the people who feel nothing that are the ones in true pain...Also go and help someone, anyone, or an animal or plant, they will thank you and you will recieive a nice dose of good energy :) But always remember even if we all die in this lifetime tomorrow, we have lived many times and many times are still to come, this is not the endgame, its the opening chapter for the next 250,000 years :)

Empathy is scarce. Its priceless and we should be grateful for having it. Thanks for reminding me of this. Question - why 250,000 years? :)


Hello Everyone,

I understand how you all feel. I've been at this stuff for over 3 years now. In the first 6 months, my head was reeling at how the world really was/is. It's a lot to take in. And it can be a real shock to finally find out the truth and how we've all been conned. It knocks the stuffing out of you.

You need to take a break from stuff that is really hard to take. Not to say you don't look at it, but do it in bite-size pieces and balance it by looking at inspirational stuff.

Believe it or not watching funny animal videos really helps! It brings everything back into perspective about how wonderful all life is on this planet.

Listen to your favourite music, be it classical or head thumping music, lol...whatever rocks your boat.

Here is one site you might want to look at. It tells the truth on a wide variety of subjects but also gives you the opportunity to view truly inspirational stuff as well. This is the home page, but be sure to check out in the contents column, i.e., 'Building a Brighter Future'. There are also some excellent online courses you can do at your own pace.

http://www.wanttoknow.info/

Also, take the time to notice every day the wonderful things, how beautiful the clouds are today, appreciate the Love with your family and friends, and say so. At the end of phone call, surprise them and say, 'I love you'.

Say hello to strangers with a smile and look them directly in the eye, when getting your morning paper or ordering a coffee.

Ask the older lady or man across the street, if you can do any shopping for them.

At one time I truly believed our space brothers and sisters would come and save us. Mmmm, wishful thinking. We have to do it for ourselves and it starts with the little things.

Love and Gratitude...

I know I'm blathering on here, but at the time I found out this stuff I was going through a horrible divorce. If you are going through something not so nice, find the silver lining in it. For me, I was thankful, despite everything, that I didn't live in a war zone and saw loved ones die.

Hey, you have an internet connection, you are connected to many. Many are not.

Yeah, and we all get cranky and pissed off sometimes, goes with the territory of being human. It's OK. We are not all Love and Light.

Look for the silver lining and remember we are all each other.:victory:

In Lakesh, (Thanks Max Igan).
Love Lily
x

I soaked in all of that... its funny, I already do most of those things (kindness to others and so on) that you mentioned yet I never give myself credit. I saw someone say here on Avalon that they stopped judging others and they now judge themselves... At my worst I judge others, and am trying to do less of that. But I see now that we shouldn't necessarily be judging ourselves... We should be just BE.


Hope this cheers you up:

Ultimate Dog Tease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7dDMwFer6c

Cheers,:hungry:
Lily

Awesome - thank you!


Sometimes we are busy working. At those times, you can stop feeling down by really involving yourself totally in what you are doing. Then there's no space between the activity and you, so to speak.

At other times, you can always stop everything for a few minutes and get in touch with how your body feels just simply to be alive. (OR even just truly get in touch with your body. How do the soles of your feet really feel? Then go inward, or over all.) That's the inner sensation, not emotion. Your body inwardly feels happy, or at least OK, about being alive. Stay in touch with that, and you'll become more in touch with your soul, your essence, your core. That part of you is always free from unhappiness. Meditation or physical exercise will also take you there, provided at the end of exercising you stop and just feel the inner sensation.

Its weird, I know what you are referring to, I practice being 'present' a lot, and the stillness and core sensation is still kinda foreign to me.. what I mean is, I like it a lot, yet sometimes my ego and other things creep in and question the value of what I'm doing, so I revert back to the indulgent things that kept me from sanity in the first place. This makes me think of how the current generation is the "Instant Gratification" generation, always desperately in need of the new phone or toy, if the internet stops working for a second we flip out, etc. IMO, it takes a diligent effort to resist all the distractions of the world which take us away from our inner peace and stillness...which, if all of us could do, would then create outer peace and stillness...

any thoughts, anyone??


There is a time for everything Phoenix.
Sometime we need to go out, read everything, do stuff, get involved.
Then there are the times we need to go in, and see what is happening with our lives, from our own internal viewpoint.

If you havn't found the time to learn to be conscious, there are only a few other avenues you can still use (as the rest are fast disappearing), one would be as simple as moving into a part of the world you havn't been (hence a new experience).
I imagined last year living in Costa Rica and all that would involve. It didn't need a change in consciousness, and it kept me occupied, researching all the best beaches, how long you can live there till you needed to renew your visa, friendliness toward westerners, etc.
The only other option, if you can't move to somewhere serene (with less computer, TV access and fewer American's bitching about the way things were), is to buy a farm and start farming (which you would have to do under the local 'Agenda 21 members' radar).

So for more happiness, move to beach or start a farm.
I've got nothing else to offer (other than remembrances of when we had lots of options).

Thanks for your input - I want to go on a 100 day cruise that sails around the world and visits 10+ countries for 5 days each... I'm working on it - I will share my experience when it happens! :) :grouphug:


This is such a good thread, Phoenix.

I like to notice when I am not being positive because, as Pie points out, happiness is our given state. So when I'm not happy it's because something is tripping the things I need to work on. So just looking at it from that point of view helps distance me from the trouble. Mostly for me, I am unhappy when people (inc me) are hurting and I feel helpless. I am working on accepting what I can't change and realizing I am not available to help if I go negative, but I become part of the problem.

Also, lately I have stopped reading things that depress me. A lot of the threads here are depressing by necessity so I have to step away sometimes.

My quick fixes are:

Singing (however this usually makes others around me unhappy so I sing alone)
Walk in nature
Watching the birds in the bird bath. It ALWAYS makes me happy.
Being kind to someone else. Not like Lady Bountiful, but it is fun to be in a happiness conspiracy
Talk to children. They are so adorable.
Listen to old time radio. There is something so charming about those thrillers and shows of yesteryear.
Read inspirational passages from the White Eagle book series
Count my blessings

Thanks again for the great thread!

Hi Marikins, thanks so much for your words.

I resonate with you when you say you're mostly unhappy when you feel helpless. I feel the same way.

On your point of depressing threads... I am a huge supporter of the idea that Avalon is an imporant place for people to converse on topics they think are important - but IMO, the forum should be sepearated into "Depressing" topics and "Uplifting" topics and "Niether." If you would do that, you'd see that most of the topics on PA would slot right in the Depressing category. This has a whole lot to do with people (me included sometimes) stuck in the negative propaganda quicksand. Its tough to get out, and it is very time-consuming. It'd be great if we could utilize more of our efforts arguing over which method is better of helping out our fellow sentient being rather than arguing which alien race US president obama is a part of... those types of things are interesting, but they do nothing POSITIVE.

Things that we cannot control shouldn't be spoken about more than things we CAN control - and that's the ironic part... We can make love abundant and suffering scarce if we look inside first.. I'm just starting to understand this.. anybody else feel me on this?

Everyone, thanks for your posts so far. All good stuff. Much Love.

-Phoenix

[Phoenix]

Practice Gratitude

Noticing and appreciating the positives in our lives offers a great mood boost.

To increase your gratefulness, you can:

* Write a gratitude letter. Researcher Martin Seligman, PhD, asked subjects to write a letter thanking someone who had been particularly kind to them and then deliver it in person. The letter-writers enjoyed impressive positive effects even a month later.
* Keep a gratitude journal. Write down anything large or small that makes you smile, including terrific achievements, touching moments and great relationships.
* Remind yourself to savor. Yes, stop and smell the roses-and look at them and touch them. Do whatever you can to really soak in the lovelier aspects of your life.
* Share your good news. Studies of people's reactions to positive developments suggest that those who tell a friend about a happy event enjoy it even more.

Avoid Negative Thinking

If you want to feel positive, it pays to decrease the downers in your life. With practice, you can resist worrisome thoughts and perhaps even transform your internal critic into more of a cheering squad.

* Avoid dwelling on downers. Focusing on negatives isn't just unpleasant, it also can make you less effective in tackling tasks you face. In a study of test-takers, those who fixated on worrisome thoughts performed worse than those who were distracted from their worries. To stifle your obsessing:

o Ask yourself if the issue is really worth your energy. Will this issue matter in a year, for example?
o Tell yourself you'll worry about it at a specific time later. Chances are you'll feel better by the appointed time.
o Instead of just spinning your worry wheels, try a concrete problem-solving exercise.
o Distract yourself: Go to a movie, pump up some music, find something fun to do.

http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/positive

Hi Crow, I do 2/4 of the things you mentioned to increase gratefulness.

I will try the gratitude letter and share my good news more often..

All good advice, thank you!!



Hi All,

:rain:

I've been really down in the dumps recently. I can't seem to be happy anymore knowing how messed up the world is.

How do you stay positive?

Thanks.

-Phoenix

The world isn't messed up mate, it's kicking us in the ass everyday like it's supposed to :happy:

We currently inhabit a world of polarities, and there is no avoiding the consequences. However, we can cultivate understanding through knowledge and free ourselves.
Life makes us feel like shxt so that we may experience and know comfort, it gives us ugliness that we may know beauty, cold that we may know warmth, and gives us death that we may experience life.

Without the grand interplay of opposites the material world could not exist, and the negative/passive aspects are just as vital as the positive/active.

All this being said, it is not necessary to live under the mental fog of negativity. It is important for you to know that this state is spawned from negative thinking, and does not exist outside of thought. YOU are responsible for your inner state and can change it any time you wish. The way you interpret circumstances and the way it affects your state of being is entirely your choice.

In LVX

Thanks mate - absolutely right, if I wasn't getting my a55 kicked from all these angles for so long, I wouldn't even be able to comprehend the level of awareness my being is handling right now!! Imagine in 5 years from now!? Unimaginable!!!! Much love!:)


Hello Phoenix,
How are you? Part of us all feel the same way. Q. How is your diet, and are you getting enough sun? Sitting in a dark room looking at this forum screen, is not the healthiest of activities! How do you stay positive? By not pretending to be positive. Have a good grump and a moan, tell yourself how bad evil wicked everything and every person is, really do it.

There will be part of you that will say, "How on a minute, it's not 'that' bad. There's wind, I like wind!" Underneath it all, people are kind, just don't believe everything you read!

Except this of course!!!!!!

Hi Pie,

I'm well, my diet is excellent, I exercise and get a decent amount of sun, part of my effort to reverse my unhappiness rut.

Its really just a mental thing. I'm getting closer and closer to understanding my problems are created by myself - now I just gotta figure out how to re-train my brain. Thanks for your words! See my above comment which interlaces what you told me also:)


yeah,
sometimes life sucks, big time, but ,hey it could be worse, you could be me!, joking aside, look around you, is this not the most wonderful, amazing planet to be unhappy on?, only if your down do the highs become higer, personally i would hate to be happy all the time, its probably impossible to be so, and would get a bit boring, remember, for those that have much to put in them, a day has a hundred pockets, so, good luck, and like a pheonix you will surely rise from the ashes, stronger than before, i'm sure of it

regards hexen

The Phoenix will rise.


My advice is to get rid of the whole concept of happiness/sadness. It´s not real and it´s so polar.

IMHO, the way to go is between these two states of mind, something that the Hindus all equanimity.

Just be calm, try to be relaxed, and just BE.

Meditation will help a lot and a good way to start meditation is:

-Stay in a natural and comfortable position, lying on your bed, or sitting on your favorite chair.
-Close you eyes.
-Don´t let any noise or sound disturb you and don´t try to avoid them. They are part of your life, part of the experience.
-Start focusing and relaxing each part of your body, once at a time, feel that part, feel the warmness, vibrations, blood and energy flow of that part.
-Start focusing and relaxing your whole body now. Feel your body, each cell, each muscle. Visualize and try to feel the blood and energy flow of your body.
-Visualize an imaginary "energy ball" flowing trough your members. Try to control its flow and try to move it trough your body.
-Don´t try to "think of nothing". Let your thoughts fly freely but don´t focus on them, just let them fly and relax.

At some point, you´ll get lost on your thoughts and you will get very close to "thinking on nothing", which is the same as "thinking on everything".

You will not fall asleep, but you will get into a very beautiful state of mind, like you were sleeping and conscious at the same time.

Most of us, at some part of the day (17:00, for me) feel very tired. This is the perfect time to practice.

Practice it every day. It´s not that easy in the beginning, but you will start to get some really good experiences and results after a couple of weeks.

If you want, you can keep a journal, to write down your meditation experiences. It might help you to realize how fast you can evolve using these techniques.

I use these techniques since I was a kid. I´ve learned them by myself, but most meditation techniques are very similar to that. I´ve just cut off the "religious" part of it.

Meditation is a natural thing. You don´t need to follow any religion to master it. It´s part of the "being human" process.

I´m sure you´ll have amazing experiences and don´t hesitate to drop me a note if you need any help or advice.

I´m here to help.

Cheers,

Rafael.

Rafael, good tips, I'll try them out... thanks and I'll probably take you up on that note!


I wish I had some words of wisdom for this one, but it is something I think we all struggle with from time to time.

Here are a couple other very informative and inspiring educational sites. One word of caution, however: the inspirational parts are balanced with information designed to awaken the masses as to what is really going on behind the scenes and some might find some of the information very disturbing. Overall, I think, for me at least, they've done an excellent job at balancing real world information with inspirational pieces designed to help you cope with the more disturbing information.
http://www.transformationteam.net/
http://www.personalgrowthcourses.net/

Ceetee9, I'll check them out when I'm ready, thank you!

-Phoenix

[Marsila]

.......edited post

[Davidallany]

Meditating, interacting with people, taking a stroll beside water bodies, sitting in nature surrounded by trees and drinking water will help.
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[NeverMind]

How do you stay positive?

-Phoenix

I know all about this sort of com-passion (which means 'co-suffering', literally).
It darkened many of my days in the past and prevented me from enjoying things; yet at the same time I somehow felt that by being sad I was doing something wrong - and not just for myself, to myself, but on a more general, "cosmic" scale.

What followed was a very interesting path of discovery, but it is too long and complicated (and intimate) to explain here. Let me just share with you the final result.

Do you think your sadness for everything that is wrong actually makes a positive difference?
If so, think again. What you're doing by letting your light go out is just that: you're letting LIGHT go out. Not just in your life but in everyone's life. Because we all feed and draw from the same reservoir.

If you want to contribute something very tangible to the improvement of the world, gather all the "light", all the happiness you can and keep it as steady as you can. If not, you're letting - and actively helping - darkness win.

And when you see something/somebody that is suffering, WISH something good for them while at the same time keeping that happiness in your heart.
That's a prayer that WORKS.