And I’m feeling good

So often we beat ourselves up because we aren’t thinking or feeling positively. But, even if we wanted to turn our thoughts around or feel better in the moment, we might not realize what was putting us in that not-so-positive position in the first place.

The singer, Jewel, was recently on The Joe Rogan Experience. She described a beautiful method she used to get herself out of the thoughts that were keeping her homeless, to building a local fan base and signing a record deal.

Jewel realized that nothing was going to change unless she changed something (see definition of insanity).  So, she wrote down everything she was thinking, feeling, or doing when she felt good and everything she was thinking, feeling, or doing when she felt bad.

For instance, upon reviewing her notes after a few weeks, she realized that when she felt good, she was often helping someone else or having thoughts of service. When she felt down, she was doing things like shoplifting.

So, the first step to feeling good more often is to get the lay of the land. When I was feeling light and excited, what was I doing? When I was feeling heavy and low, what was I thinking?

The next step is to consciously do or think more of the feel-good things. To not be overwhelmed, just make an adjustment of one thought or one action.

If you’re feeling down because it’s a rainy day or a Monday, it probably won’t work willing yourself into thinking, “I love Mondays and the rain!” Instead, turn your focus towards a thought you know makes you feel good that may have nothing to do with the weather or the day of the week.

Being in that feel-good space will become habit, and you will naturally have fewer thoughts that cause you to feel down.

List them out and switch it up — one thought, one act at a time. And a change is gonna come!