Sometimes it becomes so easy to stay there, to stay stuck - its familiar - but gain nothing but despair.

The old saying goes, "money can't buy happiness". KNow how many really really rich people are also really really happy?

I know it sounds trite when you have more month than money, but you may have hit on something here. Our thoughts do create our reality to a certain extent. I don't for a minute that one can cure cancer just thinking about it. But looking at the positives does help us move forward rather than stay stuck or even go backward.

First, don't attack yourself for these thoughts.
When one comes along, just notice it, NO JUDGEMENTS
Negative builds negative, the brain just reinforces those negative pathways with judgments.
Simply observing these negative thoughts gives the brain room to rebuild positive pathways to processes that are more helpful to our lives.

I find that the negative talking about our self is just so easy to do and so hurtful and nearly impossible to get rid of.

Even if I can stop from doing that for a week or a month then just one negative day can destroy all of the past efforts.

I say we simply have to learn how to deal with it, because that is a thing which can never be truly beat or ended.

Hi Pam: You also want to keep in mind that you begin to sound ungrateful for what you have.

We forget to look around at the homeless, and others and we forget to be grateful for that roof over our heads, that food we get at each meal (many may not get even one meal a day) and the clean clothes we are able to put on our backs. That is the truth of life.

When I had my accident and ended up in the hospital, the first 3 days I was paralyzed from just under the chest all the way down. After that the paralysis lifted, but I was disabled and would need a walker to walk and eventually would go into an electric scooter. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I was to have the paralysis lift and be able to use the walker and then go into using an electric scooter to ambulate. I was so happy that my paralysis was temporary.

It's times like that when you re-evaluate what is really important in life and wasting time wondering how much money others have doesn't even begin to register on your radar. You're given a second chance and you go for it with gusto.

Start being grateful for what you have, start looking on the bright side of life, start noticing the beauty of nature that is out there that you probably have missed.

Luckily unlike and addiction, one bad day of falling back on negative thinking does not set us back to the "starting point" all over again. SO don't worry about occasional bad days. AND never get down on yourself for a bad moment or day. That just causes more bad. Just look at it as a momentary lapse and go back to being positive.

It is worth it to make such changes. You will feel better when you stat to notice the good all around you. You will attract more friendly people who want to share good and bad times. You will live healthier as well.

Good luck
Let us know how you are doing
Sunny

I find when I'm having a down day, I remember to thank my higher power before I go to bed for all that I have been blessed with. I may not seem to have much to the outside world, but I have my health, my kids, a roof over my head, a stable, good-paying job with nice bosses, plenty of food to eat, my pets, and a great family/friend support system. I am richer than many. So whenever I get down on myself, I thank God for what I have. It usually picks me right up again.

Sometimes it is very hard to see any bright sides. I spent many decades with doctors telling me there was absolutely nothing wrong with me when I was dying from an easy to treat disease. Now I have constant pain. Recently I found out that long term damage to the stomach causes it to stop working properly. So now I am stuck drinking all my foods. All due to a bunch of ignorant stupid male doctors who can't be bothered dealing with an illness unless it requires monthly visits making them easy money to buy their Lexus cars with car phones and mansions.

Yep, I think we all have down days. That is just natural. Trying to deny times of sadness or depression just stuffs it deep making it affect us worse and worse.

So I'd say you are looking for more balance with occasional down days where pressures of life are allowed to be expressed and relived. Most other days you can be positive and see the bright side of life. No one feels like dealing with life all the time.