For some days now my Bird Dance hoop video has been spotlighted on YouTube and as a result it's gotten 25,000 views so far. I've come across awesome individuals through this but also realized that many people get a kick out of criticizing others in the comments. To all those people (to their annoyance?) I would like to say that you are very much loved and I'm not offended by your stuff :) But I do remove all of it. . I personally cannot live if my space is negative and want to offer everyone else that positive space as well. Since I was a kid I tried to make all arguments around me end and to get people to let go of the negative emotions and 'go back to the normal'. It just gives me enthusiasm when things are positive and people are not on any weird trips. My goals get accomplished with much more focus and with much less time and emotional strain.. Here are four ideas on staying positive that I use every day. Maybe you'll find them helpful too!. 1. Albert Einstein said: "In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity." When you're bummed out don't just bum out. Introspect. Figure out what is the deepest cause of your hurt at the moment. Perhaps it's some insecurity, guilt, disappointment - find out as exactly as you can and make a plan to heal or improve on this deeper issue. Don't make the plan too ambitious - keep it simple so that you will actually follow through with it. This way you can turn a weakness into a source of strength and growth.. 2. List ten things that you are grateful for, out loud. If possible, tell them to someone else. This practice has tremendous power of transforming your whole outlook on life. It helps you to open up and see the world in a whole new light. Instead of 'poor me', you'll see 'rich me' - rich with so many blessings that can easily be taken for granted. Thank the Source for them.. 3. If someone does you wrong, see them as an instrument of your karma. They are teaching you a lesson in patience, humility, or whatever it might be. Don't get angry at them - rather ignore them - but also remember that maybe you did the same thing to someone else in a past life. This attitude can immediately ground you again. Even when I hit my head or hurt my toe instead of bursting out in a stream of swear words, I whisper "Krishna! It hurts! But I'm happy my karma is burning away!" Disclaimer: Apply common sense to this vision - if someone is outright abusing you, don't tell yourself it's just your karma - get help!. 4. When you notice your mind tricking you into gloomy thoughts, speak to it as you would to a child. Mind is quite a thing. If it's not regretting or lamenting on the past, it is worrying about some future thing. In both cases, you're living in illusion because only the present is reality. But mischievous and lazy as the mind usually is, you have to bring it to the present and under your control intelligently. Say, "Dear little mind. Haven't you played around in the poopy bad thoughts enough already. You're so dear to me, please stop acting all self-righteous. Stay right here in the present where we can actually be happy." YES! It's possible to control the mind and it's possible to stop identifying with an unhealthy emotion in an instant. Just come back to your positive place of awareness and tell your mind to follow. Remember, you are not your mind, you are the consciousness operating above mind.. 5. Think big. Set big goals. You might as well. And celebrate your little, and big, successes. Don't ever be discouraged. This is a quote from Guy Finley that sums it up sweetly:. "Discouragement is a negative emotion with more than one trick up its dark sleeve. It tricks you into mentally or emotionally dwelling in the very place you want to leave. Drop all such sorrow permanently by daring to see through this deception of the unconscious mind. You have a destination far beyond where you find yourself standing today."
