Remembering the Good

         Life is unpredictable and many events happen that we have no control over. It is easy to get carried away by the things you perceive to be negative occurrences in your life. It is quite difficult to forget the loss of a loved one or the hurtful words of a friend, but dwelling on such memories holds no pleasure or relief; it is only a breeding ground for self pity and depression. 

         When you dwell on negative emotions and setbacks, you shut down your mind’s ability to think and create solutions. It affects all areas of your life especially your relationship and your job. We must accept the fact that we are humans and we have no control over certain events of life. The only thing we truly have control over is our response to the challenges that come our way.

         What you remember will determine which way your life will go. If you only remember the negative things that happen to you, you will be a very ungrateful individual. Train your mind to remember the good. Remembering positive events and emotions requires some effort because negative emotions take up more space in our minds so naturally it is easy to remember the negative events. However, if you want to be happy and content, you must dwell on good memories rather than negative ones. This requires time and effort, but if you train your mind to do it, it will soon become a part of you.

         Regardless of the events that take place every day, decide to remember the good. It has been scientifically proven that negative emotions lead to a variety of medical conditions. It is truly amazing how the state of one’s mind can affect one’s health, but it is an undeniable fact. 

Remembering positive things does not just improve your mood, it also prolongs your life. Try to find the good in every situation no matter how grim it may be. Sometimes the only good you may find in a bad situation is the fact that you learnt how to survive that situation; let that be enough to keep you happy. Someday you might be able to help someone through what you survived.

         People naturally gravitate towards friendly and open individuals, but you can neither be friendly nor open if you have negative emotions stuffed up inside you. Little wonder that pessimistic people have few friends. When something negative and unexpected happens take some time to grieve, but don’t take too long or you might get overwhelmed in your condition and lose your joy. 

         Some people find it easier to cope with negative events by talking, others prefer to bury themselves in their jobs or doing charity. You can choose whatever coping mechanism suits you, just make sure it's not destructive. Cultivate healthy ways to deal with challenges and setbacks. Anytime you remember that unexpected happening, make sure you remember the good that came of it. It takes a conscious effort to live this way, but the good news is that it is possible.