Change Your Attitude. Change Your Life.

Not too long ago, I was going through a difficult time. I suspect you know what I am talking about. You know, when things just seem a little off. Maybe work isn’t going as well as you would like or you aren’t feeling great or you are having a rough patch in your relationship. It doesn’t really matter what it is….basically, it’s a just a difficult time. We are all human and it just happens.

During this rough time, I received an e-mail from Amazon about a book recommendation; The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein. Normally, the recommendations I receive are all fiction or business books but the title of this was very catchy and something I was interested in.   I figured it was a sign and I quickly bought the book and literally devoured it. I couldn’t put it down. It seemed like it was written just for me.

One of the key messages in the book was choosing love over fear. Taking that one step further, I had the choice to live in love, light and joy or not. I realized this was a good way to break out of my current rough patch because at the moment I was getting really really good at negative self talk and moving into a downward spiral. It is very liberating when you start to realize that you have the choice of how you live each day. You take the actions. You control how you are perceived. You control the messages you tell yourself. People respond to you based on the vibes you are putting out.

The way things had been going, I figured I would try to give living in love, light and joy a shot. I really didn’t have anything to lose. Besides, it was far more fun than wallowing in negative emotions (although in fairness, I do love a good cry). The results of this choice were nothing short of miraculous.

Walking is one of my favourite past times. I like to use it to meditate and also use it to have some fabulous conversations with myself. Some days, I use my walks to focus on positive affirmations (a la Lousie Hay who is one of my heros). Here is what happened one day on my walk as I was beginning to live my life in love, light, and joy.

As I was walking along enjoying the stunning view, three dogs ran up to me. I pass these dogs every day on my walks and they have never even stirred when I walked by. This particular day, they were wagging their tails and trying to snuggle with me and walked with me for about a kilometer. Wow, there might be something to this love, light and joy thing.

In Gabby’s book, she says to ask for a sign if you want an answer to a question. I asked the universe a question and said show me a Beagle if the answer is yes.   So after the dogs left me, I looked up and there was a man walking a Beagle. Again, I have never seen that Beagle before and I walk there almost every day. I literally laughed out loud (which garnered a few odd looks) and I looked up at the sky and said “Ok, I get it. Thank you”. Since that day, I see that same Beagle every time I ask for a sign and never see him otherwise.

At this point, I was absolutely amazed but the Universe wasn’t finished with me yet. There was a darling elderly lady whom I had seen everyday strolling with her daughter. On this particular day, I was walking past and smiling as I always do and she grabbed my arm.  Of course, I stopped and she just patted my arm and looked at me and smiled with the most beautiful smile. The irony is that I have never seen that woman again but for that one day she absolutely touched my heart.

This may not seem like much but I have taken many many walks along this same path and none have stayed with me like this one. I truly believe that the Universe was conspiring to show me a different way and to remind me how joyful life can be.

Since that time, I have been really focused on choosing to live my life in love, light and joy. When I get down (and let’s face it, we all do), I can refocus and chose positivity. This approach has completely changed my life. Things have really fallen into place for me. I believe much of that is due to my change in attitude.

In my work, I come across a lot of people who are struggling with different types of challenges. What I see is that many of these folks, are choosing to stay stuck. They believe things like “people are against them”, “poor me, nothing every goes right for me”, “I am treated unfairly”, “things would be better if only x happened”….the list goes on and on. We talk about how they are remaining stuck of their own accord. There is a different way. Change your attitude. Change your life. Only you have the power to do this!!!!

Remember, when you feel like things are difficult or not going your way, remember to take a moment, breathe, and refocus. Think about the positives and be grateful for what you have. Give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.