February 5, 2020 • Contributed by Jacqueline Pearce, MSEd, LMHC
Have you ever come across someone who complains all the time? Have you ever spent time with such a person? Have you observed that spending time with a pessimistic person makes you feel dull too? Have you felt the negative energy emanating from such people? On the other hand, you may have noticed that being in the company of someone who laughs a lot can make you feel lighter and happier about your own life.
There you have it.
If you can feel dull or cheerful just by spending time with certain people, what does this tell you? It means that people emit energy, both positive and negative. These energies can be contagious, and they envelop everyone around them. Having said that, I would like you to think over a simple question: Is life colorful, or do you make it colorful?
Have you observed that spending time with a pessimistic person makes you feel dull too?
Even for people with similar life circumstances, happiness levels can vary: some people look happy while some don’t. This concept can help answer the question above. Life is what you make it. It is colorful if that’s how you look at it, and it is dull from other perspectives.
COLORS OF LIFE
As we grow older, we start learning about new colors of life, both bright and dark. These are the colors of love, happiness, joy, excitement, surprise, pain, sadness, disappointment, stress, and so on.
There is no one in this world who is entirely happy. Everyone has struggles of their own. Some people struggle with work, others struggle with relationships. Struggles never end, whether we’re talking about health, money, or about people. However, it is all up to you how you handle them. It is up to you whether you let them have better of you, or whether you overturn them in your favor.
TWO SIDES OF A COIN
Life is colorful if you look for colors. Like a coin has two sides, every situation in life has at least two perspectives as well. If you look for colors in everything, you will be able to look at a tough situation in a positive light, whereas if you have your eyes blindfolded, you may find it difficult to see any positivity.
HOW TO ACHIEVE A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
Lives of optimistic people tend to be more colorful. If you feel like your heart wants to see the bright side of life but you are having a hard time practicing positivity, there are certain things that can help you achieve a positive outlook in life.
Acknowledge Your Achievements
Instead of looking at how difficult achieving your goal is, look at how far you have come. Look back and see where you started and where you are standing today. Acknowledging your achievements can give you enough motivation to keep going. Don’t rely on anybody to remind you of your achievements; do yourself that favor!
Be Grateful
Instead of complaining about the things that you don’t have, remember to be grateful for everything that you have. Don’t complain about not having the dream car; be grateful about the car that you managed to get on your own. Don’t complain about not having a fancy house; instead be grateful for having a small house with a loving family. It is all about how you see things that adds colors to your life.
Be Thankful
Be thankful more often. Rather than telling your younger sibling that they are of no help to you, thank them for trying to do something for you. Instead of telling your colleague how they could have contributed to the project better, thank them for putting in time and thought. By being thankful, you spread positive vibes, and life starts to become more beautiful as a result.
Life is not grays and blacks all the time. When you decide to be positive, you will see how joyful your attitude becomes, how you start worrying less, and above all, how beautiful life starts looking! Don’t look for the brightest colors of life; make it colorful by yourself! Be the rainbow that makes your world shine.
If you find that you consistently struggle with feelings of dullness, know you are not alone. Therapy with a licensed professional can help you identify and work through issues weighing you down. Find a therapist today and rediscover the color in your life!
© Copyright 2020 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved. Permission to publish granted by Jacqueline D. Pearce, therapist in Baldwin, New York
The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.