others.
Embrace your past, live in the present, and look forward to what is yet to come.
Introduction: Change Your Thinking to Change Your Life
We all need reminders now and then. You don’t leap out of bed every day, knowing you are amazing and about to have an incredible day. All of us have a lot of demands, pressures, to-do lists, and responsibilities, so we find ourselves rushing around and working hard to please others. Most of the time, you find yourself at the back of your own bus, having made everyone else happy but your own darn self. Then you go and beat yourself up about it.
Let’s stop that, shall we?
I’m here to remind you that you are pretty darn great. I had to learn to remind myself of that, but you know what? It feels pretty darn good. It is even kind of addictive, in the best possible way. While this might seem like a fluffy little exercise, it actually runs quite deep and will serve you the rest of your life. There are reasons we need esteem boosters here and there: we pick up scars along the way and get bumps and bruises in the wake of daily life. If you had a bad childhood, you have these old “tapes” from poor parenting that loop around in your brain on an unconscious level, saying: “You’ll never amount to anything. You’re not good at sports. Your sister has a much better singing voice than you, so we’re sending her to music camp and you can stay behind and babysit.” Even really nice moms and dads perpetrate parenting errors that leave marks on the souls of their children.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and drained by the busyness of life and its oh-so-many demands, you need to stop in your tracks and do an attitude adjustment—or more specifically, a “gratitude adjustment.” Whenever you have gotten to this point, you need some “me-TLC” and a dose of radical self-care. Chances are, your very wonderfulness might have led you to give and give and give some more. Now, you need to give and give and give to yourself. You need to soak up the glory of your very being and remember that you are an amazing, awesome person, someone who deserves all the good things our world has to offer!
The world is changing all around us with ever-increasing speed, making most of us feel like we have no control. We are so busy doing and being productive and bullet-journaling our way through life that it seems like we might be riding on the back of our own bus. I consider myself a Positive Living and Affirmation Queen, despite having been to the edge of overwhelm and back again! While on my journey, I have gathered a lot of wisdom and my big takeaway is this:
If you affirm yourself every day, you can rule the world. More importantly, you can live a life filled with love, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction, thanks to your own positive self-regard.
Through the art of daily self-affirmation, you can take control of your own destiny and create your ideal life. If that sounds easy, it can be—but you need the discipline to reflect upon a positive affirmation each day. These affirmations are a mindfulness practice that will strengthen your self-esteem. It’s like a muscle: the more you practice self-affirmation, the stronger your confidence and sense of self will be. Think Happy to Stay Happy is the ultimate motivating, encouraging, and uplifting book to enjoy and share. These wise words and affirmative sayings have the power to touch our hearts, make us laugh, and alleviate our stress, while realizing the vast potential life has to offer. Grouped together, these quips, quotes, and “power thoughts” can help you deal with everything life throws at you, with élan and a spring in your step. Simply put, you’ll be too blessed to be stressed!
Author Note: The Art of Self-Affirmation: How to Use This Book
Pick up the book, randomly open to a quote and let those words be your guiding thought for the day. If you are really resonating to this power thought, keep using it every day and let it become your mantra.
Use these inspired ideas in speeches, pin them on your bulletin board, put them in your email signature, make them your Twitter handle, or post them on your social media. Hey, if it is your favorite ever Big Thought, get a tattoo on your inner wrist where you see it all the time and are reminded of your personal worth and of the great big, beautiful world we all live in.
Read a few and really “power up” for your day; sort of like a booster shot in word form. If you are getting ready to do a presentation, a sales pitch, an interview for your dream job, your next YouTube taping, or any very important date, this affirmation can be the wind in your sails.
Always remember this: you have to think happy to stay happy!
*big hugs*
—Becca Anderson
