Make Your Own Sunshine
I am sure many of you can relate to how much of a struggle this time of year is. The days feel extremely short with the small amount of daylight we now get. I find it very difficult to find motivation to do anything let alone get myself up out of bed in the mornings. It is moments like this that I realize how much I harbor too many negative thoughts and how they are not healthy. I really pride myself on trying to always be a positive person and project positivity around me but there are days I must admit I really struggle – especially around this time of year. Every little ripple in my existence just seems to be so magnified and I let that negativity in. I wish I had some epic advice I could share that would be an ‘ah-ha Oprah moment’ but I do not. I do however have a little daily manifestation that I practice each day that I call ‘making my own sunshine’.
From the moment I wake up each morning and I note how quick my head fills with resistant thoughts I remind myself that today I will make my own sunshine. With that manifestation I am verbally deciding to not be weighed down by my internal dialogue. This is much easier said than done but I do believe it is a small step towards positive energy that I feel grows a bit bigger inside me. It is my choice to either let myself continue to feel the way I do or recognize the change I need to make in order to find that positive perspective.
Another way I try to also interject a little more sunshine is paying close attention to how I interact and communicate with the people around me. I think that is it so easy to become custom to heavy emotions and project them onto others that are around us – especially through our choice in words. If I am going to be completely open and honest about how I am feeling I think it is important to also balance those emotions with a moment of gratitude. Even if it is just thanking the person who is listening as you share your feelings. Try and also look at what you are grateful for each day and focus your energy on those specific thoughts. Share those moments of gratitude with others instead of the negative thoughts which happen to slip out in conversation much easier. For many of us it is harder to celebrate what is going great in our lives and find it much easier to wallow in what is not.
I am sending you all so much love and light during this naturally dark time of year and hope you all can make a little of your own sunshine – even if it is just a few rays of light. The new year is just around the corner and this weight we all feel will soon be lifted! Images photographed by Julian Ross