What? Why? And How?
Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Though it doesn’t happen as often as it used to, it still happens to me occasionally. I have all kinds of excuses for why I woke up like this today: I didn’t sleep well, my hormones are in the process of change, I ate the wrong food too late at night. I can take all of these excuses and choose to live in them. I admit, there are times when I will stay in a mood because it “feels right” for me at the moment, but then I remember that I don’t like not feeling good. I actually really, really enjoy feeling good. So on the days that I wake up feeling less than good, I go to work to change my state.
What does it mean to change my state?
State change is knowing that I am in control of how I feel. I get to choose whether I want to feel good or not, and knowing it’s a choice makes all the difference in the world.
Why a state change?
Let’s face it–we all have a lot going on these days. We are always busy–it seems like there’s always a list of things that needs to be done. On top of that, sometimes we face difficulties that may or may not be any fault of our own. Things happen– Life happens. When I am aware and understand how to manage my state, it’s much easier to get through the challenges and keep a handle on life.
We as humans are all about progression. Progress is something we are designed to do. We like to be able to move forward, grow, and get better. Progress wouldn’t truly be progress, though, if it didn’t include some kind of opposition– and opposition can be hard. Though it is possible to progress while being in a lower state of being, it is much harder, more frustrating, and can make us feel like we want to give up because the journey seems impossible. I have learned that anytime I am trying to progress in some way, if I can do something to not just manage my state but to raise it as well, I not only progress much faster, but I also find joy in the journey! The struggle for progress can actually be fun!
How do I change my state?
While there are many things you can do, I will share just a few quick and simple tips that help me.
- The first one is the music. I have a few playlists of uplifting songs that have a great beat and positive, powerful lyrics. It’s important to make sure the lyrics match the state that I want to be in.
- The second one is exercise–whether it’s dancing or walking or some kind of movement–I get my heart rate up for at least 20-30 consecutive minutes. Oftentimes I will combine my exercise with my playlist because the two together it really amplifies the feeling.
- The third simple thing that I like to do to change my state in a really powerful way is go outside and look at the sky. I notice the beautiful details and just breathe, letting that feeling of peace enter into each one of my cells. As I do that, I ask myself, “How do I want to feel right now?” Sometimes I will close my eyes for a moment, and when I open them and see the sky in front of me, I see so much hope! I see a great big vast expanse of freedom and possibilities and a perfect brightness of hope. Be it a cloudy sky or even the night sky, there is always some kind of light. This proves to me that, now matter what is going, there’s always a reason and a way to feel that brightness of hope. Looking to the sky quickly grounds me and reminds me that I am not alone. There is Something–a power greater than I– that can give me the power, the energy, and more importantly, the joy that I am looking for.
I believe that one of our main purposes for being on this earth is to be happy and have joy! We are created to have joy and to create joy. We all have the ability to create a life that is out of this world–and then share light and joy with others. Understanding and remembering that I have the ability to create joy whenever I want to--whenever I choose to–helps me to be the person that I want to be.
What do you do to decide to feel good? How do you change your state? I’d love to hear from you.
