Nine Ways I Improved My Life and How You Can Too

It feels good to be back! For the past two weeks I have been extremely under the weather with our abrupt climate changes here on the east coast. Mark my words, allergies are nothing but the devil! Lol. Nonetheless, it gave me plenty of thinking time which inspired the post below! Enjoy!
 
“It’s always something.” I tend to use that phrase a lot because there is ALWAYS something! Life oftentimes throws challenges our way, which can make it very hard to stay within a positive space. We get so caught up in dealing with life’s curve balls, that we can unknowingly neglect our mental health. This past year, I went through some life changing experiences and knew that I needed to make some major alterations within my life. Although I’ll always be a work in progress, I can truly say that these changes have improved my life tremendously.
 

Revamped My Social Media

Social media has a unique way of being a nuance in our lives that we simply won’t get rid of. So I made the decision to unfollow all the accounts that were becoming unknowingly toxic within my life. It’s so easy to compare yourself to others and wonder why you’re not living that lifestyle. I think back to the times when I would envy the girl who had the nice body, expensive clothes, amazing shoes/bags, foreign cars, big house, no regular 9-5 etc. I never thought about perception vs. reality and how anyone can portray themselves to their liking. Truth is, we don’t know what happens behind the scenes of those glamorous photos that we idolize. . .  and I don’t know if we necessarily want to know! Personally, I knew that I needed to stop following the accounts that made me self-conscious and start following accounts that promoted self-love.
 

Before I gave someone or something a chance, I’d instantly think of all the bad things that could occur before anything even happened.

Stopped Thinking Negatively.

This was the most difficult change because negative thinking was no doubt a habit that I saw nothing wrong with. To me, my negative thoughts kept me on my toes and prepared me for what could be the worst. Before I gave someone or something a chance, I’d instantly think of all the bad things that could occur before anything even happened. I didn’t realize that these thoughts weren’t helping me at all; they were keeping me guarded and pushing positive people away from me. Additionally, all the negativity that I was thinking ended up occurring anyway because I was affirming it! The way I stopped this habit was simply replacing every bad thought with a good one. Thinking positively doesn’t happen overnight and I have to practice this daily. . . for the rest of my life. However, with practice came a huge payoff when I realized that my life is more positive now, than it has ever been!
 

I created unnecessary pain for myself and that was no way to be living.

Less Worrying, More Trusting in God.

I wanted this is to be next on the list because it went hand in hand with me training myself to stop thinking negatively. I don’t feel that I was truly trusting in God. How could I be if I was always having negative thoughts and worrying? This took me a long time to initiate into my life but I’m so thankful that I did! I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and that’s due to letting go and letting God do what He has planned for me. I think back to only a year ago when I would get anxious from creating bad scenarios in my head; which I didn’t know were reality or not! I created unnecessary pain for myself and that was no way to be living. I know now that if God wants me to know something, He will make sure I know! When I’m in a bad situation, He always gets me through it AND provides me with a lesson from it! He’s watching over me and He’s ALWAYS on time!
 

I cannot control what happens to me, but I can control how I respond to it.

Affirmation reminders.

I have several reminders that pop up on my phone throughout the day to keep me on track. One of my reminders says, “I cannot control what happens to me, but I can control how I respond to it.” This comes in handy during the times when I’m extremely pissed off and on the verge of loosing it. When I read these affirmations throughout the day, they remind me of the behavior that I want to maintain. They’re like the wise grandparent that instantly calms you down and makes you think with a clear open mind. Now every time I hear a wise saying, I add that to my list of daily affirmations!
 

I hung it across my bed so I can see it every morning, during the day and every night.

Create A Vision Board & Think Happy Thoughts.

I absolutely loved putting together my vision board because it gave me nothing but happy thoughts! I hung it across my bed so I can see it every morning, during the day and every night. Creating the board was so simple to do and how could I not think of accomplishing all the things that I placed on there?! Happy thoughts equaled a happier more motivated me!
 

I completely disregarded my healthy eating lifestyle, went to The Cheesecake Factory and indulged in cheesecake.

Doing Things That Make Me Happy.

This one was very simple but I often neglected to do in the past. It doesn’t have to be overly dramatic either for example, one day I really wanted cheesecake. What did I do? I completely disregarded my healthy eating lifestyle, went to The Cheesecake Factory and indulged in cheesecake. That made me happy!! LOL. Now it’s easy to set aside time to do the things that make me happy and have nothing to distract me from it.
 

I learned that not all difficult conversations and confrontations lead to arguments or complete blow outs.

Express How I Feel.

I would be the person who would tell someone that nothing is wrong with me when there was. Biggest. Mistake. Ever. To this day I do not like confrontation or having difficult conversations with the people who are close to me. However, I learned that not all difficult conversations and confrontations lead to arguments or complete blow outs. It’s all about how I approach the person and stay mindful to handle the situation with care. It feels so much better to voice my feelings rather than holding them in and accumulate resentment.
 

I started reading more motivational books, listening to entrepreneurial podcasts and watching more shows geared towards start up businesses.

Indulge In Entertainment That Provides Value.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my ratchet shows like Love & Hip Hop, Little Women or Black Ink Crew but I learned that those forms of entertainment need to be limited. Simply because they don’t provide me with any added value to my life or the goals that I want to accomplish. Instead, I started reading more motivational books, listening to entrepreneurial podcasts and watching more shows geared towards start up businesses. The funny part is, I actually find myself enjoying those more than my die hard dramas that I once couldn’t live without! This is considered a win-win, I’m provided with value and enjoying myself all at once!
 

Now I live my life where I dictate the next steps, that means never taking NO as an answer.

Stopped Settling For Less.

Last on the list but without a doubt connects all of these changes together; I stopped settling! I didn’t realize how short I was actually selling myself overall both mentally and physically. Society trains us that things have to be done a certain way or else you won’t succeed however, all the resources we need to succeed is out there! I had to stop settling for crumbs and put in the effort to get where I wanted to be! This pertains to EVERYTHING in my life, from attaining a new job promotion to maintaining my healthy lifestyle all while establishing my start up businesses and everything else in between! Now I live my life where I dictate the next steps, that means never taking NO as an answer. I never let anyone tell me what I can and can’t do anymore because what we want, we can achieve through hard work and dedication!
 
And there it is. . . the nine changes that altered my life tremendously! I hope this post resonates with you all and adds positive value within your life! Do you have any changes that impacted you for the better? Let me know in the comments and please make sure to subscribe!
 
Until Next Time ASSASSINS… Stay Disciplined!
 
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