"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly." - Marcus Aurelius
Someone asked me one day, "When was the last time you failed at something?" A few awkward seconds of silence passed as I sat there with a blank look on face trying to think of the last time I really failed. And in all reality, I fail all the time; I don't always have everything figured out the way I make it seem sometimes, I don't always do the best that I can in school, relationships, etc. I'm only human, right? But being asked that question forced me reflect on a very important concept that I have tackled over some time, and that is my perspective.
Truly, everything is about perspective.
Life is constantly throwing curveballs our way. Sometimes we fall under pressure, and sometimes we rise above our circumstances. However, the key factor of our lives that determines whether or not we fail or succeed with whatever we may be dealing with is how we actively choose to view a situation.
When I was asked that question, nothing in particular came to mind; I felt silly for not being able to think of at least something. That's when I realized that I have conditioned my brain to view "failures" as lessons. This perspective has helped me get through the toughest of times, and it can help you too.
Instead of asking yourself, "Why is this happening to me?" you could be asking, "What can I learn from this?
Instead of getting upset over an exam you failed, you could be making use of those negative thoughts by turning them into positive ones and think, "What do I need to do differently next time?"
The capability and strength to tackle life from various perspectives is not always an easy thing to grasp; it requires active thinking and learning in order to shift your perspective. However, getting control of your own thoughts by using self-discipline will truly turn your life around. You will be able to use adversity and "failures" to your advantage by gaining knowledge and wisdom from these experiences, only if your perspective allows it.
In addition to this, spending time on negative thoughts about anything is a waste of time and mental space anyway. It's completely draining, so be selfish with your time because it is so valuable! Every second counts when bettering your life and yourself and that can start with a shift in perspective towards positive thinking.
We go through things in life that we don't understand and we may never receive answers either. But not everything we go through is necessarily designed for us. Sometimes we go through hardships and trials and tribulations in order to help somebody else later in life that requires the wisdom and knowledge you gained from a similar experience.
This is why it's so important to learn as much as you can during hardships; you never know who needs a piece of advice that only you can offer best because you were present during your own hardships. This is how we grow as individuals the most! It's all about perspective and how we choose to view the situation we are presented.
Let's face it: we are our biggest enemy most of the time. A constant battle between the you who holds the negative feelings, and the you who has the positive feelings. The you that gets the most attention is the you that wins at the end of the day. We all have the power to speak positivity into existence and shift our perspective; what's stopping you?
