What's Right With The World

Post by: Annette Heller in Home

The year 2020 is definitely one for the books. People will be talking about this year for decades, they’ll ask “do you remember where you were when the world went into lockdown?” 

In the beginning I totally fed into the scare tactics that were being pushed out at us from all directions. I thought I had Covid no less than 3 times before I realized I was having a panic attack causing my breathing difficulty. Then I remembered something my mom always told me…”look for the positive in any situation, it’s always there, you just have to find it.”  That’s when I started looking for the silver lining. 

Believe it or not, there is always a silver lining, a ying to the yang, a good to the bad, a light to the dark. Both are always present, it simply can not be any other way. The universe works on the law of polarity or opposites to create balance. The level of either, good or bad is only a matter of degree and is only in your mind. 

Your own individual point of view on any topic will determine what your silver lining will be. Only you can figure that out for yourself. Your points of view determine how you see the world and how you function within it.  

Your points of view are the opinions you have and believe to be true. If you have very strong opinions about something then you’ll have a very difficult time seeing or understanding the opposite point of view.

Take for example chocolate. I love dark chocolate, the darker and more bitter the better. I actually don’t consider white chocolate to be chocolate at all. Although, many have tried, no one can convince me otherwise or budge me from this point of view. I will admit the only good thing about white chocolate is that it can be dyed many colors. However, if I see colorful chocolate I automatically know it’s white chocolate and will always choose something different.


Holding onto strong judgements takes a lot of energy and focus. If you come up against someone who has opposing judgements you feel it’s your duty to sway them into your way of thinking. If talking doesn’t work some people will turn to violence based on their strong points of view. 

This seems ridiculous since, both points of view must be present to have the other, it’s the law of polarity, and what makes it even more far fetched is that a judgement or point of view is based on the values and experiences you have lived, up to this point. No two people can see the same situation exactly the same. It’s virtually impossible. Cling to your judgements if you must, but you are better off loosening them and the tight grip they have over you.

Your judgements and points of view dictate how you go through life. The more judgemental you are, the more limited your life experiences will be. Your judgements or points of view will prevent you from seeing anything that is outside of your  judgements and beliefs. 
If you believe moving is stressful and difficult then that is exactly how your experience of moving will be, you will not be able to see it any other way, your subconscious won't allow it. Someone else might have the opinion that moving is a great experience and a new fresh start. Both people will experience what their points of view will allow.

If you think your job sucks the life out of you, then your job will do exactly that...suck the life out of you. It’s what your point of view has already dictated and how you’ll always perceive it to be. Someone else sitting next to you doing the exact job might have the point of view that it’s the best job they’ve ever had. It’s the law of polarity, individual past experiences, and judgements that lead to each person’s current reality.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to drop all judgements and be more open minded as you move through life. Empathy goes further to understanding others and the world around us, then clinging hard to judgements. 

Ask yourself “what’s right with the world” and stop focusing on all the bad. We live during amazing times with medical advancements, technology and natural woodlands and parks to visit. It’s easier to have friends all over the world and covid aside to travel globally.

Start now to prepare for 2021 with a shiny new mindset.

Below is a list of 6 ways that will help you shift out of the muck. 
1. Turn off the news. 
Media tends to sensationalize, simply because it yields more viewership, don’t allow yourself to fall for this tactic.  Also, the media tends to tell one side of the story, remember from earlier, there are always opposite parts to every story, that’s how the universe works. If you’re someone who  likes thinking for yourself and coming to your own conclusion, all the more reason to stop the news cycle in your life. Turning off the news just might be the best present you can give yourself.


Think of it this way, a thought is a series of chemical reactions in your brain. If the thought is fear based the chemicals produced have a negative effect on your body, if the thought is neutral or positive, the chemicals have a positive effect on your body leading to a feeling of well being. When you start your day listening to upsetting news, the chemicals that are released will linger for the rest of the day, determining the difference between a good day or a bad day.

There are so many uplifting podcasts or audiobooks you can turn to for a better source of listening pleasure.

2. Meditation.  
The idea of meditating is a simple one that has been scientifically proven over and over again. Turning off all thinking and feeling for a period of time will clear out the cobwebs, so to speak.  It’s like rebooting your computer but only for your brain.

When you meditate you turn off the thoughts you’ve been stuck in. This allows for clearer more creative ways of thinking and solving problems. 


Okay, okay I hear you...I’m too busy, I can’t shut off my thoughts, I have ADD and my mind is always racing. I was totally there. I tried so many different meditation techniques that didn’t work for me until one day...I came upon a technique that was so new to me yet so simple that I can’t believe it works. It’s something that you’re already doing, a way to win at meditation and it has been here all along!

Without further suspense...here it is. Drumroll please...Breathing!!

Yep, that’s right, breathing! Taking long deep breaths, at least 4 seconds in and 4 seconds out through your nose, while putting 100% of your focus on your breath. Envision the air filling up your lungs from your toes to the top of your head, then exhaling slowly. 

Do this for 5-10 minutes, maybe play some soothing music in the background and boom, you just meditated and stopped the chain of your habitual thoughts. 

Now, I’m not sure exactly how this works, but if you meditate in the morning it will help you sleep better that evening. I know, mind blowing, right? But again, it’s science. That shows you how powerful meditation is for your entire emotional system.

For more info on guided meditations and to get you started, check out this blog. 
For info on the breathing technique watch this video series.
 
3. Walk
Go for a brisk walk with some uplifting music in your ears. The louder you play the music it will drown out your thoughts and you’ll find yourself singing and dance walking (yes, dance walking is totally a thing). Your neighbors will wonder how you got so happy all of a sudden.
Some key points here: you don’t have to get “workout” ready to do this nor do you have to consider this exercise in any manner. However, you will be helping your body create more serotonin, the magical, feel good hormone. It’s a win win for your mind and your body!


4. Pay attention to your intention
If you focus on something you don’t really want or are scared of, it will most likely stay an issue or become a problem in your life. 

You may have heard this phrase before, “energy flows where your attention goes” it basically means, if you think of something enough and it gets into your subconscious, your mind will work to make it so. Your mind will have you take actions to make that situation real. This can be good or bad.

Here is an example, if you focus on not having enough money then you will always find jobs that don’t pay enough. Maybe you lack the self esteem to look for a better paying job or your ego will tell you not to apply for that job because you lack the skills necessary or that you’re not good enough for “those” types of jobs, your eyes will only see lower paying jobs being advertised. Either way, it’s all coming from the inside. Shift your attention on what kind of job you would love to be doing, and this is the difficult part...shut off the ego telling you all the negative stuff. Apply for those other jobs, you literally have nothing to lose. Stop letting your ego bully you around. You are worthy and more powerful than you give yourself credit for. 


The ego is a bully and will keep you down, because change is “hard” or “bad” which are also thoughts that you have control over. It all goes back to the law of opposites. There are degrees of good, bad, happy and sad. Ask yourself this question: what would it take to shift my thinking?

Mindfulness is nothing more than becoming aware of your thoughts. The average person has 60,000 thoughts a day, the majority of those thoughts are subconscious and ego driven. Take notice to what you're subconsciously telling yourself and change those thoughts to ones that serve you.


5. Unplug
Come on, you had to see this one coming. First, turn off all notifications from social media. Don’t allow your phone to demand when you look at it! Take back your control and look at your phone on your own terms! Better yet, delete social media from your phone altogether. 
The algorithms that the social media platforms use move you into their line of thinking by only showing you certain posts. You have a beautiful mind, use it and make conclusions that feel good for you not what facebook, instagram, youtube, etc tells you to be true.


Have you ever looked at the number of hours you spend on your phone a day? Your phone breaks it down by apps so if you use your phone for work, you can subtract that from your total. What else could you be doing with that time. 

People say they’re too busy but if you look at the hours spent looking at your phone, checking to see if anyone has commented or liked your posts, what else could you be doing with that time? 

I understand that with all of the isolation right now, social media is one way to continue some interaction with others, but doing it in a healthy manner with boundaries can go a long way for your emotional well being.

There’s so many fabulous hobbies out there, get those creative juices flowing and come up with something you’ve always wanted to do, read or learn a new skill. 

6. Pets
Don’t overlook adding a pet to your life, science has proven that touching a pet has a positive effect on your body and well being....now’s the perfect time! 


If you don’t have the resources for a cat or dog, fish are also living beings that need your attention, plus watching fish is a great way to relieve stress and calm your nerves.

In conclusion 
When I talk about shifting your thinking I’m not talking about “toxic positivity” which is completely faking it, to a negative degree. Because there are degrees of good thoughts and bad thoughts, merely shifting your thoughts up a notch to the next best thought and feeling is the goal. 

For example, if you live at the poverty line and that is your current situation, thinking you were a millionaire might not be true for you. But having enough money to pay all of your bills with ease would be moving in a positive direction while being completely attainable.


Start now to prepare for a great new year!
  • Ease up on the judgements, look at other points of view and have empathy for what others are going through.
  • Stop the vicious news cycle and turn to something that feeds you instead of depletes you.
  • Start to meditate and take deep breaths throughout your day to ground you.
  • Go for brisk happy walks, bring along some dance music.
  • Pay more attention to what you focus on and what you’re saying to yourself. Put your ego in its place, it doesn’t run the show...you do!
  • We know there is plenty of bad in the world but if that is where your attention goes then your subconscious will only allow you to see more of the bad, actively seek out what is right in the world!
  • Take a social media break and give yourself some down time.
  • The addition of a pet to your life can be very fulfilling and exactly what you need for some unconditional love.
  • Ask yourself “What would it take to see this differently?” 
  • Always be on the lookout for what is right with the world!

If you know someone who would benefit from this information, please share the love by forwarding this article.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you, share your successes and ways you are finding your silver lining. 

23 Nov 2020
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