How to Stay in a Positive Place (Drink your lemonade and ditch the lemons)

Here’s a little secret.

Perhaps it's your secret too.

When things are going really, really well for me, I freak a little bit. It’s like I can’t stay in bliss without taking a peak behind the curtain to see if the boogeyman is there to mess it up.  I want to ride the wave of my positive momentum- fully balanced and looking damn good-but at the same time there’s a little niggly and totally annoying voice in my head saying, “This isn’t going to last.”

In that moment, I feel a bit panicked. It’s as if I already have jinxed it.

How do you shut the voice up?

Strangulation really isn’t an option, because face it, the voice is you.  This makes the process both easier and harder. Easier because you can control your thoughts and harder because, well…you control your thoughts- no one’s going to step up and do it for you.

So how do you build on your positivity? Stay in flow? Keep riding the wave?

First, give yourself permission to enjoy it. 

You’re in the flow, aligned with the Universe, everything is unfolding in the most magical way, you believe each day will bring a new miracle.  Heady stuff!  Don’t mess it up with thoughts like “It’s all going to fall apart, or I don’t deserve all this great stuff happening.”  Shut that down immediately.  Lean into your bliss with awe and appreciation, because this is how you're supposed to feel- ALL THE TIME.

Next, fuel your positivity by focusing on what’s going right for you. 

Make a list of all that’s humming along, feel your energy build as you name each amazing thing, and then be so frigging grateful for it. Don’t overlook the small stuff like a warm sunny day, that parking spot right in front of Starbucks, an eagle sighting, or the unexpected hug from your teenage daughter.  When you’re vibrating with positivity, you attract more good stuff.

Share your joy, baby! 

Because when you share your joy, you give others permission to share theirs and this creates a dynamic ripple of love. Find a group, posse, or tribe that you can share with- it’s a mutual love fest.  You’ll be able to recognize them because they’ll celebrate with you and not try to compete or tear you down.  Form a pact where three syllable words such as marvelous, tremendous, wonderful, amazing, incredible, terrific-are the norm. 

Focus on the recovery, not the slip.

You’ll tumble, we all do.  Your car will break down on the interstate during rush hour, your child will get sick all over your new Frye boots, or you’ll just wake up crabby and ready to rip someone’s head off for no reason. And poof, you’re out of flow. 

No need to panic, because you got this. 

First you recognized you’re no longer in flow and awareness is always the first step to recovery. Now be gentle and don’t judge yourself- everyone has a bad moment, day, week or even month. 

Don’t beat yourself up- acknowledge where you are and decide if you want to be someplace else (out of the dumps or wallow for a while), trust how you feel and when you’re ready, grab on to the first positive thought you can find.  If your child threw up on your boots at least they were leather and not canvas – eewww! Once you have one positive thought, grab on to the next and the next and the next until you feel a little spike in your energy. 

You’re now in recovery and can see the positive wave building up.

We are meant to live a life of happiness. 

Being in flow is our birthright, so when you find yourself in that exalted state of bliss- don’t wish it away.  Deal with that annoying little voice whispering “this won’t last.”  Tell it to shut it’s yap, feel the lightness within your body, and swan dive (10-10-10 from the judges!) into the flow.

P.S.  Ready to build your tribe of three syllable spouting superwomen?  Send this blog to your peeps and ask them to be part of your posse.