As Buddha said, "Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are; it solely relies on what you think." I saw this quote while mindlessly scrolling through my facebook feed, and it got me thinking. Before seeing that, I had felt like my day was horrible, like everything had gone wrong. That one phrase made me realize how trivial my problems were, which apparently "ruined" my day. We all have the capability to turn any situation that we face into a positive one. We have the power to control whether it's good or bad things that happen to us. It's all in the way you view them.
Will this affect me in a few years?
Most of the time, the answer is no. Picture looking back on this situation as an older you: are you still dwelling on it? Has it still impacted your life? If not, it's hardly worth putting yourself in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
Reverse the negativity
Was it a failed test? A broken phone? A parking ticket? Whatever seemed to ruin your day, or put you in a sour mood. Now think of this: a failed test = opportunity to an education, a broken phone = a break from being consumed by technology, and a parking ticket = being fortunate enough to own a car to get ticketed.
Reversing the negatives of a situation can show you that it's not that important. It's not worth losing happiness over trivial matters.
Look at what you've been given
Everyone compares themselves to another at some point in their life, whether it be on lifestyles, looks, or demeanor. By doing this, we ignore what we have in our lives, that the other person might not. Reflect on your family, friends, and blessings. Don't reflect on how a model has a flatter stomach than yours. While you're envying her looks, she may be envying your lifestyle. Besides, everyone wants what they don't have.
Always be grateful
Making a point to acknowledge your fortunes and blessing can do a 180 on your mood. Take time to appreciate and enjoy everything that is part of your life as of now, every journey, failure, lesson, and experience. These all have molded you into the person you are today. Looking back, the day that one failure made you think your life was over happened for a reason. We should be grateful for life's curves, because they teach us to always continue on the road, or else we'll never know what was around the bend.
