Cloudy days // Sunny Dispositions

 Hello! 

Would you believe me if I said I started this blog post in August 2021? Because I did and I clearly didn’t get very far! Back then I was on day one of isolation and it didn’t take long for all of my motivation to slowly fade away…fast forward a few months I was then busy trying to balance a new job and catching up on a social life cruelly disrupted by the Rona. So, here we are - happy new year, hello once again and let’s move onto today’s post! 

I feel like this is a great time to write this post as not only does it feel relevant given the toxic ‘new year, new me’ echo chambers all around, but I feel like everyone needs that uplifting post now and again...more than ever on Blue Monday.

Source: Guy Kopsombut

I had planned on writing this post 12 months ago, at the peak of my job hunting journey, which at the time felt never ending but I was determined not to let rejection emails and ghosted job applications get the better of me…although once I hit 100 I did feel my morale take a dip. We will all go through the highs and lows of life and whilst it is important to acknowledge the feelings of the latter and experience them, it’s more important to know that they won’t last forever and better times will always be on the horizon. 

Fast forward a couple of months I had a successful interview and landed what can only be described as my dream role, five months in and I still can’t believe I’m doing what I love. It’s easy for me to sit here and tell strangers on the internet not to give up and that good things take time. I know this because I also had to listen to the same dreary affirmations throughout 2019-2020. But I cannot stress enough the importance of mindset and more importantly maintaining a positive one. 

Ignoring negative emotions is like keeping poison in your system. Learn to understand everything that you feel. The aim isn't to force positive thoughts, but to transform the negative ones into something healthier, so you can feel better. - Vex King

Without getting too wishy washy, I personally practiced the art of manifestation which I believe aided me in securing my dream job. However, this isn’t something everyone is comfortable doing. So, what else do you do? You can still maintain a positive mindset without becoming all about energy, chakras and meditation! I believe there are three key things to staying on the sunny side of life even when little rain clouds appear.

Source: Private Psychiatry

Celebrate little victories

Made your bed? Applied to a job? Went for a walk around the block? GREAT! It’s so important to know that everything you do is beneficial to your life and you should praise and commend yourself for the smallest and silliest things! My personal favourite is ordering in lunch from a bakery on a Friday as a treat for getting through the week! 

Celebrate others victories

Life is not a competition, so don’t make it one. But also, how boring would life be if celebrations happened all at once! So what, if one of your friends got their foot on the career ladder first, got a new car first or adopted a pet before you? Every single person’s journey through life is different and you can’t despair others successes if they happen before your own.

Remember that time is on your side

It’s easy to set yourself dream deadlines and feel disappointed when you think “Oh I haven’t achieved this by this point in my life.” I used to pressure myself to have a job by a certain age, or have a certain amount of money saved, but it really doesn’t matter when anything happens in your life. I honestly think the more you pressurise and stress yourself into achieving things, the less enjoyable the outcome can be when it does happen because all you then associate with that certain moment is the stress and anxiety you felt along the way. Allow things to happen organically, and let yourself relax as you do it.

Source: Living Pretty Happy

Recommendation of the month: Good Vibes, Good Life - Vex King

Eight months later and we’re back on track…hopefully. In a bid to resurrect this blog for the fourth time running, I’m aiming for one post a month which sounds doable, I hope! Let me know what you thought of this piece and remember that you can always come back to it if you are in that never ending rut of self doubt!

Until next time,

Shannon Xx