Short messages on Positive change from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
What are the stories you tell yourself about your life? About your happiness, what you can allow yourself, the kind of work you can do, how much money you can make, the opportunities available to you?
The stories of a person, a family, a culture, a country – they hold us, bind us in ways which are potentially fruitful or harmful, and can give us an identity. They can influence and also undermine us.
Every day, we make up our own stories. Our teacher asks to speak with us or a friend doesn’t return our call, and instantly we fill in the blanks. These stories aren’t just inaccurate; they’re destructive. They isolate us and damage our relationships, and are a major contributor to our anxiety.
For most of us, anxiety is derived from outside forces such as work, school, finances, and relationships, as well as our own negative self-talk. When our imagination gets the best of us and uncertainty grabs the steering wheel in our minds, we have a way of making ourselves anxious.
We often create fears based on past experiences and blow them out of proportion. They’re not always grounded in reality. Even when they are justifiable, they’re not the things that create us – we create ourselves with what we tell ourselves and how we act.
Sometimes people will make snap judgments when you’re openly struggling, but we don’t have to join in and judge ourselves. Everyone has their challenges. No-one is without struggles. Try being understanding and compassionate with yourself.
The Universe does not owe you anything. Be grateful for any blessings that you have. Do not let anything slip away. No matter what happens, try to enjoy the life you have. No-one else can enjoy it for you.
As long as you are living, something wonderful could happen at any moment. Life may have lows that you never expected and that you did not foresee, but it also will have highs that you never dreamed of that will bring you joy beyond your wildest imagination.
Sadly, death happens, and life still goes on. With your family and friends, support each other to give you all the strength and energy to get through these circumstances.
When a loved one dies, it’s important to remember you could not have changed the circumstances surrounding the loss. You could not have prevented it in any way.