When times are tough we all need a helping hand. Her are some simple steps to achieve a greater sense of wellbeing.
A: Acknowledge and accept your mistakes. It is only through acceptance that you can initiate change.
B: Believe that you will be OK. Your thoughts are powerful. Use them to help you through the hard times.
C: Control your thoughts, they govern your behaviour. Therefore, positive thoughts = positive behaviour.
D: Determine your boundaries. You are instinctively aware of your own limits. Being OK is the result of knowing what you are, and are not, ready to handle.
E: Eliminate negativity. It opposes the positive steps you are taking.
F: Feel good about your progress. Celebrate each milestone, no matter how small it may seem.
G: Gratitude will serve you well. Be grateful for the hard times, they are lessons learned. Be grateful for those people who help you through. Be grateful for all the blessings you experience just by being alive. Be grateful for the beautiful life you have to look forward to.
H: Help is only a question away. No one expects you to do it on your own. Ask for help and it will be granted.
I: Initiate change, apparently it's as good as a holiday! The smallest change to your routine can go a long way towards breaking the sense of stagnancy you may be experiencing. Break the cycle!
J: Justification is the cousin of Denial. There is no room for either in your process of reaching new heights and potentials.
K: Kindness is sometimes mislabelled as Cruelty. Look at the underlying intentions of those around you. True friends and people who love you may employ "Tough Love" tactics at times. Accept that they have your best interests at heart and be grateful that they care enough about you to be honest.
L: Laughter really is the best medicine. Laugh at yourself. Enjoy the lighter side of life.
M: Make small efforts. Change does not have to be drastic or sudden. Effective change is most often that which takes time as well as determined and strategic effort to do things differently, until it becomes the norm.
N: No excuses! You are responsible for your thoughts and actions and the consequences of your behaviour.
O: Opportunities abound when you open your mind. Let go of restrictive thought patterns, the tendency to lay blame and feelings of self-pity. The world is your oyster!
P: Perfection is a fallacy. You will never be perfect. Nobody is. Being OK is about being proactive in your quest to feel more positive than negative most of the time. There will be down days and you will make mistakes. Accept and move on.
Q: Quiet time is good… and necessary. Spend time with yourself. Learn to appreciate your own company.
R: Reflect on your mistakes. Ask yourself, what went wrong? What do I need to change to achieve a better outcome next time?
S: Say your affirmations. State your desires. Stay true to your goals.
T: Take responsibility. You can not control the actions of others. You can only take responsibility for the role you play in any situation.
U: Universal principles upon which to base your actions: Humility, Gratitude and Acceptance. Practice each in turn and experience the wondrous changes that result.
V: Visualise the life you will have as a result of your changes. Seeing is believing, and it starts with visualisation.
W: Willpower is like a muscle… It needs workouts to become strong.
X: Marks the spot. Being OK is a state that can be uncovered like a treasure.
Y: Yoga, relaxation, meditation, prayer… embrace your spirituality. Balance comes from attending to every facet of your life.
Z: Zest for life comes as a result of setting goals and working towards achieving them.
