Wealthy are those such as yourself who carry a glass half-full perspective!! There is so much inspiration that is shared into the world when one optimistic person can shed light on the opportunities and potentials that still exist. Enjoy your Optimistic Journey and thank for stopping by.

I’m so glad I stumbled upon this post, I love it!

It is so true, when faced with disappointment, some people tend to view the glass as half empty. However, those who view the glass as half full tend to take despair, stair it in the face and use it to our advantage. We’ll say things like, “well, I may not have got the job, but everything happens for a reason. Every time one door closes another opens.”

It’s mind-sets like this, that are life changing.

Great article, thanks for sharing!!

The emotion of guilt is just horrible. I know I’ve dealt with my fair share and I can relate to what you are saying.

At this point in your journey, it feels essential that you find a way to feel your guilt and stop being afraid of it. Right now, it’s more of an excuse that holds you back and keeps you living in a familiar level of consciousness. But, you are ready to move onward. It’s your time.

That means accepting that you are human, accepting that you have learned much from your experiences—even the ones your mind labels as “bad”, and accepting that because of those very experiences and hard won wisdom, you are now growing and evolving.

One of the strangest things I have found in my own life and in just about every one of my clients is how difficult it is to allow ourselves to have more joy, more happiness, more freedom, and more abundance then we are used to. It’s almost impossible to let go, say goodbye, and take that next step into being a more fulfilled human being. We think that somehow it is wrong to release guilt, or shame, or self-abuse, and be more self-loving, life-loving then we were before.

What helped me step into a higher level of conscious was a quote by Gandhi that stated, “Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it.” Jim, it is most important that you move beyond your guilt.

The next time your guilt shows up, take a breath, face guilt and feel what you feel. Do you feel a tightening in the pit of your gut? A restriction in your chest? A painful clutching in your solar plexus? A queasiness? An uneasiness? These body sensations indicate where you hold the feelings of guilt. As you continue to breath, these stuck feelings can begin to release themselves and flow. Rather than pushing everything back down, ask your body to show you how it would like to breathe and allow those uncomfortable guilty feelings to rise out of your body and into your awareness.

As guilt begins its ascent up and out of your body, be aware of what you are experiencing. What are your emotions, what are thinking, and what do you believe about this entire situation. By learning how to be a witness to your experience, you gain wisdom without getting stuck inside of those thoughts and beliefs. Be curious about what’s going on inside of you and notice everything you can about your particular guilt. For example you may notice:

How is guilt supposed to help me?
Why do I feel guilty in this situation?
What do I hope to accomplish by feeling guilty?
Does feeling guilt help me accomplish what I want?
What do I gain by feeling guilty?
What does guilt cost me?
How does guilt hold me back?

In other words, feel into your guilt and explore the experience of your guilt as much as possible.

Only by facing your feelings head on do you discover that those feelings and beliefs cannot hold rule over you any longer. Let yourself be human. Take another step to love yourself even though you are not perfect. Your descent into hopelessness is an old strategy, one that you no longer have to choose.

We’re cheering for you to be the model, the example of a human being who has dared to give himself freedom. One who is willing to let go of the pain. One who is willing to rise to a new level of joy and happiness. We’re cheering for you, but only you can set yourself free.

I have noticed lately that I pick up negative energy from pessimistic people…….maybe I always did? However, I’m now in tune with myself more than I have ever been and it feels great!

If one refuses to let others bring them down, then I think that is half the battle. We all have our problems, but we don’t have to inflict them on others and vice versa.

Thank you, Annette, for another wonderful post.
Love, Kathleen

I found this article on optimism inspiring; it spoke to my heart in so many ways. You described my “voice of gloom and doom” to the tee. It has controlled my life and my actions for most of my life. Only when I opened myself to the possibility there was a better way to live did I actually understand what living could become.

In my own journal, I describe my descent into negative thought patterns in a similar manner as you have … a downward spiral that feeds on itself, my “vortex of negative thinking.” The binge eating, the hopeless thoughts, the guilt, it can feel incredibly overwhelming, leaving us feeling powerless to change our destiny.

For several months I have been struggling to overcome the guilt of having hurt some people whom I love; the pain I inflicted was real, even if unintentional. Knowing my actions justified their reactions has made it very difficult to find optimism in my life. I have made amends, but continue to struggle to find a way to see myself with a postive outlook … the descent into that hopelessness has been my most common reaction; it’s comfortable and familiar, so I retreat to it automatically.

Thank you for a great article; I will use it to challenge myself when my guilt returns and work to allow myself a chance to believe I can again find happiness and perhaps my own forgiveness in my journey.

Jim B. from Facebook