Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Nix that Negative Thinking

I joined this free website, SparkPeople about a week ago to help me stay on track with my weight loss and healthy life efforts. I've been using the Nutrition Tracker to log my food each day, and I signed up for the weekly motivational email. This quote and blurb came from yesterday's email.
No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Finding fault with everything you see
We all know people who just like to complain. It seems that no matter how good they have it, they're always spreading negative energy. Even the best, most painstaking listener can have trouble with someone who finds fault with everything around them. You can shine even in the worst situations if your character is strong. If you're starting to see the "dark side" too often and find yourself blaming your circumstances on other people, take another look. If you think a change of scenery will solve all your problems, think again. Change can be good. Moving on to new things can be an exciting chance to stretch yourself and break a rut. But it's important to start with yourself when you're finding things to improve. No matter where you live, work or play, the only constant is you. You can't escape yourself. Change on the outside will have no effect on your happiness or fulfillment unless you change on the inside too.


Boy does this quote speak to me! I find myself getting negative sometimes and realize that my comments are an indicator of something going on with me, and probably have nothing to do with my friend buying a pair of cool jeans and spending money. It's more like, "man, I want those jeans, wish I could buy them, wish I was thin, wish I was rich".

The last part of the quote says "Change on the outside will have no effect on your happiness or fulfillment unless you change on the inside too." I have spent a few years now working on my 'inside' but I still feel the same way about my outside. Now I'm trying to work on the outside at the same time, and hopefully I'll meet myself somewhere in the middle.

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