The Benefits of Being You

There are time in life when you are going to hate yourself. Times when you are going to think that being anyone would be a better situation than the one that you are in.

Those times come to everyone. They come, then they go. They will pass. It might take longer than you want it to for those times to pass, but it will pass.

If your moment of self loathing lasts longer than you want it to, there is an easy method of passing the depression quickly. It is called GRATITUDE.

It is something that many people don’t practice in their lives. I don’t know why they don’t do it either. Perhaps they were raised poorly, maybe they just don’t care about any one other than themselves. Whatever they cause of lack of gratitude, it will only lead to misery.

I can’t imagine having someone make me a meal and not showing sincere appreciation for it. That is the best place to start your gratitude practice in the real world. Go see a friend, or family, or even go to a restaurant and thank everyone in there that provides you with even the smallest thing. It will make a difference.

Don’t go patting yourself on the back just yet you grateful wonderful human being. There is another step in the process of gratitude that you need to know about. It is the self gratitude step.

What you are going to do now is make a list of all the things that you have to be grateful for. Don’t be shy or modest either, I want you to keep writing in this list until you have absolutely nothing left to think about.

Make sure that you are writing about the smallest things possible too, because someone else doesn’t have those things. I’m going to show you how it’s done.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR:

1. My Lungs – I just quit smoking. It has been three weeks and I haven’t felt this good in a decade.

2. Clean Air – I do live beside one of the busiest highways in the world, but it is still better than some places.

3. My Fingers – I can write this post, play guitar, scratch my dogs chin and pick my nose. Thank you fingers

As you can see, there is so much to just be grateful for that you could spend as long as you need writing down that list.

Another Useful Exercise:

There is another exercise that you can use to get over yourself. It is called exercise. That’s right, exercise. I don’t mean plop yourself onto a tread mill or go and buy an overpriced gym membership, what i’m talking about is going outside and playing.

Get on a bicycle, go for a walk, go kayaking, anything will do. Just get out there and do it.

You know that it is good for you. Why aren’t you doing it?

It will get the endorphins flowing which is going to produce good moods and that is going to lead to you to think more clearly about why it is great to be you.

Stop reading this. RIGHT NOW! Go for a fast paced ten minute walk. This article is going to still be here when you get back. Get out there, go now!

Welcome Back!

I bet you are feeling slightly winded right now. If like my former self, you don’t do that very often, I can safely assume that you are slightly winded. Don’t worry, it will pass and you will feel better about yourself for accomplishing even a small thing like a ten minute walk.

There are apps that you can get to congratulate yourself for doing those things. I don’t think that they are all that useful and seem like an artificial form of self esteem, but I think that a lot of people need that kind of encouragement to get their asses off the couch.

 

So have you figured out why being you is awesome yet?

You are just going to have to take this advice and keep working towards liking yourself. Someday it will happen, you just need to take action for it to happen.

 

 

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