When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
– Bing Crosby

Do you ever wake up with too much commotion in your brain; as if your neurons had a total freak out, turning all of your brain noise into self-deprecating anxiety?
When my brain does this, it will start tallying off a most unhelpful list of negative irrationalities such as “You don’t write as well as this blogger, so why bother?” or “Even if you do eventually get your book transcribed, it’s so disorderly you’ll never edit it adequately enough to submit it” or “Your art sucks, who would buy it, even for charity?”

Way to be supportive, brain!

This kind of thinking extends to numerous aspects of our lives, and can leave our previously motivated self stuck in our pajamas, cowering under the covers, life on complete standstill in self-loathing and fear, getting nothing done, except for further self belittlement.

It’s time to cast those irrational thoughts to the wind and get back on track to positive thinking and self-love!

The first step is to work your way backward in the thought process, trudging through all of those nasty thoughts of self-hate until you find yourself at the first irrational, negative thought and then ask yourself,

Self, do I have a true, honest to goodness, logical reason for thinking these terrible thoughts about myself?

99.9% of the time? No.

Move forward again, thought by thought, and spin positives alongside the rationalization, reminding yourself of all of your blessings.

Count what is going well for you in life, make a list, tack it up somewhere that you will see it every day (mirror is an excellent place because you can look at your gorgeous self and be reminded what a wonderful person you are).

Mine, for instance, looks something like this:

I’m lucky to even have time and resources to devote to any number of creative projects.

I may not have a lot of energy, I often need a nap during the day, but at least I have a loving, supportive family that keeps a roof over my head so I can rest when I need to.

My country may be deeply flawed, but at least certain systems keep me alive by helping with my most vital medical expenses.

I may not be the best writer to many, but I have proven to be somewhat entertaining and a competent storyteller to some.

I may not have fame (yet), but I have friends who love me and want to spend their precious time with me.

I may not have been born with the greatest health, but I was born and I am still here to enjoy everything life has to offer. Not to mention, I have the best medical team government-issued insurance can buy! Joking aside, they truly are the best cardiac team working ’round the clock saving lives or figuring out how to keep their beloved patients alive.

Don’t get caught up worrying about how “big” or “small” the items on your list are. Never mind about tangibility, either, because often times our greatest assets are immeasurable and only visible through our actions.

Don’t stop at a list; decorate your mirror, your door, closet, or bulletin board with images, magazine cut-outs, photographs and words that inspire you and generate positive thoughts and creative ideas.

Gala Darling suggests obtaining a totem, a physical object to carry with you and serve as a reminder of your radical self-love and positive thinking. Jess has hers, plus a motto!

When we focus on our fortunes rather than our failings, we are empowering ourselves to take charge of our day, crawl out from under the covers, get out of our pajamas and start letting ourselves live and love.

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