How to Overcome Negative Thinking and Jealousy

Our society highly values material goods like cars, homes and clothes. We dream about having more of them, but even so we'll always be striving for something else – more money, bigger homes. I never seem to be happy with what I have. In fact, instead of being grateful for what we have, we feel covetous and envious of those that are better off than we are.

Competing with people around you can be draining and this ultimately impacts on what matters in life: friendships, family and your own health. The next time you find yourself feeling competitive, try refocusing on what really matters. If you place a strong value on things, you won’t feel fulfilled and will only feel more tension and injury. In reality, happiness is not determined by how many things you own.

 

Remember What You’re Grateful For

Besides material things, what makes you happy in life? What are you grateful for? Are you finding it difficult to appreciate the little things and be content with the person that you are because it’s always about striving for more?

The best way to move forward with our lives is to first look back. We can only accept and appreciate where we're going if we know what's happened and what we have today.

Living in the moment is important and sometimes it's easy to forget a life of luxury. But it's important to understand how far we've come and how grateful we should be for what we do have. Yes, the quality of our things does matter to us. But many people are focusing more on the things themselves than on their lives. There's nothing wrong with wanting good quality items but you need to remember that these won't provide you with anything unless your eyes can see and your ears can hear. Spend your time living and enjoying life rather than buying stuff!

 

• Expressing your gratitude doesn't have to be limited to just Thanksgiving. Tell your family what you're grateful for today, and listen in on their responses.

   

• Help your children find their gratitude by getting them to dig deep into what they are grateful for. This could be things like influential people, positive experiences and enjoying a good quality of life.

   

Refocus Your Thoughts with a Gratitude Journal

A gratitude journal is an easy-to-use notebook where you can write down all of the things you’re happy with in life. It should take no more than 5 minutes to complete at the start of the day, or before bed each night. In doing so, it not only has a positive effect on your mental wellbeing, but will help motivate you for tomorrow.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Buy or make yourself a nice, attractive journal so you’ll take care of it and will look forward to journaling everyday.

• Reflect on anything new that came your way: new friends, clients, or opportunities. 

• Don’t be shy about repeating things from previous days; praising your good health and loving family never tires.

• Did a friend do something nice for you today? Did you find a lost item? Did you handle a difficult situation well? Gratitude isn’t reserved for really big things; you can be grateful for the small things, too.

• Periodically, go back over your journal and read all that you’re grateful for. It’ll be a great pick-me-up on especially difficult days.

 

The more you add to your journal, the more your thoughts will manifest in a new way. You'll find that your outlook becomes more positive and that you develop a deeper sense of connection with those around you. One of the great benefits is that it gives you the opportunity to enjoy absolute beauty in life, minute by minute.