| Dulling the Pain | | | | focusing on partying rather than on self-improvement, |
| I have heard people say that they abuse alcohol and | | | | etc). |
| drugs to "dull the pain." In fact, many of these same | | | | Positive Inertia and Meaning |
| individuals state that almost everyone they know has | | | | A healthy or positive habit starts with one action. |
| a need to "dull the pain" somehow. Question: doesn't | | | | People need to take this first step so that they can |
| life present all of us with pain? At the risk of sounding | | | | understand how positive behaviors and thoughts feed |
| superficial, we need to stop our "paralysis by analysis," | | | | on one another. It is therefore important for people to |
| stop searching for "the secret to life," admit that we | | | | quiet their thoughts and honestly ask themselves what |
| are all in some sort of pain, and start developing | | | | they can do to make their lives more fulfilling and more |
| healthy, fulfilling, and productive actions, beliefs, and | | | | joyful. Once the positives are identified, it then |
| habits. | | | | becomes necessary to develop a plan of action, |
| Life's Setbacks and Frustrations | | | | implement it, and stick to it. Setbacks and difficulties will |
| There are many disappointments and frustrations in life. | | | | happen. When they do, however, people need to face |
| Some people deal with these dissatisfactions by | | | | and overcome their problems rather than making |
| gravitating toward the quick fix, the easy way out, and | | | | excuses and giving in to their weaknesses and |
| toward the course of least resistance while others | | | | shortcomings. |
| face their challenges by refusing to give in, focusing on | | | | In many instances, a person who is willing to get |
| positive and creative goals, and by rolling up their | | | | motivated and do something positive for someone or |
| sleeves and getting to work doing something | | | | for himself is all it takes to cut into and change a |
| productive and fulfilling. | | | | negative cycle. Indeed, giving of oneself and helping |
| Habits, good and bad, and addictions seem to have an | | | | others often helps a person take his mind off of his |
| inertia or a life of their own. This being the case, if a | | | | own problems and commonly results in a different, |
| positive momentum is to be realized, people need to | | | | more positive perspective. Not only this, but helping |
| involve themselves in healthy and beneficial habits | | | | others frequently enables a person to discover more |
| rather than searching for shortcuts and giving in to | | | | healthy and good things about himself than he ever |
| harmful addictions. | | | | gave himself credit for. Once this happens, a person |
| Harmful vs. Healthy Activities | | | | should not be surprised if he finds more significance |
| The vast majority of people are smart enough to | | | | and joy in his life than he ever experienced before. |
| know what is harmful and what is beneficial in their | | | | Conclusion |
| lives. People need to surround themselves with good | | | | Herein lies the moral of the story: happiness and |
| things (healthy eating habits, proper sleep, contact with | | | | meaning do not result from addictions and weakness |
| positive friends and relatives, doing helpful things for | | | | but rather from overcoming one's shortcomings and |
| others, expressing thankfulness for the things they | | | | bad habits and replacing them with healthy, |
| have) and start eliminating actions and behaviors that | | | | life-affirming actions, beliefs, and habits. |
| they know are negative (staying out until 2 or 3AM on | | | | Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved |
| work nights, spending money to finance their alcoholism | | | | Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article |
| or drug abuse, surrounding themselves with people of | | | | as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit |
| questionable character, eating mainly junk food, | | | | the article in any way, and give the author credit. |