Julio's Musings

Many moons ago, I started writing about the 35 steps for keeping your spirits up. It came from a book called Keeping-Up-Your-Spirits-Therapy (Amazon). Unfortunately, I never did get to finish writing about those steps. So, instead of doing what I tried to do last time, I’m just going to write them all out here and now:

1. Having a good attitude – It’s healthier than a plate full of carrots.
2. Cultivate your sense of humor – Laughter hides in strange places.
3. Make a list of your talents – You’ll be amazed at yourself.
4. Think of a special friend – There’s someone who loves you because you’re you.
5. Keep things simple – You’ll have more time for fun.
6. Forgive someone you’re angry at – You’ll feel light as a feather.
7. Forgive yourself in an instant – God does!
8. Make the best of what you have – You’ll be amazed at its value.
9. See problems as opportunities – Don’t dwell on them. Work on finding solutions.
10. Replace your fears with faith – And then let go.
11. Don’t despair – A broken heart can mend if you give God all the pieces.
12. Don’t run from the sad times – They can be opportunities to draw on strengths that have been sleeping.
13. Cherish your memories – Recall those that make you smile.
14. Live without making judgments – Acceptance brings joy.
15. Abandon unnecessary guilt – It’s extra baggage you don’t need to carry.
16. Pursue inner peace – It’s the deepest of all blessings.
17. Live in the moment – If you dwell on the past, you’ll miss what’s wonderful today.
18. Live in the moment – If you focus on the future, you’ll miss the freedom of today.
19. Have faith in yourself – Refuse to believe in the word impossible.
20. Let loose of what you can’t control – Serenity will be yours.
21. When you’re having a bad day, tell someone – A shared burden is always lighter.
22. Bask in the sunshine – It’ll warm your heart.
23. Accept each part of yourself – God did a remarkable job.
24. Welcome new challenges – If God gives you a task, it will come with directions.
25. Slow down – There’s no telling what you might miss.
26. Don’t tear yourself down – You have innate worth.
27. Never compare yourself to another – You were formed with great precision.
28. Accept others without conditions – It’s the very essence of love.
29. When everything is upside down, rest if you must – But don’t quit.
30. Accept suffering as a way of uncovering true values – You may not feel it, but you’re growing.
31. Pray – God lifts the dark clouds when you pour out your troubles.
32. Start your day with faith – God will give you the strength to do whatever is necessary.
33. Set a small goal for yourself – Accomplishments feel good.
34. Offer someone love today – You’ll be pleased when it returns to you.
35. Know that each day of your life is a gift – Have you thanked your Creator today?

For me, all of these have been important in trying to improve upon myself. I’ll be completely honest and admit that it’s not an easy thing for me to feel consistently uplifted and happy. It’s not for lack of trying or lack of desire to be that way. IT’s just a battle that I’ll have to keep fighting within myself for a while longer. I am definitely better at it now than I ever was. Sometimes the things we want or need are just given to us little by little.

The biggest challenge for me has always pertained to #26. I would constantly tear myself down. Words can be very powerful, even when we don’t realize it. I was actually just reminded of that this evening by Lizzie when I made a comment about me going splat when I go skydiving in September. Though I obviously meant it as a joke (a poor one), she did take the time to remind me to not say things like that because words do have a way of gaining a life of their own. She’s definitely right, and believe me when I say that last thing I want is for my parachute to not open when I’m falling from 13,000 ft in the air. That would be pretty terrible to say the least. Although, I did promise Nikki and Lauren that I’d go first so they’d have someone to land on, hahaha. Terrible.

I guess the biggest lesson about all of that is the fact that it’s always easier to tear something down than to build it up. We aren’t here to be destructive, despite how bad things in the world sometimes seem. We are meant to help each other; to build up our lives and the lives of others. It’s not an easy thing for me to build myself up, but like most things with me, it’s a work in progress. I’ve probably built myself up more in the past year than I had in the ten years before it, so at least it’s going well.

Having positivity in this world is a hard thing. There’s so much pain, suffering, struggling, etc. that it can overshadwon all the good that still remains. I was once so lost in my own negative world that I wouldn’t let the positivity in. What I know now is that when nothing seems to ever go right, don’t despair. Accept the challenges ahead of you, have faith, pray, show and accept love. And, if you don’t believe in God, then have faith that there is still so much good and potential positivity out there. It starts with each of us. It starts with you.

Random Final Note:

As anyone who knows me at all knows, I am not a fan of the heat. These hot summer days are just not my thing. I’m always complaining about the heat and the sun. I think I actually say from time to time that I’ll destroy the sun when I rule the world. I’ll let you all in on a little secret, though: Even on the super hot days (but preferably on days when I can actually stand being outside), I will take time to do what #22 says. I will stand outside, close my eyes, and take in the warmth of the sun. It helps, even if just for a moment, to bring some peace to my day.