an epiphany...

i stumbled into a friend's blog recently... ok, not really stumble. i've just only added her as my fb friend, and was just snooping around her profile, which led me to her sister's profile (whom i sorta knew), which led me to her blog, which has a link to her sister's (my friend) blog in her list.

it's really amazing what one can find on the web, if you know where to look... which brings me to worry a little about what ppl are finding about ME on the web!

i digress. anyway, while i was reading through my friend's blog, it struck me that she seems so positive! her whole blog, from the top banner, to her writing, to the very feel of the blog, spews POSITIVITY. then i got to a post where she shared something from a book she's read - One by One, The World Is Yours To Change, written by Daisaku Ikeda. basically it's a collection of essays on individuals based on his personal encounters and relationships... individuals like nelson mandela, rosa parks, arnold toynbee etc.

one individual mr. ikeda wrote about is dr. martin seligman, a fox leadership professor of psychology in the departments of psychology at the university of pennsylvania and a best-selling author of optimism and the creation of happiness. he was also the president of the american psychological association for 1996.

quote from my friend's blog:

"it is indeed important to have awareness, realization within ourselves. often, the unconscious dialogue we conduct within ourselves when we face obstacles, since we do not notice it, becomes habitual.

dr. seligman suggested that to be aware of our inner-thoughts, one way is that to write down what we are thinking to ourselves when we are in a situation. put in positive words for ourselves. we should practice optimistic thinking, inscribing optimistic phrases in our minds."

it was then that i realized i've been pretty negative all these while. complaints about work, my bosses, my housemates, my whole situation... everything! with dark thoughts and depressions thrown in for good measure. no wonder i'm only attracting all the negative vibes around me!

so i've made up my mind to be positive! and right away, this song comes to my mind and stayed stuck there for the whole day:

"sunny day / sweepin' the clouds away / make my way / to where the air is sweet..."

ah, nothing like a pinch of the sesame street theme song to perk one up, huh? and just like that, i feel my whole being just lift up in a happy singing mood! now why didn't anyone tell me it's so simple from the beginning, that it's all in the mind?!

so let's see how long this can last, shall we? oh no, i'm not supposed to have such thoughts... that's considered a negative thought, right? ok, i can do this! i can do this! *ommmmhhhhh...*

psst... anyone knows an antidote to getting that sesame street tune out of one's head? ;P