We’ve all been through a dark night of the soul at some point in our lives. Wallowing in self-pity, feeling abandoned, betrayed, let down, filled with anger at the unjustness of life in general. It’s not a good place to be, or a good feeling….in fact, it can make you feel physically ill and depressed.

There was time in my life, not so long ago that I remember experiencing a heavy emotional cloud that weighed me down and made me drag my feet. Gone was all lightness of movement, of thought, of anticipation. All I could see was a very high brick wall all around me and the wall was closing in on me making it impossible to see daylight.

I allowed myself to continue wallowing for a while, really going into the sadness and apathy as I considered why I was experiencing these dark feelings. I realised that the only way out of this awful confined space was to make a decision to get myself out. No one else could do it for me. No amount of encouragement and moral support would move me forward. It was up to me and only me.

So, decision time. Do I stay and sink further into the mire of self-pity, or do I make a conscious choice to move back into a lighter space.

I had to go deeper to really connect with the core of the feelings, to unearth the real reasons behind them. It was enlightening, not what I had expected to find…but liberating. I realised that once understood, the core issues were all surmountable, just like the wall. I could climb out, brick by brick.

I began by writing a letter of encouragement to myself, listing my strengths, talents and positive attributes. I could do this, I would do this!

Then I wrote a short list of achievable goals and started working on achieving number one on the list. Once completed, I went on to number two and so on…. Each time I achieved a small goal I gave myself a mental pat on the back and also gave myself a little gift, something that gave me pleasure and made me smile. My favourite treat is sitting on the beach eating an ice cream dripping with caramel chocolate and chopped almonds...yum! On and on down the list…..

I haven’t reached the bottom of the list yet, but I am well on my way - I shifted my focus from sadness and desolation, to anticipation of an excellent outcome. For every negative, I found an opposite positive to focus on.

Here are some affirmations for moving into a more positive space:

• I choose to see good around me
• I choose to be happy today
• I choose to feel gratitude for the blessings my life brings me
• I choose to learn from my experiences
• I AM talented and have a lot to offer
• I AM appreciated
• I choose to lovingly let go of sadness
• I transform challenges into opportunities for growth

I expect to succeed and so I attract success!

Blessings
Linney

Author's Bio: 

Linney Elder is the author of “Infinitely Possible – A Cancer Odyssey”, a freelance researcher and writer, Reiki Master Teacher, intuitive healer and perennial student of life. Join her on this magical journey of self-discovery - read more insights and related subjects on her website: www.infinitely-possible.com This article was originally published on my website. © Copyright 2011 - Linney Elder. All Rights reserved.