Reflect on What Makes You Happy to be Alive


“It’s beneficial to recognize and appreciate your feelings and emotions during hard times,” says Carter, “If the challenges seem too massive to confront, break them down into practicable chunks.”

Resilience is our capacity to adjust and bounce back when events don’t go as scheduled. Resilient individuals don’t dwell on misfortunes and have a positive image of the future. That is, they maintain a positive outlook and envision brighter days ahead. When overcoming setbacks, resilient people have concrete goals and a desire to achieve those goals. (Source: The Morning Mind)

“Reflect on what makes you happy to be alive,” says Carter. “The subconscious responds very powerfully to feelings, and the more of a sensory experience you make, the more effective it will be.”

“By reflecting on how you survived through periods of distress, you can determine how to react effectively to emerging situations,” says Dr. Rob Carter III, co-author with his wife, Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter, of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com).

“Accept the situation as they are, learn from your missteps, and then move forward,” says Carter.

Carter offers straightforward ways to help boost your chances of developing resilience and overcoming setbacks.

1)    Be proactive. “It’s beneficial to recognize and appreciate your emotions and feelings during hard times,” says Carter, “If the challenges seem too massive to confront, break them down into practicable chunks.” For example, it is valuable to help you nurture self-discovery by asking yourself, what can I do about this dilemma in my life?

2)    Push your goals forward. “Create some practical goals and do something consistently—does not make a difference how little the achievement is,” says Carter,” ask yourself—what’s one thing that I can accomplish today that puts me on the path I want to go in life?”

3)    Be aware of your perception; how you think matters. “How you think plays a major role in how you feel—and how resilient you are when confronted with challenges in your life,” says Carter, “identify one or two areas in your life where irrational thinking is common and adopt a more objective and rational thinking pattern.” For example, if you feel devastated because you are off track to achieve your goal to lose 20 pounds or declare financial freedom by the end of the year. Remind yourself that if you do not achieve the desired goal and that isn’t an indicator of how next year will go.

4)    Accept change, recognize that it’s unavoidable. “Recognize that change is an element of natural life,” says Carter, “Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed aids your ability to focus on the modifiable aspects of life.” “Sometimes, previously defined goals and objectives may no longer align with the current course of your life,” says Carter.

5)    Sustain an optimistic mindset. “It’s tough to be optimistic when life isn’t going your way,” says Carter, “however, an enthusiastic outlook encourages you to believe that great things will happen for you.”

How can you overcome setbacks and master each day of your beautiful life?

Try envisioning what you want instead of worrying about what you fear. Along the way, note any subtle ways you start to feel better as you deal with challenging circumstances. For example, be assertive instead of aggressive and integrate short-term stress-relief strategies and exercise into your daily life. Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones to build a growth mindset.

About Dr. Rob Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter

Dr. Rob Carter III and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter are co-authors of The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life (http://www.themorningmind.com). The Carters reside in Austin, Texas.

Rob Carter is a Colonel in the U.S. Army, an expert in human performance and physiology. He has an academic appointment in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and medical physiology and completed postgraduate studies at Harvard School of Public Health.

Kirti Carter was born in Pune, India. She received her medical education in India, where she practiced as an intensive-care physician before moving to Texas to complete postgraduate training in public health. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Stress (FAIS), has more than 18 years of experience in meditation and breathing techniques, and has facilitated wellness seminars for the past decade.

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