Its a Great Day To Be A Duck: Shifing Our Perceptions

A Great Day To Be A Duck

Its a Great Day To Be A Duck: 

Shifting Our Perceptions

Last week a big, beautiful snowstorm interrupted the rain and laid a blanket of quiet around our city. For many of us it was such a delightful and bright way to welcome the holiday season to the Lower Mainland. But while some chose to get excited and build snowmen, others chose to complain about the ice and the need to shovel.

Why do some see the beauty in it and others do not? 

There is no doubt that winter on the Pacific Wet Coast can be a challenge. The low cloud ceiling, the darkness at 4:00 in the afternoon and the months of endless rain can test even the heartiest of us.

But my friend Constance has it figured out. In her bright yellow raincoat and gumboots she happily hops from puddle to puddle exclaiming, “It’s a great day to be a duck!” And because she means it, and because she is sincerely - a duck, she casts a bright ray of sunshine on every gloomy person she comes into contact with. She has the ability to shift a person’s perception of the rain, if only for the brief moment of their encounter   

“I haven’t always liked the rain,” she told me one day - “I had to decide to like it.” “I like Vancouver, I like the ocean, moving to the desert would never work for me, so instead of hating the rain and spending four months of the year miserable, I decided to love the rain and never complain about it again. Life is much better this way.”
I had to agree with her, life is better when we are happy.

Is being happy as simple as that?  

Is it as simple a task as changing our perception and making a choice to feel good instead of miserable; to enjoy rather than disdain; to see the beauty instead of the mire? 

I believe it is. The shift is possible in all areas of our life from our disposition, relationships and our health to our finances and careers. It is possible to feel good about it all no matter where we are in it; whether it is an acceptable circumstance or one that requires us to make a change. The hard part and question is in the how. How do we shift our perception to a positive one?

What we focus on becomes our reality and when we focus our attention with positivity - then positivity in all its glory and ultimate possibility comes back to us. However, the same holds true for negativity... Focus with negativity at its core, will without a doubt come back to us negatively. Unfortunately it is not uncommon to be completely unaware/ unconscious of a negativity we are projecting.

Dane always wakes up singing... It is one of the many things I love about him. Even if he has been singing jingle bells since the middle of September, I still love to hear the happiness in his voice. When I ask him “How is it that you are always in a good mood”? He answers, “What is the alternative?”  It is a great answer that has helps me to look at my ever-changing moods and ask myself why I would choose to be blue when I could choose to be happy? 

In order to successfully shift your perception, you must first understand that when you find yourself on autopilot in a pattern of feeling gloomy, bitchy, unreasonable or stressed it is an indicator gauge telling you there is a problem and you must look inward. The true cause of your moodiness is rarely the weather and stems from a deeper-rooted cause that will need a deeper insight or healing before a positive outlook can occur for you.

The 1^st Step:

Pay attention when you feel unhappy; be aware of your feelings! Be conscious of any negativity you are expressing and allow yourself to feel the way you feel without judgment.

The 2^nd Step: 

Ask yourself these questions (for those who know the NTHP alternate handwriting technique, pose the questions with your dominant hand and let your alternate hand reply to obtain deeper clarity and insight).

-       How does being negative about this serve me? What do I get from it? 

     (love, attention?)

-       How am I keeping this negativity alive?
-    Is this negativity a sub-conscious belief I carry? Where did it stem from? 

-    What do I need to do to heal this part of me?  

-       What would thinking positively about this look like? How would it change my life?

-       Do I need to treat myself better?

-       How can I support myself better?

 

To successfully shift your disposition from negative to positive, it is sometimes enough to just be aware that a belief, habit or pattern exists, but sometimes it requires a stronger relationship to the self and a connection to the divine nature within you to heal on the level of the soul before you can access your power of choice. This is where NTHP and Soul Re-cognition can help. These processes have helped me step into my power of choice and they can guide you there too.  

So this season, give yourself the greatest gift you can give yourself. Give yourself the power of choice; the choice to live the life you want to be living.

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright
Love Anne