Bethea's Blog

January 31, 2023 - A New Year... With New Challenges!

As we plunge into 2023, I would like to take some time to discuss a topic that we should all keep in mind as we progress further into the year... and that is optimism. I find people, by and large, to be optimists, which has always been proven as healthful and hardy. However, in more recent times, over the past few years of COVID, and political and social unrest, that optimism has no doubt been tested. Certainly, the past few years has brought on health and economic challenges the world over unlike anything we've ever confronted before.

For that reason, I'm not surprised to have seen a shift away from the positive and optimistic attitudes I typically attribute to my clients. Maintaining a positive focus isn't a given, particularly when confronted with the situations and circumstances that touch on the health, well-being, and security of ourselves and loved ones. That's why I want to share ways to generate a positive outlook, especially during those tough times in your life when remaining optimistic was hard to do.

For me, an attitude of gratitude is vital for keeping a stable state of mind. When we remain connected to the positive in our lives, as opposed to more negative or worrisome sides, we feel less burdened. So, one way to feel better about life overall is to take a few moments out of each day to think about the people and things we cherish and/or the things we find fulfilling and for which we are truly grateful.

Limiting our negative thought patterns as much as we can also help stabilize our mental and emotional states. Of course, there's no way to avoid pessimistic or worrisome thoughts from cropping up altogether. However, if we find ourselves going into a tizzy over something, it's best to try to figure out what's making us uncomfortable. And in that way, we may find a way to alter a situation so that we don't feel so threatened or out of balance. We can also share our worries with someone close to us so as not to have to carry these burdens alone.

What we really want to avoid is worrying about the things that haven't happened yet or fretting about potential scenarios over which we have no control in the first place. The best way to tackle such scenarios is to imagine or re-envision a different and more positive outcome to replace any foreboding ones that haunt us. By replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, we put ourselves in a more positive frame of mind. The Dalai Lama has some helpful advice in this arena: "If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it is not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever." This advice really resonates with me, and I hope it will for you as well.

Finally, taking good care of ourselves is another excellent way to encourage a positive focus. Getting a good night's sleep along with regular exercise does wonders for improving our outlook... Just try it and you'll see that I'm right. I hope my thoughts can help you to maintain a more positive frame of mind. Blessings always!

Your Friend and Astrologer,

Bethea