I am normally all about peace, love, and happiness.  It is my status quo. Until it’s not. I will admit… and keeping it real here… that when things get stirred up, I tend to react.  Actually, over-react. And not always in a good way. It’s bad enough to have those “trying” people in your life… whether it’s family or friends or bosses… that drive you over the edge. There are days that I want to say, “ENOUGH!” If you are like me, and want to make some positive changes, these are 5 ways to heal the hate in your life.

I’ve been on a self-reflective journey the last few months. Partly to try and reduce the stress in my life. Partly to calm myself down. Partly because I don’t like who I become when I react to the negativity. I needed to heal the hate in my own life. The biggest a-ha moment for me was when it finally sank in that you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react. In theory, it totally makes sense and is a great bandwagon to jump on.  But in practice… HA! Telling yourself not to react to something negative when it’s ingrained in your personality is like telling Pavlov’s dog not to salivate.

I needed to re-train my mind and spirit, and it was actually a lot easier than I thought. It didn’t happen overnight. It’s impossible to wake up and say, I don’t react anymore!  WOO HOO!  But when several situations presented themselves and my reaction was basically no reaction, I knew it was working and I was heading down the right path.

To be honest, I wasn’t planning on sharing my journey with you. It’s embarrassingly private. But one of my triggers is all of this negativity we have around us lately. It breaks my heart to see this happening. But then I looked in the mirror at my own demons and realized that if I can write one little article and bear my soul and change one person’s life, then it’s totally worth it.  Because love will breed love.

Heal the Hate

The concept of these 5 hate-healers is super simple, and it’s not a lot of time – just a few minutes a day. A daily commitment is all you need to get started.  You may want to incorporate one or two or even all five in your life.  I would love to hear your thoughts after reading this article, and if you do embark in this journey, please come back and let us know how you are doing!

Turn it Off 

We live in the age of 24/7 news bombardment. From news stories on TV, to friends posting on Facebook, it’s constantly around us.  What are your triggers? Is it the news?  Turn it off, or limit your time reading or listening to the news. Is it social media? Take a break from Facebook or limit your time. Set boundaries to limit the negativity you let into your life.

Meditation and/or Prayer

When I first learned about meditation, I didn’t get it. I thought meditation was having quiet time. But meditation is used for so much more. I started using Headspace. They give you free sessions to learn and build the foundation before the paid version kicks in. My expectations were low and at first, I was like… meh. Those 10 minutes a day turned into 10 minutes in the morning when I first wake up, and 10 minutes at night before I go to bed. AND THEN, I combined this meditation with prayer and… WOWZA. There are no words to describe the impact this has had on my life. PS – even better if you write down your progress in a Gratitude Journal!

Get Moving

Whether it’s your favorite exercise, fun sweaty activity, or even yoga, get moving.  Exercise produced endorphins. Endorphins make us happy. Happy heals hate.

Detoxify

Sometimes in life, you have to let go. Search your soul and if someone is truly toxic to your well-being, it may be time to say goodbye. In the meantime, Epsom salts baths are a great way to detoxify the body. Even better if you can meditate while in the tub!

Be Kind to Those Who Have Wronged You

Without sharing too much of our dirty laundry, there is a family member who can be… um… let’s just say difficult. The other day, I found an item that I knew this person would absolutely love. So I bought it to give to that family member. Even though I’m not always treated well, I wanted to do something kind… just because it’s the right thing to do.

Will this act of kindness make a difference?  Maybe? Maybe not? But sometimes always in life, doing the right thing is the right thing to do.

It’s a journey for me, and it’s a journey for all of us. Let’s all work together towards sharing more love in this world.

Are you Inspired? It’s time for more GRATITUDE!

Love, hugs, and finding my zen.