3
2
2
Build PEs into your daily routine, so you always have good moments to look forward to. When you travel, choose the more scenic route or the one with the least traffic hassles, even if it takes longer. Take nature, art, music, quiet or learning breaks, instead of coffee breaks. Schedule time to exercise and time to talk with close friends, teachers or mentors. Schedule time when you can enjoy intimacy or family moments at meals, walks, conversations, or phone calls. Just planning and anticipating these regularly scheduled pleasures each day will boost your positive attitude and brighten your happiness.
Plan how you'll react to unscheduled opportunities for PEs.
"The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depends upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance,-- and so quit a certainty for an uncertainty." Seneca
Positive experiences don't just happen. They don't just fall in your lap. You have to be ready to see them, ready to fill these opportunities with life.
The more you open your attitude toward embracing spur-of-the-moment PE opportunities, the more you'll be able to spontaneously enjoy surprises. Prepare to take the time to enjoy spontaneous moments.
Plan to give yourself permission in advance to take time off when unanticipated PE opportunities appear. Develop, review, practice and keep ready an inner dialogue that gives you permission to act with spontaneity. Practice saying to yourself statements like; "Spontaneous positive experiences are great for me." "I deserve to take some spur-of-the-moment time for enjoying beauty, a challenging problem outside of my schedule, a pretty scene, etc." "This is one of those moments when I'm allowed to take off some time to feel good." Say the statements out loud. "This is one of those moments!" "I deserve this moment!"
Save money and ideas for a rainy day. Accumulate personal holidays, then use them. Think through the repercussions of taking time out for a spur of the moment activity and figure out solutions to possible problems. Discuss them with your spouse, friends or co-workers, and arrange to trade "spontaneous moment coverage time." so you can take off and leave your regular responsibilities when PE opportunities appear. Figure out now how to catch up later. More flexible people tend to be better at seeing these kinds of opportunities than others. You may have to work at noticing them. Be assured, they are out there, waiting for you to enjoy them. You may have to practice letting yourself notice and enjoy these by occasionally taking spur of the moment do-nothing breaks.
If you're one of the millions suffering from PPPTSD, which is partly a tongue in cheek joke, partly very real, the above ideas really can help you lift yourself out of the learned helplessness. The other thing you can do is get active, get involved. Start getting your hands on work and, rather than accepting things as they've been, get out and do things. Cross the threshold your "learned helplessness" intimidated or blocked you from crossing before. It's a new day with new light. Enjoy it.Things will not be perfect. Obama is guaranteed to disappoint some people, some of the time. But thing are no longer the same. The electric shock is off the cage. There are also a range of other approaches to PTSD that have developed. Do a search on energy therapies or energy psychology to find out more.
