The eyes of the cheerful and of the melancholy [person]
are fixed upon the same creation;
but very different are the aspects which it bears to them.
- Albert Pike
Let today be a day to take life less seriously.
Kick back, smile, laugh,
watch the busyness of the world from a quiet corner
and find joy in everything around you.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
I am determined to be cheerful and happy
in whatever situation I may find myself.
For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness
is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.
- Martha Washington
Stay Happy, never let anyone get your goat.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Whether
phrased as "push your buttons," "get your goat," "get you riled up," or
"annoy you," it's no fun to be on the receiving end. How to cope?
1.
Don't take it personally. Even when someone criticizes your actions or
demeans your very nature, know that they are merely directing their
inner turmoil in your direction. Someone else's opinion of you is
mostly irrelevant, and basically none of your business. Don't assume
that there is any validity to an accusation. Perhaps there is a
valuable lesson buried inside the unkindness that merits objective
consideration, but negative emotions are best just quickly discarded.
2.
Look to the positive people in your life for support. If you balance
many positive and supportive friends against one or two negative
influences, it is much easier to cope. If you don't currently have
enough positive people in your life, begin a focused effort to add
positive people to your inner circle.
3.
Remove negative people from your life. Yes you can, even if it's your
boss. You don't need that job so much that it's worth your health or
happiness. Everything in life is a choice. Sometimes making a change is
important, while other times just knowing that you hold the power to
make a different choice is enough.
4. Forgive the offender, not
for their sake, but for your own sake. The act of forgiving releases
your anger and provides space for rational thinking and action.
5.
Be grateful for the wake-up call. Any time that someone or something
grabs your attention is a good time to be grateful - even if the message
is unpleasant. Something is happening that requires your conscious
awareness. Perhaps you have a lesson to learn or an action to take.
Perhaps it is time to remove another negative influence from your life.
6.
Release any expectations that the unkind person should have acted
differently. Life is not fair, and you only cause yourself unhappiness
if you hold an expectation that life or any individual *should* be fair or
kind.
Read
Stop Anger Before It Stops You - 7 Secrets for more ways to cope with anger.
Further reading:
Choose to Soar
Ten Little Tips to Feel Happier Right Now
The Wisdom of Patience
Creating Happiness
