Daily Gratitude: How often have you noticed everything going down the tubes when you’re in a monotony rut? Moods deteriorate; motivation decreases; apathy sets in. You have to get moving in order to start thinking out of that rut. I think people think that monotony and inertia are common winter problems. But then you see others talking about it in the summer. Maybe the temperatures are factors but there are plenty of people that overcome both issues no matter what time of year it is. Don’t allow yourself any excuses. Once you suspect you’re experiencing monotony, do anything you can to find something that will capture – AND – keep your attention. Find someplace to go – a museum maybe; start a hobby; drive some place you haven’t been before; take pictures; read a book; etc. Just find something. Once the chain is broken, keep finding new things to keep you actively engaged. Work at it diligently- it’s not going to just happen.

Daily Gratitude: Another simple statement that says so much. Wow. When you realize there is absolutely nothing you can do to change something from the past then it might help make it easier to let go of whatever is “eating” at you. What you can do with the past, though, is learn from it. Analyze it and take whatever lessons you need from it and move forward. Nothing you do will change it. However, you can change how you think about the past and make it less difficult or traumatic to think about. That’s recommended for some people with chronic pain when dealing with childhood memories. Changing your perception of the memory can help build a new neural circuit and that helps to keep your brain from continually visiting the old pathway which led to physical pain instead of having to deal with the emotional pain. As they say in ultra racing – keep moving forward. You don’t need to retrace your steps.

Daily Gratitude: Who would have thought Oprah would be so wise. As I told someone the other day. Usually the most important things in life are very simple. And sometimes they are even easy. This quote is both simple and easy to understand and use. If you remember the quote when things aren’t going perfectly, you can use the concept of “contrast” to help improve your mood and outlook. For example, think about all the complaining people do about how cold it is in winter. Then in a month or two the same people are wishing it was winter because it’s so hot. Without one you wouldn’t know and appreciate the other. When you haven’t slept well, take the time to appreciate good sleep. When you’re tied up in traffic, be grateful you aren’t in an accident. I always remember when I worked in Washington, DC I lived 75 miles away. One day a snow storm was moving in and I asked my boss if I could leave early since I had to drive that distance AND drive on Interstate 95, a perpetual parking lot anyway. He said “no” because we were having a guest speaker or something. I was upset and angry. By the time I left it took me 8 hours to get home because of a 100 car pileup on I-95. Had I left when I wanted to, I would have been in the middle of the accident and probably would have been out there in the snow all night long if I hadn’t been injured. I didn’t mind the 8 hours in traffic at all when I heard about that. Always think of the opposite and find something good about your situation now.