I read a wonderful piece on TedX this morning about the narratives we grow up with and then tell ourselves as we grow into ourselves. So many of the things we have internalized and accepted as our truths are the things we thought we heard about ourselves growing up. When we are young and our brains still are forming, we tend to believe the worst about us rather than the best. We believe the things that tell us we are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Those are the lies we keep telling ourselves.

These lies we tell ourselves ultimately become the foundation on which we base our lives. These lies we tell ourselves become the foundation on which we begin writing our own narrative. Maybe it is time to change the story. What if instead of thinking we are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough or pretty enough, we start telling ourselves we are good enough. We are brilliant. We are perfectly shaped. We are beautiful.

We do not have to keep telling ourselves the same stories that keep us stuck in the quagmire of depression and anxiety. We can choose to start writing a new story, a new narrative for ourselves that will help propel us to a brighter future, a better, healthier life. The negatives we grew up with likely are not true. What are your positive attributes? What are your strengths? Look at those and lift yourself up. You cannot go back and write a new beginning to your story, but you can change course and write a new ending. You are the creator of your own life. You are the author of your own story. Do not let the tales of your past stop you from creating for yourself the life you not only have dreamed of but the life you fully deserve.

Changing the way you think about yourself can mean the difference between a life stuck in the quagmire of depression, anxiety, substance use and eating disorders and a life full of health and happiness. You deserve to be free of the albatross of mental illness. You deserve a life free of substance use. You deserve a life free of the specter of eating disorders.

It takes practice, but repeating to yourself positive affirmations can help you move away from the negative story you have been telling yourself. Tell yourself you deserve better. Tell yourself you are worthy of love and belonging simply because you are human. Tell yourself you are brilliant and beautiful and strong.

You are so much more than the negative story you grew up believing. It is time to believe in yourself, to look at yourself with love and write for yourself a story that makes you happy. It is time for you to change the narrative.

Recently, I have noticed a distinct change in the way I have been thinking and how it has affected my life. For years, I have struggled with the negative thought patterns often associated with depression and anxiety and have found that my thinking has taken a definite downward spiral. This has affected everything from the way I think about myself to the way I think about others and life in general.

I am reminded that in order to live a positive, happy and healthy life, one must change one’s thinking. Think positive, be positive. That does not mean that every minute of every day is going to be wonderful. It does mean that if you look for the positive in things, there likely is an upside to everything. Your life is about as good as you decide it is going to be. If you look for the silver lining, there is bound to be one. The way you think profoundly affects everything.

In an effort to regain my positive attitude toward life, I have taken to seeking out motivational quotes and readings to inspire me to think more positively. I have only been doing this for a week, but must confess it is helping tremendously. Perhaps you might benefit from the same if you are struggling with negative thinking.

What I had forgotten of late is that even on our worst days, our lives likely are not all that bad. Everything that comes to us from the universe is meant to help us learn more about ourselves and help us become better people … the people we were always meant to be. Trials and tribulations confront us to help us learn what our strengths are so that we can draw from them in the future when things get rough. Life is our greatest lesson, our best teacher.

When stuck in the muck of negative thinking, it can be difficult to reframe your thoughts to see the good in situations. I am trying to remember that even when things seem bad, there is good to be found and that there always is something to be grateful for. Gratitude is the birthplace of joy. How you look at things, how you interpret life’s daily challenges dictates how you perceive your life, yourself and others around you. Would you not rather see the good in things and lead a more positive life than dwell on the negative? What can you do today to improve your outlook on life? What steps can you take to change the way your think about yourself and your life?