Sri Chinmoy's Practices Can Help You Create Positive Change in Your Life

Everyone gets stuck in the occasional rut. Sometimes the funks in which they find themselves aren't grooves, though, they're enormous ditches. If your life has ground to a halt in a vast chasm of despondency, you need to create a ladder to help you climb out. Here's how.

Apply positive change to your life.

Positive change involves altering your thoughts and behaviors. Sound difficult? Well, tackling every little habit in one go won't be easy. Follow a step-by-step approach, however, and the task will be more doable.

What have your thoughts and behaviors got to do with being in a rut?

What you think about determines your behavior. Think you need to stock the fridge with lemonade? You'll go shopping for lemonade. Think your life is full of negativity? You'll perceive negativity in your environment.

You behave in ways that reflect your mindset, so if you've set your mind to see doom and gloom, it will follow your orders. The chances are you'll spot the grimace on your neighbor's face when she fumbles in her bag for her door key. You'll miss the positive way she greets her dog who's been waiting for her to return, though, and you won't notice her break into a smile.

Your mind sees what it's programmed to see rather than the entirety of what happens. It sifts through potential snapshots of the world and presents what you coach it to show you. If you don't like what you see, you need to rewire your mind and tell it to present something you prefer.

Spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy, pointed out it is easy to see the faults in ourselves and other people. Often a person’s flaws are their most memorable qualities. However, he preached we should try to focus on the positive aspects and good qualities inherent in ourselves and others. Positive thinking allows one to bring out the best in others too.  "Only by our positive thinking, by our bringing the positive qualities of others to the fore, will this world be able to make progress," expressed Sri Chinmoy. 

Change your behavior and create fresh neural pathways.

Changing your thoughts can help you alter your behavior, and it works the other way around too. When you change your behavior, you start to think differently. Meditate each morning, for instance, and you'll become calmer. As a result, your thoughts will reflect your calm demeanor.

Behavior change is also part of the process of overwriting old unhelpful habits. Just as you created unconstructive daily practices via repetition, you need to repeat fresh behaviors too.

Identify negative habits.

Habits to override include those that create negativity. If they escalate a low mood and reduce your well-being, they keep you in a rut. Perhaps you gossip with a friend each evening about how awful life is and feel bad afterward. Or you might eat lots of processed foods that leave you malnourished and lethargic. These habits are ripe for swapping for more helpful behaviors.

Swap unhelpful habits for superior alternatives.

Once you recognize harmful behaviors, consider healthier measures. For example, look on the bright side if your usual habit is to talk about what you dislike or what's gone wrong. Consider silver linings and forgive people who've let you down or upset you.

Sri Chinmoy taught not to dwell on negativity as it will affect your being. It's always better to accept unfortunate experiences and take a practical approach, meaning doing what is best for you in the present.

Seek new experiences.

Another way out of a rut is via new experiences. When you develop new hobbies, go to different places, and meet new people, your life will change. You'll gain new contacts, make friendships, and discover activities that make you feel great.

Carry out a life assessment.

Examine aspects of your life you will benefit from altering. Perhaps you hate your job, and it’s time to seek career opportunities. Or you can change the décor of your home to brighten your mindset. In the same way, you swapped harmful habits for superior alternatives and exchanged aspects of your lifestyle you dislike for those that make you happy.

Getting out of a major rut means overhauling your life. Do so one change at a time, though, and the job won't overwhelm you. Gradually, you'll create a bright future and be happy.