40+FAB Blog

Professor William James, the notable 19th century American psychologist said this “Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not. Thus the sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if our cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there.”

So many times, we are waiting for something or someone to make the first move, for what we are hoping for, before we respond. Sadly it seldom ever happens, and we carry on in a state we would rather not be, because something out of our control did not do what we wanted.

How we feel and what we get out of life largely depends on what we have decided. Remember the story of the man who complained because he had no shoes, yet he met a man without legs who was much happier than he. If you choose to be optimistic, then no matter what befalls, you will find a way to focus on the bright side.

If life throws you lemons, make the first move and turn them into lemonade. If no one seems to care for you, make the first move and care for someone else. If none of your efforts on your projects seem to be working, make the first move and seek advice from an expert in that field.

Life is too short to get caught up in feelings and situations that are not working for you. Don’t wait around for something or someone to take action to get you out of there, you make the first move to change your situations and circumstances to what you would rather have them be. You will realise that as you move, everything that contributes to your change will begin to move.