A while back, I heard someone saying that he didn’t believe we could change our thoughts and that is why he was stuck in depression so long. I couldn’t disagree more. Changing our thoughts is exactly what we can change! And by doing so, we can change how we feel. We do this by changing perspective. The best way I know, is by applying the opposite. Sometimes, we just need to put something aside, let go deliberately and do something else physically for example. But at best, we’re able to process what we think and feel so that we might come to a different understanding, even by choice. When this process of change has taken hold within, we’re able to embody it and thus transform our mood, emotions, and energy.

To use the opposite, try thinking of what would make you happy about a situation rather than sad, pleased rather than annoyed, loving rather than hateful, inspired rather than envious, caring instead of harmful and so forth. It can be done by assuming a stance of pity at first of the other, growing into compassion. It can be finding what you’re grateful for not to have to endure yourself, and for what you have. And it can be to assume leadership and taking charge of what you’d like to do and begin to!

Even better is, that we by transforming this energy ourselves, also can transform the energy of a room, an event or a situation. It can be by bringing stillness and calm into riled up arguments, to bring order into chaos and to bring discipline and focus into disarray and upset, when there is drama without real threats. Often, it’s just a matter of standing our ground, standing tall, and remaining firm. To me, this is even what doing the yoga pose Vrikshasana (the tree) is about. To sway if we must, but to keep the balance. With the add of a prayer, we can even transform it into love with forgiveness.

As with most things in life, how we think and feel becomes a decision.

To read examples of you can transform different feelings into their opposite positives, click here.