BREAK YOUR NEGATIVE FUNK: 8 STEPS TO POSITIVE CHANGE

Do you ever have moments where you feel a bit blah? Maybe these moments last for a whole day, or maybe they just come and go. Either way, when they happen, they are not much fun. 

I call this a negative funk. When I get in one, I feel stagnant and I lack inspiration. My usual upbeat, positive vibe seems out of reach. Instead, I feel zero motivation, and my mind just seems to go round and round on a negative loop.

What do you do when you fall in to a negative funk? Do you allow yourself to wallow in negativity until something outside of you changes to make you feel better? Or do you look inside to figure out what is going on and commit to doing something positive and proactive to turn it around?

When it comes to what I write on this blog, I practice what I preach. Everything I write here I use in my own life. I can honestly say that I used to be one of those people that would frequently experience these funks. And when I did, I would do very little to change it. I did not know then, what I know now - that I actually have the power and ability to change my state, and eliminate my negativity if I choose.

The Cause of Negative Funks
Over the years, I have found these negative funks are more likely to arise when I am getting comfortable. When I am feeling a little lazy, I allow life to just run on auto pilot for a while. I just go through the motions, follow my habits and react to situations as they arise.

In these instances, my unconscious mind takes over and begins to run the show. The danger with this, is that many things lie in your unconscious mind that you are not even aware of. They may be old outdated limited beliefs, fears, unsupportive habits and old behaviours from the past that no longer serve you. When you live like this, it is impossible for you to create amazing new experiences and opportunities. Instead, you become stuck in a total rut and life feels like it is playing like a broken record.

Living Consciously
So, here is the good news. In order to turn around your negative funk, all you have to do is the complete opposite. You have to become conscious. What does this mean? It means, making a choice! Living consciously means you choose how you want to live and you commit to making it that way.

Living Consciously =

• Consciously and deliberately choosing your thoughts
• Choosing to take actions that you know will serve you
• Choosing to create new habits that will take you where you want to go
• Being aware of what is going on in your mind
• Creating your life proactively, rather than just reacting to what is happening

How to Break Your Negative Funk!
You have the ability to break your funk, and it is as simple as choosing to become more conscious of what is going on in your head. There are also lots of practices that you can use in your life to break your funk. Here are some that I use, that will hopefully be of help to you too!

1. Make The Best Of It
I love the phrase in the photo above - Grow where you are. To me, it can be interpreted to mean, make the best of where you are. Right now, you may find yourself 'planted' in a crap job, a disempowering relationship, or with a small bank account. Rather than getting yourself all upset about how crap it is, why not focus on how you can grow. How an you make the best of where you are? How can you start to turn this around?

In order to move your life forward, you do not need to figure out how to change or fix all of the problems in your life. Instead, simply start by making the best of what you have got. Find ways to start to feel better about where you are. As your energy shifts inside you, the world you you experience it outside of you, will also begin to shift.

2. Ask the Right Questions
When I was contemplating signing up for my Life Coach training, what stopped me was the money. For many months, I worried about how I would manage to pay for it. All my focus was on the reasons why I could not afford it. Then one day, I came across an article about the power of your questions, and I realised I needed to make a change.

Instead of thinking about all the reasons why I could not afford the course, I began asking myself "How can I afford this course? and "How can I find the money for this training?" When I began to ask empowering questions, I began to receive empowering answers. Suddenly, all my concerns around paying for the course shifted. I started to get a lot of new ideas about how I could pay for the course, and I felt a calm sense of knowing that everything would work out perfectly. 

3. Be Willing To Change
It is one thing to want to change in theory, but unless you are willing to do the work, nothing will happen. You must be able to open your mind to new possibilities, be flexible in your approach and allow changes to unfold in your life.

When I want to make a shift in how I am living, I repeat the mantra "I am willing to change" everyday. I take it in to the shower with me, I repeat it as I stretch in my yoga poses, and I say it in my mind as I walk to work. You have to be willing to change the way that you are thinking about something in order for anything to shift.

4. Choose New Goals
I tend to get in to a bit of a slump when I have no real direction. I find that I just react to life, rather than deliberately creating intentionally. It is important to ensure you are always growing and challenging yourself. So, you must continue to set goals that stretch you and take you to new places.

When you are working towards a new goals, you mind is focused on something positive and constructive. You must keep yourself focused and determined. This mental state helps prevent negative funks, as you are optimistically looking towards your future achievements. if you do not currently have a list of compelling and exciting goals that you are working on, it might be a good idea to sit down and write some.

5. Journal Positivity
When I want to bring more positivity in to my life, I like to carry a journal with me at all times. Whenever something positive happens in my life, or I feel good about something, or I notice something awesome, or I find something to appreciate, I write it down.

This is an extremely powerfully tool. Not only does it shift your energy to a more positive place during the day, but you will find that you start to notice the positive things in your life more easily. I also recommend reading over it at the end of the day, to boost your positive energy vibe!

6. Create a Morning Routine
The way that you start your day, has a significant effect on how the rest of it unfolds. it is important to take time each morning, to tune yourself in to a positive state.

The way I spend my morning tends to change and vary, but it always involves me getting up before the sun rises. I know this is a challenge for some people, but it is one of the most beneficial habits you can create. At the moment, I use this morning time to exercise at the gym. I never thought I could exercise in the mornings, but I am now converted  and I absolutely love it.

At other times of my life, I have used this morning time to meditate, journal, set intentions for the day, review my goals and do a bit of visualisation. These practices set you up in a positive vibe for the day, and get you living consciously, deliberately and with purpose.


7. Think in Baby Steps
If you're sitting in a place of depression, anger or fear, it can be pretty hard to jump straight in to a place of joy, happiness and optimism. So, I suggest taking baby steps with your thinking.

Start by trying to think about the situation in a way which feels a little bit better that what you're thinking now. Then, add another positive thought, and then another. Add in thoughts of compassion, forgiveness, faith, love, abundance, peace, kindness and generosity. Allow yourself to get on a bit of a roll with your positive thoughts and gradually your energy will shift.

8. Ask for Guidance
Now, I am not religious, but in challenging times, I pray. I do not pray to God necessarily, nor do I beg for help. I simply talk to that higher part of me that often has all the answers. I sit quietly and I ask for guidance. I ask for support and assistance. Although this is quite a spiritual practice for me, it does not necessarily have to be. It is as simple as acknowledging that there is a greater power at play in our universe that has the ability to step in and guide us when we need it most.

DARING MOMENTS: STEP OUT OF YOUR FEAR AND IN TO YOUR LIFE

A few days ago I was faced with the need to make one of those big life decisions. I was at a fork in the road. I had been procrastinating on making this particular decision for a long time, and I knew the day had come to make it. As I sat pondering my options, I weighed up the two paths that lay before me. I knew that whatever path I decided to take was going to completely change the course of my life.

The Two Paths
I thought about the first path. It was definitely the safe road. I had walked this path many times. It was familiar, certain and easy. Taking this path would allow me to continue to glide along in my life as it had been. Nothing would need to change. I would not need to be challenged. I could just keep things the same. Sure, it didn't feel overly inspiring or exciting, but that didn't mean it was not appealing. I could hear a little voice of fear whispering to me to choose this path "The other path will be so hard. Why not just keep it easy and stay where you are?" It said. "What happens if you fail?" 

As I thought about the second path, little bubbles of anxiety began to rise inside me. This would definitely be the more challenging route. This path was new and unknown. It involved risks and uncertainty. I would be well out of my comfort zone and in order to handle it, I would have to stretch myself to be bigger and better than I had before. Although this path seemed scary and daunting, deep down I knew it was the right one for me. Taking this path was something I had dreamt of for years. It was the path of my heart. It was a path that involved all the things I loved to do and all the things I was most passionate about. It was the path I was born to take.

As I sat at this crossroad, I experienced what I call a daring moment. It was as if life was daring me.

"Do it!" It yelled. "Take the second path. I dare you."

And so I did. I made the decision and I followed through with the necessary action. I chose the second path. The path of my heart.

My Daring Moment
In case any of you are wondering what this path was that I decided to take, I will tell you. This week, I enrolled in a training course that will see me become an Advanced Practitioner of Life Coaching. This decision will kick start a brand new career path for me and take me to a completely different place in my life. Those who know me, know that this something I have been thinking of doing for a long time. And as a reader of a life of perfect days, you will know that the field of self development, life improvement, and happy living is a big passion of mine. I cannot think of anything better that getting to do this for a living, so that is what I am going to do! I look forward to sharing more of my journey and of course my learnings with you on this blog over the coming months.

Embrace Your Daring Moment!
Have you ever been faced with one of these moments in your life? A moment where you can decide to either embrace the daring opportunity that life is presenting to you, or let it pass you by?

In the past, I have faced many daring moments where I have chosen to back down and take the easy route. So, what made this time different? I believe there are a few key factors that will either support or destroy your ability to embrace your daring moment. Here is what helped me;

1. Connect With Your WHY
Ask yourself why it is that you would take either path. Is it because it is easier, safer, more certain? Or is it because it sets your heart on fire, ignites your passion and calls you to become a bigger and better version of yourself?

You want to choose the path that is filled with the most joy. It should feel exhilarating to you. If you really connect with your heart and what you are feeling as you think of the 2 options that lay before you, you will be able to determine which is driven by fear and which is driven by love.

If you choose to take the more challenging, yet love filled path, remain connected to your why through the whole process. Remind yourself why you have made this choice. Anytime fear comes up, once again come back to your why. Think about all the amazing positive aspects of this new path you are taking, and move forward with your beautiful end result in mind.

2. Understand Your Fears
Here is the one thing you need to know about fear. Fear = Self Protection.

If you decide to take the second path, there is no doubt that your fearful voice is going to freak out and rush in with a thousand reasons why you should not and can not do it. This fearful voice is trying to protect you and keep you safe. It wants security, stability, comfort and sameness. It does not want to see you fail, as this will risk the love and acceptance that it thinks you need.

Rather than getting all caught up in the drama of these thoughts, just take a step back. Remember, these thoughts are not real. They are simply a self-protective mechanism. Remain calm, and become aware of what is going in in your mind. Identify these thoughts and notice them. Then, all you need to do is simply say to yourself "Thank you thoughts, I know you are just trying to protect me, but I am safe and all is well and only good lies before me." And then, let them go.

3.  Decide. Commit. Act
Once the decision has been made, commit yourself 100% and then follow through with immediate action. If you procrastinate, wait or decide to think about it for a bit longer, you will lose your moment. When the impulse is there you must jump on it immediately. If you wait, you will simply be giving your mind the perfect opportunity to step in and talk you out of it.

You must follow through with action before you have even a second to stop and think what you are doing. Act now, analyse later. Daring moments are lost by deliberation. It is a waste of time. Once you know this is the path for you, then you must follow through immediately.

Prior to making your decision, I do believe that you need to create adequate time and space to get clear on your decision. But unless proactive steps are taken, nothing will happen. Sure, it may feel scary. It will probably completely freak you out. That is ok. This is a good sign. It means you are taking a leap out of your comfort zone, and in to the zone where dreams are created.

4. Be Willing To Not Know
Any time you take a risk in life, you are going to have to embrace uncertainty. You are going to have to forgo your ability to predict and control the outcome. You are going to have to willing to not know how things are going to pan out.

Living this way forces you to become extremely present. When you step on to a bold new path that is filled with unknowns it is impossible to control how things will unfold. All you can do is take life one step at a time. Just take the step that lies before you in this very moment, and do not worry about anything else.

All you can do is set your intention and then show up each day and do what you can. You are not going to have the answers all at once. They will be revealed over time. You need to learn to trust the process that is unfolding, and trust that the Universe is supporting you. The amazing payoff of living a daring life, is by being willing to relinquish some of your control, you actually create a beautiful space for the Universe to step in and help you.

5. Support Yourself
Following a path that takes you out of your comfort zone can sometimes be a rocky road. It can be emotionally and physically testing. So, it is important to support yourself with positive and empowering thoughts, and to take good care of your body through these times of transition. Nurture your body with healthy foods, take adequate time out for rest and set aside time to get quiet and connect with your inner guidance.

There may be times when negative voices try to creep in to your mind to cut you down or hold you back. In order to succeed, you are going to need to be your own cheerleader. Congratulate your self on having the courage to take these steps, encourage yourself when you're facing challenges and give yourself positive reinforcement for all the actions you take along the way. Support yourself the way you would a best friend or a young child. Speak lovingly to yourself and believe in yourself, and you will be much more equipped to handle whatever your daring moment throws at you along the way.

ARE YOU BLOCKING YOUR HAPPY LIFE?

It seems everybody these days is on the search for the elusive happy life. I won't deny it. I am always looking for ways to become better, achieve more and create greater happiness.

The trick to remember, is that happiness starts in your mind. Do you know you can completely shift your level of happiness in the space of about 5 minutes by changing how you are thinking? Positive, loving, empowering and happy thoughts, create positive, loving, empowering and happy feelings in the body. Simple, right?

Very often the reason we are unhappy is not because crappy stuff is happening, but rather because we are thinking crappy thoughts. If we can work to pull out the weeds in our mind and clear out the negative thoughts, what we will be left with is happiness.

Happiness is our natural state until some yucky, low level thought comes along and blocks it. So, to experience more happiness, it makes sense that we identify what these happiness-stealing thoughts are, and then we work to turn them around.

Here are some of the common ways of thinking that I think block many of us from experiencing our natural state of happiness every day.

Mulling Over The Past
The past is over. Done. Finished. Complete. There is nothing you can do to change it now. So, unless you are sitting around reminiscing about the good old times, thinking about the past is a complete waste of your time and energy.

Do you ever replay past experiences over and over in your head? You may think 'if only' you had done it a different. You may analyse the past and search for what went wrong. Unless there are valuable lessons to be learned from these past experiences, you really just need to let them go.

Getting stuck in your head thinking about the past takes you out of this special, beautiful moment NOW. In life, you get what you think about. So, if you are thinking about past failures, past sucky relationships, past job stuff ups or past hurts, you are going to create them all over again in your future.

If you are one of those people whose life feels like a broken record and the same shit just seems to keep happening, it is probably because you are spending way too much thinking about this past stuff and in turn you are projecting it in to your future experiences.

Living in the past takes away from your powerful creative energy and drains you of your ability to create a fresh, blissful and fulfilling future.

Ignoring Your Inner Callings

One of the best ways to create a happy life, is to listen to what your heart calls you to do, and then do it.  I have no doubt you know what those things are that make you come alive. But perhaps you do not prioritise them or you do not think they are important.

Often we ignore that little voice that whispers to us. We often dismiss it. Maybe it is because we do not believe that what it tells us we can do, is really possible. Maybe it is because what it tells us we can have, seems to good to be true. Or maybe we have just lost faith in that little voice of intuition that often guides us to exactly what we need at any given moment.

Have you ever had a gut instinct about something, and rather than listening to it, you ignored it. Then what do you know, shit hits the fan. And you look back in hindsight and realise that listening to your inner nudges could have potentially prevented the pit fall? It happens to me all the time.

It can be hard to trust your intuition sometimes, especially when the voice of your rational mind is much louder. But by taking time to connect with yourself and learn what your heart wants for you, you can connect to your true source of happiness and move past what it is that has been blocking you.

Affirming The Bad Stuff
Every word you speak and every thought you think, is an affirmation. Yes, you heard me. Affirmations are not just motivational phrases stuck on your mirror. An affirmation is a statement to the Universe. It is a message that you are communicating about yourself. Every word and thought tells the Universe who you are and what you want to create in your life.

So, if this is the case, doesn't it make perfect sense to only say and think thoughts about what you DO want to create more of rather than what you don't? It is kind of obvious, yet that does not stop many of us telling anyone who will listen about all the things that we do not like about our life.

We may not even realise we are doing it. But each time you complain about the traffic, look in the mirror and criticise your body, bitch about your co-worker, feel crap about the amount of money in your bank account, you are sending a message to the Universe. Anytime you talk or think about something you do not like or do not want, the Universe is listening and is getting ready to bring you more of it.

Talking and thinking about what you do not want, will block anything that you do want or that you would like to experience from coming to you.

Playing Small
The reason we play small in life is because we do not believe in our selves. Why don't we set huge, scary, out-of-comfort-zone goals? Sometimes instead it is easier to take what we can get. Or maybe it is just easier to play it safe and do what you know. Either way, shrinking away from your dreams because you are scared or because you do not believe you can have them, is a sure fire way to sabotage your own happiness.

I think this amazing quote from Marianne Williamson sums up this point quite nicely...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"

Fretting Other People's Opinions
I think that many of us these days are living fake lives. Living life for other people. Doing the things that we think will win love and affection, rather than doing what we really want to be doing.

Sometimes you just have to go against the grain. You have to shut out the world, forget about what your parents want you do to and surrender the need to impress all your friends. You have to listen to your own voice. Your own inner calling.

It is impossible to be truly happy if you are living out someone else's dream. It is impossible to truly follow your heart, if you are concerned about what other people will think of you.

So, how about taking a risk? Why not be different? Find the courage to step out in to the world and march to the beat of your own drum. You never know, you might just find what it is that you have been looking for all along.

TAKE A DETOUR: TURN INWARDS

Recently, the way that I handle life's challenges has changed. I can definitely look back over this year and see that something has shifted. In the past when I encountered tough times, I would look to the external world to help me tackle them. I believed that was where the elusive solution lay. I was obsessively attached to results and outcomes.  It was all about getting the end result I wanted. The only way I knew how to solve my problems was to try and control other people, manipulate events to go my way, and fix all the things that I believed were wrong.

I was not at all in touch with my emotions and had no control over the thoughts that ran through my mind. As a result, I used external substances and experiences to numb and stuff down whatever I did not want to feel or or think about.

I often felt powerless and at effect in life. Things happened. I reacted. I did not have any additional coping strategies than this.

I believe most people today live this way. It is all we know. It is what we have been taught. Our focus remains purely fixed on the outer world and what we can do to change it. We have no idea that there is a another way. A better way. Sometimes you have to reach breaking point, and be hit down to your knees before you are willing give up your way, and ask for help.

The Detour

After years of using this outdated method and feeling like I was hitting my head against a brick wall, I finally surrendered. No matter how much I tried, worked , and struggled, I could not get the results I wanted. I began to realise how futile my attempts to change the outer world were. I instead decided to change the only thing that I had the power to - my inner world.

This process involved taking a detour. It required me to get off the well-worn track and turn down to a new path. A path inwards. This is where all true power lies, and it is where the solution to every problem can be found.

Sometimes life just keeps hitting you on the head until you wake up. This wake up call is a blessing. A blessing in disguise. It is a call that allows to discover the truth about life, and the truth about happiness.

This call causes you to crack open. To open yourself up to a new way of being and living in the world. Life no longer has to be about getting, grasping, fighting and competing. It does not have to be about making your external world perfect. You can still have all the things you want in your life, but you can learn how to create it from the inside-out, and with much more peace, effortlessness and flow.

We all want things to go our way. But life is not about that. So much happiness and joy can come being willing to accept whatever happens, and know that you will be ok, even if it all falls apart.

Change Starts Inside You

Changing the outer world starts with changing your inner world. If you can shift what is happening inside of you, then you will find the outer world with naturally begin to shift too. The solution to your problem begins with how you are thinking and feeling. By coming to a place of peace and acceptance you will allow everything to begin to flow. As you relax and open, you begin to allow solutions to come to you. When you are stressed, anxious and focusing on the problem, no solution can come.

I began to focus less on attempting to change the outer world, and more on changing me. Changing who I was. Changing how I was responding. Changing the stories I was telling. Changing the meaning I was making.

I was no longer concerned about whether or not I was having an effect on the world around me. Even though, nothing outside of me had changed, I still somehow began to feel so much better.

I realised that I could not change what was happening, but I could change how I responded to it. I could change my thoughts from being fearful, negative and critical to being loving, positive and accepting. I could change my feelings from being tense, uptight and controlling to at ease, soft, and flexible. I could change my emotions from anxious and worried to be calm and peaceful.

The point is, that it is not actually about the results. It is not about making the world look perfect. It is about changing the way you respond. It is about feeling better.

How to Turn Inward

It all starts with a willingness.

There must be a willingness to relinquish control, to be humble, to surrender. You must be willing to not know. This journey is not about having it all planed out. It is about showing up each day, and doing the best you can. There must also be a willingness to listen. Not many people listen these days. We talk a lot. We make a lot of useless noise. But not many of us really listen.

Your inner guidance will speak to you, if you are willing to listen. You will be guided to the exact book you need to read, the class you need to take or the person you need to meet. The solution to your problem will unfold effortlessly without stress or struggle.

Then you must ask. Ask for help. Recognise that there is an energy in this Universe that is here to help you. Be humble, and allow a power greater than you to step in and support you.


Many people do not ever reach this point until they have to. But I did. I had to make a change. I had no choice.

Tools for Turning Inward

Sometimes I forget to do the inner work. I will once again become seduced by the drama of the outer world. I will fuss and fight and attempt to regain control. And every time I do, I come crashing down. Things stop working. I feel off. There is no flow. There seems to be more problems than solutions.

The key is to start to use inner practices to support you before you reach breaking point. Start to integrate these practices in to your daily life. Make it how you live. Make it what you do.

I now have a tool box of inner coping strategies that I draw on. And I want to share them with you here.

1. Feel Your Emotions
Your emotions need to be acknowledged. Even the crappy ones. They need to be listened to. They need to be felt. They need to be released.

Suppressing or avoiding your emotions will not work. They will still be there inside you, just waiting for another opportunity to be expressed. Emotion is energy in motion. It needs to move through you and move out of you. It is exhausting to try to hold an emotion down inside of you. When you are stuck in a place of funky emotion, you must find a method to express it. It may involve talking to a friend, going for a walk, having a cry, doing some yoga, going to the gym. Anything that allows the emotion to move. It can not sit still.

Your emotion communicates to you. It is a messenger. Sometimes you may not even realise that you have been worrying about something, until you suddenly burst in to tears for no reason. Or maybe you have been thinking negative thoughts about a person, and then you get a crazy burst of anger and snap at them for no reason. Your emotions are an indicator of what is going on inside of you. Pay attention.

2. Quiet Your Mind
Stressful thoughts will make you feel stressed. Fearful thoughts will make you feel anxious. Fast-paced, monkey mind thoughts will make you feel overwhelmed. The easiest way to feel better, when you feel crap, is to slow down your thoughts and quieten your mind.

Through my most challenging times, meditation has been my lifesaver. Literally. I have experiences some days where I feel so overwhelmed, anxious or just plain crap, that literally nothing can fix it. On these days, all I can do is come home, sit on my yoga mat, light a candle and meditate. Nothing soothes me like meditation does.

Meditation does not have to follow any set guideline or process. It is very individual. It may be as simple as sitting still in quietness. That may be enough. You may also want to focus on your breathe or listen to calming music. Whatever makes you feel better, is perfect.

3. Let Go
Take a deep breath, and let go of whatever it is that you have been holding on to. Let go of control. Let go of resentments. Let go of fears. Let go of disempowering stories.

Give up your attachments. Stop needing to control everything. Come back to the moment and enjoy the process. Let go of the outcome.

Surrender is extremely relaxing. It is where you give up trying. You do not need to try so hard! And you do not need to work so hard. When you are in a negative space, and you try hard to make it better, you very often make it worse. It is very different to just let it go. Let go of the problem and come back to it later. Let go of the drama and let everything settle.

4. Listen for Guidance
Do not underestimate the power of your intuition. The more that you believe and have faith in it, the more you will hear it. It is a practice. It grows stronger the more you use it. It requires you to give up doing things your way, and entertain the idea that some higher part of you might just know better.Your intuition can help you solve problems. It can lead you to solutions that you may not have ever thought of.

Intuition speaks to you through inner nudges, feelings, sudden insights, coincidences and synchronicity. It may even come as a voice. It may leaves little signs and clues for you and helps you be in the right place at the right time. It connects you with the people you need to met. Whatever form it shows up in your life, does not matter. Either way, it will lead you to what you need. It will not predict your future and reveal any grand plan. It simply leads you moment to moment, step by step to a better place.

5. Be Willing to Not Know
You can not predict the future. You cannot control outcomes. You can not make other people be what you want them to be. You cannot always make things go your way. So, sometimes you have to be willing to not know. You may not always know if things will work out.

So, all you can do each day is just show up. Show up and do the best that you can. And be willing to detach from what will happen in the outer world. Just worry about your internal experience. Just make sure you head and your heart are in the right place. Just work to feel good on the inside, and then everything will start to improve on the outside.