Watching the nightly news can be depressing. Even bad news from family or friends can drag your spirits down. Overcoming that “sinking feeling” and staying on top, can be tough. Yet no matter how distressing the situation, you can keep thought buoyant and positive. Mental buoyancy can keep your head above the “emotional waterline”. It’s also good for your health.
Described as a state of mind, buoyancy is an inner capability that carries you back to the surface when bad news threatens to pull you under. Coupled with resilience of spirit, it helps you recover your equilibrium. Buoyancy is a powerful, uplifting mind-quality that resides in thinking. It’s a mental mechanism that lifts one’s mood, and allows a person to resurface from the depths of unhappiness.
Visualize being buoyant
When news of misfortune upsets you, stay buoyant and emotionally on an even-keel, by using positive thought-images.
TIP:
– Follow this advice from newspaper editor, Arthur Brisbane. “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words”.
– Think of a yellow marker-buoy floating on the sea. A wave may temporarily submerge it, but when the swell has passed, the buoy bobs to the surface and resumes floating. Because of the air inside it, the marker-buoy never sinks to the bottom. It’s completely buoyant.
– Picture yourself mentally floating on top of the waves of fear or despair.
– Be assured that the mind-quality of buoyancy prevents you from sinking.
Increase buoyancy levels
Somebody once quipped, “Good news about someone never gets past the door, but bad news will travel a thousand leagues away.” When confronted with discouraging information, it’s time to raise your “good news” buoyancy level.
Tip:
– Don’t drown yourself, or others, in news of ill health, hopelessness or despair.
– Free yourself from the quicksand of depressing thoughts.
– Look for, and pass on, encouraging, constructive, thought-lifting news.
– Think of good news as a mental “life-jacket”.
– Share encouraging, life-supporting ideas on how to be happy and healthy.
Activate hopefulness
To stay emotionally on top, or recover quickly from distressing news, grab hold of your mental “life-line” – hopefulness. It can save you – as one man discovered.
Downcast in his thinking, he started sinking into despair. He needed a mental “flotation device”. So he activated hopefulness, in what he called a life-saving, thought-sustaining, Life-force. As a result, his thinking was lifted up. Like the unsinkable ocean buoy, he regained his natural composure and buoyancy of spirit. – The Bible. Psalms 42:11
Tip:
– Let hopefulness keep you afloat when bad news tries to pull you down.
– Hold onto your peace-of-mind. Confidently draw on resilient, hope-filled, buoyant thinking.
I’m a professional Christian Science Practitioner and Teacher. Through my prayer-based practice, I help people find happiness, health and healing.
Yvonne says
Your blog today Beverly has coincided with a short reading I found about staying buoyant when thought has taken a dive. Over past years it seemed that circumstances did have me experiencing periods of depression but I now have an anchor to work with and turn despair into hope and freedom from false suggestions. Thank you for your helpful “tips” Beverly. With love
Yvonne
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Yvonne for your comment. I am delighted to know that you’ve found buoyancy of spirit within your thinking. Your experience in overcoming bouts of depression is an encouragement to others. Well done. You’ve proved that it’s possible to stay buoyant and positive when difficult situations try and drag us down. Thanks for sharing. Love to you too.
Carol says
Your blog is so timely, Beverly. Thank you. It’s so easy for thought to be dragged down when listening to world news at the moment. Peace of mind, through buoyant, confident thinking, is well worth striving for. Love to you.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Carol for your comment. Yes bad news on the media can impact our peace of mind. That’s why it’s good to know that we have buoyancy within our thinking. This spiritual quality helps to keep our spirits uplifted…and we all have this quality!