Amy Morin

Self-pity can consume you until it eventually changes your thoughts and behaviors. But you can choose to take control. Even when you can’t alter your circumstances, you can alter your attitude

If you think, Bad things always happen to me, create a list of good things that have happened to you as well

While feeling sorry for yourself is about thinking I deserve better, gratitude is about thinking I have more than I deserve. Experiencing gratitude requires some extra effort, but it isn’t hard. Anyone can learn to become more grateful by developing new habits.

People who feel gratitude don’t get sick as often as others. They have better immune systems and report fewer aches and pains. They have lower blood pressure and they exercise more often than the general population

Retaining your power is about being confident in who you are and the choices you make, despite the people around you and the circumstances you’re in.

Choosing to forgive someone who has hurt you, either emotionally or physically, doesn’t mean you have to excuse the other person’s behavior, but letting go of your anger frees you to focus your energy on a more worthwhile cause

Just because one person thinks something, it doesn’t make it true. Don’t give one person’s opinion of you the power to determine who you are

By focusing on what you can control, it is much easier to let go of worrying about what you can’t

• Listen first, speak second. Other people are often less defensive when they feel like you’ve taken the time to hear what they have to say.

Research indicates that people who stop trying to control everything experience an increased sense of belonging and community