Fast Results E-Zine
When you sign up, you'll get instant access to my article archives, exclusive content and other freebies. Plus, we will never sell, rent or share your information so sign up today.
Search
Bookmark this Page
Blog Carnivals
Blogroll
Resources
Categories
- 10 Things (2)
- Blog Carnival (8)
- Bullying (3)
- Career (51)
- Communicators in the news (20)
- events (1)
- General (15)
- Goal Setting (20)
- Health (1)
- Inspiration (21)
- Interpersonal Communication (30)
- Job Interview (25)
- Leadership (5)
- Learning (2)
- Motivation (47)
- Networking (16)
- Online Success (6)
- Personal (5)
- Politics (20)
- Public Speaking (121)
- Quick Tip (7)
- Review (2)
- success (4)
- Time Management (5)
- Toastmasters (27)
- Video of the Week (14)
- Writing (5)
Archives
- March 2010 (6)
- February 2010 (12)
- January 2010 (6)
- December 2009 (7)
- November 2009 (12)
- October 2009 (12)
- September 2009 (3)
- August 2009 (6)
- July 2009 (11)
- June 2009 (16)
- May 2009 (8)
- April 2009 (7)
- March 2009 (10)
- February 2009 (7)
- January 2009 (8)
- December 2008 (5)
- November 2008 (3)
- October 2008 (7)
- September 2008 (11)
- August 2008 (9)
- July 2008 (18)
- June 2008 (9)
- May 2008 (14)
- April 2008 (14)
- March 2008 (11)
- February 2008 (10)
- January 2008 (13)
- December 2007 (13)
- November 2007 (2)
- October 2007 (4)
- September 2007 (3)
- August 2007 (4)
- July 2007 (3)
- June 2007 (4)
- April 2007 (1)
- February 2007 (2)
- January 2007 (3)
- December 2006 (2)
- November 2006 (7)
- October 2006 (6)
- September 2006 (12)
We all feel down from time to time. Sometimes, it has to do with things that seemingly shouldn’t have any effect on us such negative stories in the news or even the weather (Seasonal Depression affects a lot of folks). Other times, it’s a bit deeper: someone says something to us, we feel overwhelmed with everything going on in our lives or we’re not feeling well physically, which often affects us psychologically.
I’ve discussed a few ways to deal with hopelessness in some prior posts, but one of the techniques I’ve found most effective for beating the blues is to look at all the assets we have. Now “assets” is a loaded word – in fact, part of the reason that many people feel down to begin with is that they look at their financial or physical assets from the “glass is half empty” point of view. What we all need to realize is that although our financial and physical assets (such as a home, savings, cars, etc…) do have some importance in our lives (we need shelter, food, transportation, etc…), it’s our assets such as our knowledge, skills, relationships and attitudes that help us when we’re down.
And often, the assets that are most valuable to us and can help us the most are the ones we tend to overlook when times get tough: the love from our families and friends, the freedom to think freely, the ability to acquire new skills and the power of communication to develop new relationships. So here is a non-exhaustive list of some of these assets that we possess:
1. The ability to communicate:
Unless this article has been translated for you, you’re reading this in English so you can communicate in at least one language (and even if it has been translated, you can read at least one language). Being able to read is a great asset as you’ve got instant access to a wealth of knowledge through the books, the internet, newspapers and other written sources.
If you can speak the native language of the country that you live in, that’s a huge plus as well. You’ll be able to develop relationships which are important to achieve success. Even though many things can be accomplished on-line, there’s still a need to interact with people face to face.
If you are able to communicate in more than one language, then that’s a huge plus for you as well. The more languages you can communicate in (and that includes dialects and sign language) the more people you can communicate with. And therefore, the more opportunities you have ahead of you.
2. Your relationships:
Whether you’re looking for work, clients or to expand your knowledge, there are people out there that can help you. But the real benefit of relationships are the interpersonal bonds that you build with the people you are close to. Whether it’s a spouse, significant other or loving child giving you a loving gaze or a coworker congratulating you on a job well done, the people around you can have tremendous positive effects on you.
Even if you have just one person in the world that cares about you, that person is an asset. But few of us realize how many people really do care about us and the positive impact that our lives have on those around us. My favorite movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life” because of this powerful lesson. In the film, the main character has some bad things wrong with him and wants to take his own life when an angel stops him and shows him what the world would be like had he never been born. I welcome anyone who’s feeling the blues to watch this film.
On a related point, it’s the lack of relationships that give a lot of folks the blues. I witnessed a real life tragic example of this when I was in college. One of my classmates committed suicide after an argument with his girlfriend. Although I didn’t know him well, he and I had mutual friends so I did speak with him on several occasions. I was shocked at the news because I liked him – he was a nice guy.
What so many people who take these extreme measures fail to do is look at the relationships that they do have. It’s easy to sit back and think that because you may not have a significant other or a lot of close friends that no one cares about you, but it’s so untrue. You would be amazed at the amount of people whose lives you positively impact. Here’s a short list: coworkers, associates, colleagues, classmates and neighbors. They may not express it, but you’d be surprised at how many folks would miss you if you were to move to another part of the country or another part of the world.
Even acquaintances, those nameless faces that you see each day as you wait for the bus or train, would miss you. I think most people would be surprised at how many lives they’ve touched through the years. Sit down and really think about it (and make a list, too). Think about all the people you know or come into contact with daily. Include people that you have pleasant interactions with each day, even if you don’t know their names. You’ll be surprised.
3. Your Skills
We all have “technical skills” – the skills that employers look for such as organizing an event, working with computers or selling products. These skills may or may not go stale (especially with technology that’s rapidly changing) but many of the fundamentals will help you learn the latest trends.
But there are some basic skills that we all have and these skills can help us in the toughest times. These skills are interpersonal skills (getting along with others, managing, negotiating, etc…), communication (speaking, writing, etc…) and the ability to learn. You may have others such as:
- Being able to develop a budget.
- Knowing how to drive a car.
- Knowing how to get the best price on certain items.
- Knowing how to make friends.
- Being able to travel on a budget.
- Planning skills.
- Artistic skills.
- The ability to carry a tune.
You may not believe me until you try it for yourself, but I encourage you to spend fifteen minutes making a list of all the things that you can do. Whether it’s put together your kids toys or organize a shoe closet, add it to your list. Now of course, being to line up your shoes by color might not be a marketable skill, but being able to do this task means that you have discipline, the ability to focus on a task and some organizational skills. All of which are assets and will help you with the final group of assets.
4. Your Experiences
No one else has ever had the same set of experiences as you and no one else ever will. Keep that in mind because you bring a lot more to the table than you might expect. Our experiences, successes especially, are huge assets because they impact our judgment and our decisions. When you’re about to do something, you’re often able to predict the result (provided you put the thought into it) based on past experiences. Now some of the parameters of the situation may different which could produce an unexpected result, but you know, for example, that if you put your car in drive and then press the gas pedal, you’ll go forward (unless, of course, that there’s a problem with the car).
I personally like to focus on my big success through the years when I think about my assets: getting a great job in a tough job market, selling to that big client, getting the date of my dreams, etc…. In my public speaking classes, I talk about using small success to create snowball effect with your confidence. You’ve succeeded in the past, you can succeed in the future if you choose to.
So again, spend some time reliving the victories and successes of the past and list them out. Keep this list handy the next time you’re unsure of yourself.
In closing, I hope you’re able to look back at your life and see what you have going for you. It’s more than just thinking positively – you have to focus on what you’ve got going for you and use it to build your momentum.
ShareCheck out these Related posts:
- Why We Feel Inadequate I’ve noticed a trend lately that has started to...
- Motivation: The Power of Youth Children are truly amazing people – they have an...
- Overcoming Hopelessness: Part 2 – Getting Out of the Rut: In part one of this series we talked about...
- My Will to Live, R.I.P. Throughout my life I’ve had the chance to meet...
- Inspiration: Life is Too Short I’ve heard the phrase “Life is Too Short” a...
- Your Words Have Power Ever catch yourself muttering something negative about yourself under...
- Why You’re Not Worthless There’s nothing more saddening to me than to meet...




(No Ratings Yet)calendar
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Sep | Nov » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
Recent Posts
Popular Articles
- Interview Question: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How to Answer the Strengths and Weaknesses Job Interview Question
- Public Speaking Success: How to Get Ideas for Speech Topics
- Hannah Montana Takes “Racy” Photos
- 25 Illegal Interview Questions
- A Fast Way to Improve Your Articulation
- Public Speaking: How to Write a Powerful Conclusion for Your Speech
- Have a Communication Fear? Here’s What To Do About it
- Public Speaking: How to Write a Speech - Part 1: Your Speech Outline
- Job Interview Questions: Where Do You Expect to Be in Five Years?
- Public Speaking Success: Three Ways to Make a Speech More Interesting
Recent Comments
- Don’t Let BlackBerry Addiction Ruin Your Presentation | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development
on The Speech Introduction - Don’t Let BlackBerry Addiction Ruin Your Presentation | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development
on Public Speaking Success: How to Create a Presentation for Work - Don’t Let BlackBerry Addiction Ruin Your Presentation | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development
on Career Success: 10 Tips for Productive Meetings - Xamuel
on 20 Revealing Interview Questions - 20 Revealing Interview Questions | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development
on 25 Illegal Interview Questions - Marketing 101 – Logic, Emotion, Needs and Wants « @rtstrategy
on Why We Feel Inadequate - Richard Garber
on Why We Feel Inadequate - Why We Feel Inadequate | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development
on Public Speaking Myths: You Must Immediately Capture Your Audience’s Attention
recent entries
- Don’t Let BlackBerry Addiction Ruin Your Presentation
- 20 Revealing Interview Questions
- Why We Feel Inadequate
- How to Exit a Conversation
- Interview Questions – Why did you Leave Your Last Job?
- February Blog Carnivals
- Illegal Job Interview Questions: How to Answer Them
- An Ingredient to Spice Up Your Presentation
- 25 Illegal Interview Questions
- 5 Social Media Mistakes That Can Prevent You from Getting a Job
Wordpress theme by Wordpress Themes & made free by Internet Marketing Center
© 2006-2008 James Feudo All Rights Reserved.



6 users commented on " Motivation: How to Feel Better About Yourself "
October 22 2008
Great read. This post ment a lot to me.
March 2 2009
[...] Feudo presents Motivation: How to Feel Better About Yourself | Overnight Sensation – Public Speaking, Communication… posted at Overnight Sensation, saying, “For a real pick-me-up, try out this exercise. We [...]
April 21 2009
[...] do with people they don’t like. As someone who helps people deal with social fears, I hear about similar situations all the time. I’ve grown annoyed with the fact that so many people get unnecessarily ridiculed and I’m glad [...]
July 10 2009
Very effective points given out here. Following them can really prove to be a blessing and make us real happy. Thanks for sharing such good thoughts.
October 27 2009
[...] can limit us more so than anything else. They prevent us from meeting new people, strengthening relationships, moving ahead in our career and achieving financial abundance. While the internet and social media [...]
January 18 2010
[...] like you’re doing the opposite of a daily affirmation. Instead of telling yourself something positive, you’re programming your brain with negative thoughts about yourself. So guess what? You suddenly [...]