Rediscovering the Magic in Your Life: Tip #1: Surround Yourself With Positive Media

The media you surround yourself with matters.

Hippie-Trippie. Fluffy. Too Happy. Unrealistic. 

In my early twenties, this is how I would have described self-help as a genre. Self-help seemed like a fluffy genre of ideas that were too good to be true and unrealistic. But as my thirties approach and I started to really struggle with positivity, I turned to the genre out of desperation, to be honest.

I’d heard a lot about a book called “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis and decided to give it a go. And you know what? It had an impact. A huge one. For one, I realized I wasn’t alone in my thoughts. This thing called being human, turns out, isn’t easy. And her book resonated with me on a deep level. As a high-achiever, I connected with her perfectionist tendencies, her desire to always chase more, and her worries about life passing her by.

From there, I continued pulling self-help into my sphere. I made simple changes.

1. Instead of watching the news in the morning, I started listening to podcasts (A few of my favorites are listed below). And five years later, I can tell you that I look forward to getting up now to listen to my favorite, inspiring podcasts. I find that if I’m in a slump, sometimes the right words just pull me out.

        Favorite podcasts:
        Rachel Hollis
        The Skinny Confidential
        Ed Mylett
        Tony Robbins

2.    I made a positive playlist of songs that boosted my mood no matter what. Songs that I 
couldn’t help but smile or feel energized by. When I was feeling blah, I’d pop in my 
earbuds and find an instant mood boost.

3.    I started following positive social media accounts that gave me a boost. Instead of 
mindlessly scrolling through people who made me jump into comparison syndrome, I 
chose to follow people who boosted me.
Some of my favorites:
Rachel Hollis
Ed Mylett
Tony Robbins
Soniachoquette
Lauryn Bosstick
Olivia Marie Plath

4.     I kept reading positive books, especially when I was really struggling. 
    Some of my favorites:
    The Gap vs. The Gain by Dr. Ben Hardy
    Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
    You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

5.    I started putting positive quotes on sticky notes for me to see every day. There is one on 
my desk. There is one in my closet. There are several on my mirror. These quotes are 
my life mottos, my goals, and words that inspire me to kick-ass. 

Small Changes Add Up
When you’re in the middle of feeling blah or like life has lost its shine, it’s hard to imagine that a few changes like adding a positive podcast or an upbeat playlist will make a difference. But I’m here to tell you that most days, we have to fight for positivity. We have to fight to feel energized, especially in a world that tries its hardest to bring you down. 

Adding in some positivity, some words that inspire you really does make a difference. The work part of it is that you have to find who and what speaks to YOU, specifically. You have to search for the quotes that light you up, the podcasts that energize you, and the books that resonate. Sometimes, these will be out of your comfort zone at first. Sometimes, they will be about topics you don’t want to admit you need help with. But I encourage you to let that go, to fight for who you want to be. 

Join me next Monday as we visit another tip for rediscovering the magic in your life, and be sure to click here to read week one’s post about why it matters in the first place.

Author L.A. Detwiler