Negativity in Life and Valuing Yourself

Part of following a passion or pursuing a goal is getting yourself in an emotional place where you can pursue what you want to. Every day we all experience hundreds of emotions. Most of them aren't great variations from what we're used to, so we don't notice them, but some throw themselves in our path and change the course of that path. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's a bad thing. It's a good thing when the emotion that threw itself in your way is a strong positive emotion. It changes your course, but it changes it for the better and, because it was positive, it was a change you feel like you had a choice in. Negative emotions, however, seem to do the opposite. They plop their nasty little Jabba the Hutt bodies in our path and we feel forced to vary. We don't decide. We respond, and usually the response isn't something we're happy with.
So, our goals and passions are constantly influenced by our emotions. If we live all the time in a world of negativity, we will respond to everything and our dreams for ourselves will be influenced, changed, and sometimes gotten rid of altogether. This is why I say that you have to get yourself in a good emotional place. Pursuing a passion when you're depressed is a very challenging thing. You constantly second-guess yourself, you constantly wonder if you're just crazy or stupid, you wonder if it's even the right thing for you or if you're just selfish for trying to achieve something for yourself. You fill your head with negative thoughts and they become the quicksand sucking you away from your dreams.
On the flip side, if you can get yourself to a place where most of your thoughts are positive, where you have learned to let go of the negative, then the goals and passions become clear. You're not second guessing yourself or wondering if you're just an idiot for trying. That positive emotional place gives you clarity to know exactly what you're pursuing, why you're pursuing it, and how you can achieve it.
So the obvious question that follows is how do you get to that place? Honestly, I don't spend all of my time there yet so I don't know the exact path. I get there sometimes. I've experienced it. But I'm constantly fighting to stay there, simply because I've been in the negative for so long that now I think my body and mind are comfortable there. Yikes!!!!!! Still, there is one way that should work great, and that is to change your mindset. When you think a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. Instead of berating yourself for all of your supposed failures, praise yourself for your talents. Try to see yourself as God sees you, and you'll learn to live in a more positive place. I'm not saying this is easy, because it's a daily struggle for me, but I do believe it's entirely possible and I have seen a huge improvement in my life since I started trying to see myself differently. Why not choose to see yourself in the best way possible? If you saw yourself as your father in heaven sees you, think about what you could achieve! Why do we not achieve our goals? Mostly because we think we're not worth it, we feel stupid for trying, or we feel stupid for failing a few times and we give up. All of these are simply ways we don't take value in ourselves. So change your value in yourself. See yourself as valuable, treat yourself as if you are your most valuable possession, because you are, and maybe those positive changes will begin to take place.

The coffee shop

The change clattered onto the counter. "One cup of Joe," the bum mumbled while settling himself onto the stool. His face was blotchy red and his hands trembled. Patches of blue were visible here and there on his coat, but mostly it was gray streaked with brown. A fit of coughing racked his body. The barista looked at the man in disgust; he quickly counted the coins, trying his best to touch them as little as possible, and then turned to make the coffee. "Here," he snapped, setting the cup in front of the bum. "Hurry up with it and move on. You're making my guests uncomfortable."
The bum glanced around the room. It was nearly empty. The one exception was a young woman seated three seats down from him. She was watching him with interest. He nodded to her and turned back to the barista. "Sure," he chuckled. He took a slow sip of his coffee and sighed. "There's nothing like coffee to warm a man's..." loud, hacking coughs interuppted his words, doubling him over. He gasped for air and then straightened up, "bones." he finally finished.
The barista just glared at him.
The young woman moved to sit next to the bum, "Hello," she said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help noticing you sitting here alone. That cough sounds bad. Are you okay?"
The bum nodded, "I'm fine."
"I don't believe you."
The bum laughed mirthlessly, "Nobody seems to."
The woman beckoned to the barista. "Give him his change back. I'll cover his tab, whatever he wants, make sure he gets it."
The bum shook his head, "You don't need to do that lady. I'm no charity case."
She laughed, "I never said you were."
They lapsed into silence. The barista counted back the bums change and dropped it on the counter.
Thirty minutes later the bum left. His changed remained on the counter; he drank his coffee and nothing more. The woman watched him go, wondering what had brought him to his current state.