Summarize the following:
Many people find that having meaning to their work (whatever it is) centers them. Being aimless is not comfortable for most people. Find something that drives you and concentrate on it. Once you find what this is, you can change your habits. Anything or anyone that draws you away from what gives you meaning or balance should be limited or cut out entirely. It's not a black and white world of thought preceding behavior or vice versa. However, regardless of your school of thought, you have some say in how you feel and interpret things. If positive thinking is hard for you, try to manipulate your behavior. You don't necessarily have to think something genuinely, but act like you do. You may find that your mind follows suit. Try this -- start walking with your head down. How do you feel? Now throw it up. How about now? If positive behaviors are hard for you, drill in on your thoughts. Stop the negative ones. And you can! You are the only person who can stop your negative thoughts. Use that power and replace them with positive (or at least neutral!) ones. A lot of people have undue amounts of stress in their lives from situations that would resolve themselves if they were just direct about it. Other people (sources of stress) for you may not realize that they are making you pull your hair out. Talk to them. Your happiness is at stake here. Whatever problem it is, if it's stressing you out, it's worth talking about. Your emotions are valid, whatever they are. It's easy for people-pleasers to get stressed out; obviously, because pleasing everyone is impossible to do. So start saying no to avoid over-committing. You'll have more free time and more time to concentrate on you. If this is an issue for you, practice saying no at least once a week. Don't miss out on the things you enjoy! Just cut down on the activities that make you sacrifice part of your already hectic schedule. We should always push ourselves to do our best, but we also need to realize when the job we've done is good enough. Everyone else judges, so you don't have to be another source of criticism when it comes to you. Set time limits on yourself if you find yourself being a perfectionist. This is where striking a balance comes into play. If you manage your time wisely, you'll have more time to relax.
Find a purpose and balance. Practice positive thinking. Be direct. Be willing to say no. Stop striving for perfection.