Hi, everyone. My name is "positive". I used to be a graphic designer but for sickness reason I had to retire earlier than I wished.
I named myself "positive" because I want to remind myself to always find something positive out of the negative. This helps me respond less negatively to life.
I had been a very gloomy person. In fact I had more negative traits than I'd like to admit. I was cynical, irritable, insecure, obsessive, worrisome, narrow-minded, unfriendly to life... you name it, I've had it. Life to me was a perpetual trek with self-inflicted problems to be solved rather than an interesting journey to be enjoyed.
Around my thirties, my negative character took toll on my physical and mental health while I was working as a photographer. I was stressed out under financial and deadline pressure. On top of chronic fatigue and insomnia, I suffered from panic disorder and depression and was unable to function. I had consulted numerous physicians and psychiatrists and had to rely on psychiatric drugs, but my condition worsen and I was suicidal.
Just when everything seemed hopeless, I stumbled upon an herbalist who pointed out that my problem was entirely mental and that the best cure for it lies in my mind. He suggested me to adopt a more positive attitude towards life and to look at life's problems from more helpful viewpoints. From there I began to learn to respond more positively to everything in life. Being positive is not a panacea, but it at least reduced many of my self-inflicted problems. As I continued adjusting my negative thoughts, I gradually recuperated both emotionally and physically, albeit a long process. With the encouragement of my family and friends, and the help of meditation, I gradually weaned off psychiatric drugs and restored myself to be functional.
I continued to work as a graphic designer for more than a decade, along the way I always remind myself to respond positively to all sorts of personal and work related challenges.
In 2009 I become sick, not too serious but too weak to work even for part-time. I still want to be useful, since then I often share my experience with others about how responding more positively to life can help leading a more joyful and productive life, and I hope I could have the opportunity to share my experience with the members here as well. You'll be helping me by allowing me to help, that makes me feel I'm still useful.