Being positive is a mindset and lifestyle. It’s something in life you get to choose. With life, there comes the ups and downs and sometimes the last thing we want to be is positive. I’ll start this out by saying it’s healthy and normal to feel sadness, anger, frustration, etc. It’s also okay to want to feel those emotions because we’re all human and feeling upset can actually help release the negativity and get rid of it.
Being positive correlates more with your character and how you act in certain situations. For example, if something awful happens or your day just isn’t going your way (Hello, Monday morning…) you have two choices: you can either embrace the negativity and the horrible rain cloud above your head, or you can understand that your day didn’t start how you would’ve liked and choose to change your perspective. If your day is a constant wave of negativity, take the time to mope, go to bed, think about your day, and remember that tomorrow is new and will be better! No matter what, we can’t get rid of the bad days, but what we can do is choose to move past it and focus on the good things.
Every night before you go to bed or every morning before you get up, take a second for yourself and go through every positive thing in your life. I try to do this often and when I do, it helps. It makes you start your day the right way or have a peaceful sleep knowing that everything is going to be okay. Whether it’s your health, your family and friends, or that you paid your rent on time this month – every little positive thing you can think of will build upon itself and make you realize that you have it better than you thought.
When you think of the future for yourself, what comes to mind?
If you think of the things you want and the goals you want to accomplish, they’re more likely to come true. Be specific about those goals. For example, if you want to open up your own business, don’t just say, “I want to have my own business in 5 years.” Say, “I want to open up my first business in 5 years by the beach, selling this, the interior of the building will be decorated like that, and I will make this much money my first year.” You have to see exactly what you want, because the more you can actually see yourself at your business by the beach, the more likely you’ll chase it to get there. This is a great way of thinking positive. With everything you want in life, picture yourself there.
With positivity comes being present. I just talked about the future and going after your dreams, but a big part of your life is now. It’s important to be focused on what is happening in your daily life and taking it all in. Events in life happen so quickly that soon enough they’re over and it’s only a distant memory. If you’re planning a trip, you wait and wait for it to happen, and then once it does, it’s over and gone with before you know it.
Every day you need to take in where you are, what you are doing, and what it means to you. Enjoy the moment you’re in. For a few seconds a day, don’t think about anything that is happening at work or school, what you’re going to wear tomorrow, or the big party next weekend. All you need to be thinking about is what’s happening right now. Being present brings on a positive way of living because it refreshes you and redirects you. Yoga is a great practice for this if just sitting by yourself seems awkward. There’s nothing better than exercising while refreshing your mind, body, and soul!
Know that in life you can’t choose what people say or do, or stop the horrible things that happen in the world, but what you can choose is to live life with a positive mindset and lifestyle. Even though we can’t fight off the bad, we can choose to live life chasing our dreams, finding our passions and what fulfills us, and remembering to think of the great things in life that make us happy. Every now and then, take a breath, and know that this too shall pass. Handling situations with a “glass half-full” mentality can help get you over the negativity and live a positive life.
What tips do you have for being positive? Let’s chat in the comments section!