Having a positive attitude and living a positive life is invaluable in helping us to deal with whatever comes our way each day. Life is filled with challenges and can be compared to a roller coaster ride where at one point we can be way up there, and the next moment, down below. But being positive means remaining optimistic and knowing that we can overcome those down moments and transform them into something good for us instead.
A positive outlook erases negative thoughts and paves the way for constructive changes in our lives. It is a door that opens up to happiness and peace. It is also a means to gain success in whatever field of endeavor we choose to involve ourselves in. If we tried to develop positivity in our lives, we can certainly expect a brighter future ahead of us, where no amount of negativity can faze us at any point.
Here are some helpful tips in attaining a positive attitude.
- A lot of our negative thoughts come from the wrong assessment of any particular situation we are in. Once those negative ideas start, make an effort to re-assess the current circumstances that cause them. You may not be making a very accurate judgment at the moment while negativity clouds your thoughts. You could be thinking the worst when you actually have no real reason to do so. Focus instead on shifting those thoughts to positive ones. There will always be an upside to any unfavorable situation if we tried to change our perspective.
- Mental images can either make your day or ruin it. This all depends on you. If those images present you with something dark and dreary for instance, think of something you enjoy doing that lifts those tedious images away. If a person irritates you and gives you problems you don’t need, work on those mental images and imagine instead that he could be going through a lot too. If work seems to be too difficult to handle, picture yourself being able to face up to the challenge and do a good job out of it. Imagine how difficult life would be if you didn’t have work to begin with.
- Practice saying, “I can,” instead of “I can’t.” The minute you say to yourself that you are unable to do something that needs to be done for whatever reason, you have already affirmed that it can’t be done. Positive people will always say that there is nothing anyone cannot do. It just takes a firm decision and resolve to accomplish anything. Yes you can.
- Make that important choice to be happy. People choose to be what they are and how they feel. Happiness is definitely a decision we make. Nothing and no one can do that for us. We choose to look at a glass half-empty or half-full. Wake up in the morning with that decision to be happy and that is exactly how it’s going to be.
- Surround yourself with optimistic people. Misery loves company, so do try to avoid spending too much time with people who have a negative outlook on life. Be with those who face the challenges of each day, armed with thoughts of overcoming obstacles, and filled with hopes that things always have a way of getting better.
- Discover your purpose in life and explore every means available to achieve that purpose. We all have a reason for being here. Once you have found what your purpose is, use that as your guide in your personal journey.
- Smiling as often as you can may not be easy for everyone, but it has the power to change a lot of things. Practice smiling and it soon becomes second nature. Laughter is still the best medicine, and positive people do that a lot. if you learn to laugh at situations no matter how difficult they appear to be, you are somehow able to lighten the load and make things so much easier for you and those around you.
Living a positive life is not only good for you but for people who share your life as well. It is also quite contagious. This does not mean that nothing bad could ever happen to you. Everyone has problems, a fact of life that cannot be avoided. However, it is how we deal with those problems that matter in the end. Wearing rose-colored glasses is not the answer either. Being positive is simply viewing negative circumstances realistically and looking for ways that they can be transformed into something better altogether. It is accepting mistakes we make and learning from them. It is also accepting that while life can be difficult, it can be wonderful too. It is really all up to you.