When you take a walk around and look at people, one of the things that will stand out is that there is a general negative mindset going around. Whether people are negative about their country’s leadership, global warming, the weather, or even their team losing. The bottom line is, people are increasingly having a negative attitude towards life.
If you have a generally negative inclination towards life, you will find that your mind will seek out and amplify that which is negative around you. For instance, you might find yourself angry over not winning the lottery, yet you know statistically, the chances of something like that happening are slim to none.
The approach you have towards life matters a lot. You have most likely heard of mantras like 'think positive vibes.' You may wonder how exactly you should have positivity in your life; and how to grow the little you have, or even cultivate it from scratch. Worry not, we’ve got you covered; here are a few tips on how to develop and keep a positive mindset forever flowing in your life.
1. Mind your language
Yes, your language determines a lot when you’re trying to cultivate a living mindset. What you say is either largely influenced by what you feel or it goes to influence what you feel. Consider this sentence, “Today is a total mess, I woke up late, I’m late to work and no one ever appreciates my effort.” The sentence is very negative, the person speaking the above has already made the conclusion that the subject day is bad, thus, they are more likely to focus on every single thing that will not go their way.
Now, consider this sentence, “Today is a good day, I woke up late, but I’m glad to have woken up at all. I may have been late to work, but I’m lucky I have a job to go to, and I wasn’t fired. The people around may not appreciate my efforts, but I’ll still work to the best of my ability; because it’s my job to do so.” This person has just had a more or less the same day to the person above; however, the second person has decided to focus on the goodness in the day, rather than the badness.
If you walked into an office and found the two above people working, it’s very easy to differentiate the first person from the second one. When you have spoken positively about your day, you end up appreciating the small things and finding a reason or two to propel yourself past the day.
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2. Read a book
Books are an invaluable resource at your disposal. They teach, encourage, ridicule, and even lift your spirits. One of the things you need to do if you want to create and foster a positive mindset is crack open a book and read it. There are countless books out there, available either in soft or hard copies. There are advantages and disadvantages to reading either a soft or hard copy, but at the end of the day, you get to read a book.
When looking for a book to read, look for ones that will lift your positivity, and leave you feeling better. There are inspirational books that are solely tailored to give you a positive mindset. If you are unsure about such books, you can ask for help from the bookstore you decide to get your books from. You can also ask for guidance from your circle of friends regarding any books that would give you a positive mindset. If you read a book and find it helpful, don’t feel shy to recommend it to your friends, or someone you think might need it.
Some of the books you should try and read include; The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Peale, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Charge by Brendon Burchard, and many more. If you’re unsure about the list above, you may go ahead and ask for other recommendations from a trusted source.
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3. Hang around positive people
You are the sum total of your friends. If you hang around negatively minded people, you will most likely end up being negative yourself. Friends play a big role in what we do, and how we do it. If you walk into a bar, you will find people clustered together, having a beer or two. If you investigate further, you’ll find most of these clusters have something in common. Either, they are workmates, went to school together, or even want to venture into business together. More often than not, you’ll find if there’s a member of the group that doesn’t fit in, they will be sidelined, or they will fade out of the group for a more appealing one –in their eyes.
When you hang around positive minded people, there’s a possibility of two things happening; one, you get frustrated by their jovial nature and leave the group, or two, they influence you into their thinking. If you want to be a positive thinker, you will need to actively seek after a group that is positive, and try your level best to stick by the group.
It will certainly not be easy, and change does not happen overnight, but the journey is well worth it. Again, if you see someone struggling with positivity, you can engage them, and try to have them join the group.
4. Have an emotional outlet
Human beings are by nature emotional beings. The difference is some people are better at showing emotions, and some are better at hiding them. Nonetheless, we are all emotional. Once you have understood your emotions, and also understood that some are beyond your control, you need to make a way for you to release your negative emotions.
Let’s, for instance, say you’ve had a rough week, instead of howling everything inside and shoving it in your mental cabinet, you should look for a way to release it. People have different outlets for their emotions; some of the popular ones include boxing, swimming, running, and so on. When you want to release hurting or negative emotions, look for an activity where you can drive all that emotion to.
If you let negative emotion boil up in you, you will only end up having a negative mindset. Moreover, it is unhealthy to hold onto things that could potentially harm you. In some cases, people who have held onto negative thinking, end up being depressed or even worse.
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5. Live in the moment
Many people have a tendency of either living in past glory, or in the future that is not yet set. When you live in the past, you will tire people with stories from yesteryears, wishing it could be extended to the present. On the other hand, if you live in the future, you will end up underutilizing your time, thinking about how great things could be, or what will be.
One of the best ways to develop a positive mindset is to live in the here and now. When you do, you will be able to maximize the opportunities that are available. Also, when you live in today, you’re able to tailor your relationships and grow them.
However, it is important to understand that both the past and the future have a place in the now. The past reminds you of the things you’ve learned, and the wins you have had. The future, too, is relevant. It keeps you on track on the different things you would like to accomplish.
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6. Love yourself
One of the greatest qualities anyone can acquire in the journey of positive mindset is that of loving oneself. Whenever people talk of love, they more oft than not think of romantic love. While romantic love has its place in setting a positive mindset, there’s more to love than just romance.
In this case, the love we’re talking about is a love for the little things. When you can find love in the little things about your day, you will end up having an easy day. On the flipside, when you hate everything that goes on during the day, you will have one long day.
More than just loving your environment, you need to love yourself. When you love yourself, you will invest in making yourself happy. True, there are things that will try and upset your day, but when you love yourself, you will overlook most of these things.
7. Take a break
Almost all people have routines that define their days. For most people, they wake up, go to work, go on with their work, get off work, get some supper, sleep, and repeat. When you fall into such a routine, it can be boring, dangerous and almost impossible to have a positive mindset.
To create a positive mindset, you will need to, every now and then, take a break from your monotonous routine. You can do something spontaneous that will re-energize you and help you come back on track.
When taking a break, you do not have to do anything extravagant, you can just do something as simple as going to the movies, listening to music, watching the sunset, or even just relax at home. Whatever makes you
feel like stepping out of your routine, go for it. So long as it doesn’t break any laws.
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8. Reward yourself
One of the hardest things to do is to reward yourself. Many times, people will find good in other people but not in themselves. If you want to be a positive thinker, you will need to find good in yourself first, and reward yourself.
Rewarding yourself can be interpreted in many ways. After a long week, you can reward yourself by taking the weekend off and relaxing. You could even do something as simple as getting ice cream or hanging out with friends.
9. Let situations play out by themselves
Every person wants to have control to a certain bit. Some people want to control everything, while some are mostly content with what there is. What you need to understand, is that you cannot control every situation. What you should do instead, is allow the situations to naturally run their course.
You cannot control the weather, but you can control how you react to it. When the sun is too hot, you should dress appropriately, and appreciate the weather. When a fellow colleague gets a promotion you have been eyeing, don’t get all jealous and envious. Instead, wish them all the best, and wait for your turn.
However, you should still hold control to some extent. For instance, do not refuse to set an alarm and wait for the universe to wake you up. It is imperative for one to know the balance between control and letting go.
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10. Smile
This is arguably one of the simplest steps to keeping a positive mind. A smile can go a long way into cultivating positivity in your everyday life. When you smile, you not only exercise your facial muscles, you’re also more receptive and more approachable.
A smile will tell someone that you’re easy to talk and to relate to, and you might even find people who were straight and rigid with you start to be a little more open. A smile is a simple tool, but a powerful one nonetheless.
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The Important Take Away
What you need to know is, you cannot wake up one day and term yourself to be a positive person. Having a mindset that’s positive is something that everyone needs to work on every day. Another key thing to note is you can never have more than enough positivity. There’s always room for improvement.
When it’s all said and done, what remains is, positivity is something that we could all use in our daily lives. Sometimes it will be easy, sometimes it will be hard, but when you stay true to the positivity path, your efforts will soon materialize.
