Feeling like you need a boost in positive energy? You’re not alone.
Harnessing the power of positivity can have a massive impact on your life. According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits are huge:
- Decreased stress
- Increased lifespan
- Greater resistance to the common cold
- Lower rates of depression
Not to mention an overall happier existence. And the best part is that you can make impactful changes today.
Taking the First Step
It all begins with taking a look at where you are right now. Seriously consider this question:
- Do you anticipate happiness and success – or do you anticipate the worst?
Be honest. In today’s world, it’s easy to become jaded and negative. Making a move toward positive energy requires a choice. It all begins in the mind.
Positive Mindset
Your mindset can make or break you.
Your emotional and mental attitude focuses attention on either positive or negative things in your life. That makes all the difference, because what you focus on become bigger.
Focus on all the negative things in the world, in your life and in yourself and those things will take over your thoughts.
This can be dangerous, because your thoughts affect what you say and what you do. Exuding negative energy can influence you professionally and personally.
But if you work toward adopting a positive mindset, you can begin focusing on all the positive things in the world, your life and yourself. When this happens, you will begin to notice more of those positive things and experience the world and your life with significantly more happiness.
So how does it work?
3 Steps to a More Positive Attitude
1. Notice Your Inner Voice
Forming new habits requires exploring current habits.
We all run a script in our heads.
- What kind of self-talk do you hear?
- Is it positive and encouraging or is it negative and critical?
- When you are learning something new, what kind of script do you use to motivate yourself?
If you find that your inner voice is consistently negative, you must retrain that voice.
First, identify when you tend to use negative self-talk.
- Is it in new situations?
- Is it when you are alone?
- Is it after a mistake?
Once you identify the patterns, replace that negative self-talk with language that reflects positivity and self-acceptance.
For example, instead of saying “I am always terrible at…” try tapping into growth-focused language by telling yourself “with practice and determination, I’m getting better at…”
Write down negative words you often use and write a positive alternative next to it. Focus on replacing just one negative thought pattern each day.
2. Control Your “State”
Where focus goes, energy flows.
The mind can only focus on a small piece of your overall experience at any given moment. This is good news because you have the ability to condition your brain to seek the positive pieces of your experience.
The mind’s reticular activating system (RAS) tells your brain what it should focus on. Like a customs checkpoint, the RAS protects your mind to determine which thoughts get through and which are turned away. You can train your RAS to place importance on positive elements.
Imagine you are considering painting your house yellow. Suddenly, yellow houses that you never noticed before are everywhere. Your brain has been conditioned to seek out yellow houses by simply concentrating a bit on yellow houses.
3. Practice Gratitude
When was the last time you looked around and noticed all of the beauty around you?
If you and your loved ones are lucky enough to be healthy, when was the last time you recognized this gift that we so often take for granted?
Practicing gratitude can help develop positivity in a number of ways:
- How you feel about yourself and your life affects the way you behave. When you appreciate all that is positive, you begin creating a positivity loop. More positive things come into focus and you notice more reason to be grateful.
- Gratitude also decreases the potential for feeling of envy or jealousy. Instead of seeing what the Joneses have that you don’t, you focus more on your own life and the elements that are within your control.
Try using a gratitude journal to record three items each day for which you are grateful. For example:
- A delicious meal.
- The smell of the freshly cut grass as you took a walk today.
- Being the kind of person who is always seeking to learn and improve.
Final Thoughts
These are the first small steps on your journey toward a happy existence.
If you make a real commitment to positive thinking, you will notice a shift. You will begin seeing the good in others, in the world and in yourself.
