Almost all successful people will tell you how having a positive mind will lead to positive results. Well that sounds philosophical but do these 'successful' people have any idea how darn difficult it is to have a positive outlook in life, especially in today's era?
Being an optimist is not easy, especially if you have always viewed the glass as half empty. But has pessimism got you anywhere? The worst effect of negative thoughts is to always put the person in fear, fight, or anger mode. And what happens when you are always worked up by these emotions- it ends up negatively affecting your health, your personal and your work life.
When you start conditioning your brain to develop a positive outlook, you automatically start noticing more opportunities in life and experience an overall feeling of lingering contentment. Testify this by thinking about one bad experience in life that you had undergone, now pick out one positive thing you learnt from it. Doesn't it abate the negative feelings a bit?
You can read hundreds of self-help books to acquire an optimistic mentality, but it is all useless unless you take the first step.
The first step to any long-lasting change is to decide that you want to make that change happen at any cost. Promise yourself or even make a public commitment to honor your decision, and you will see how things do a one eighty.
Developing a Positive Mindset
Understanding your thoughts- Most people have no idea how they really are on the inside. They often just tend to go with the flow. Introspect a lot, analyze your thoughts. Are your thoughts predominantly laced with jealousy for someone, or are you mainly thinking about ways to earn truckloads of money. Our thoughts define us because it is these thoughts that turn into action. You can't change something you are not familiar with.
Believe in yourself- You have the power to change not just yourself but the entire world. Gandhi changed the fate of an entire nation just through his principles. Always remember that if you want you can change in this very instant, your mind is that powerful. Whenever doubt creeps in, assure yourself that you have the ability to move mountains, why then should you doubt yourself?
Challenge the beliefs behind negative thoughts- Each of our thoughts is based on some sort of a belief. People who despise female coworkers getting hired are of the opinion that women are incompetent or that they should not be treated equal. Similarly, if someone yearns to help street animals, it is because they believe that animals deserve the compassion and love that has been denied to them. Understand the underlying beliefs behind each of your negative thoughts, and is it really correct to do so? Get an outsider's perspective for an unbiased opinion.
Replace the negative thoughts- Once you analyze your thoughts and challenge your beliefs, it's time to replace these with positive ones. For every negative thought that passes your brain, figure out how you can change it with a good thought instead.
Snip the negative people out of your life- Subconsciously we tend to emulate our peers. If you are going to surround yourself by negative people, you will most definitely start singing to their tunes. Have you noticed how such people just suck the happiness out of you? You know, these people are going through personal battles and feel a sort of sadistic pleasure when they bring someone down to where they are. Never be this person, and as much as possible stay away from such people.
Do something positive daily- Don't you feel like a good Samaritan when you remove the stone out of the sidewalk or buy a homeless man some coffee? A positive and kind action will not only make the world a better place but it will make you a better and positive person too. You don't have to do something exquisite, a small action such as even waking up with a smile on your face will suffice.
Do yoga and practice positive affirmations- When you want to change your mindset, you need to work on your mind a lot. Yoga and meditation helps to calm the mind, making it a lot easier to introspect and cull the meaningful thoughts out of the random ones. And positive affirmation is the leverage on which every change depends, and especially one where you wish to create a positive mindset. Choose an affirmation like 'I'm becoming positive everyday' 'I am a positive, happy, and healthy person today'. The idea is to choose one that makes you feel closer to the purpose and instigates you to change.
Always smile a lot! Laugh whole-heartedly, and whenever you face an adverse situation in life, look for the silver lining- it exists, it always does.
Hi! My name is Mulyadi Kurnia. I have interest in the health and wellness sector and has created a site dedicated to this sector since 2011. Starting out as stress and anxiety management website, the content of this site has expanded to include other topics in the health and wellness as well as self-improvement topics; I have also created a free e-book "5 Key Tips to be a Happier You", downloadable at http://www.stopstressandanxiety.com
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