Positive thinking is valuable. But how do you stay positive when everyone around you seems to be negative? People who think positively are happier, healthier, more successful, and more inspiring. Enrich your life with these eight positive thinking tips!
A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.”
Positive thinking – but we also have to be realistic, right?
Sometimes it seems like everyone wants to be and remain realistic. There’s nothing wrong with that either. Positive thinking isn’t about being realistic or not. It’s a way of thinking that focuses on something else that you find very important: energy.
When we wake up, we often look at the news. This is a good example of focusing on negative thinking. We are at war, the hands of a young child are being chopped off, and over fifty people died in a train accident. Sorry, but this is what I saw and heard in the news this morning. Not very inspiring.
Yes, there are always two sides. You can look at things from the negative side and the positive side. And you have more influence over this than you think (turn off the TV). There’s no bad or good reality. You choose which reality you want to adopt. The negative or the positive one.
So, which side should you believe? It’s tempting to take the negative reality. Why is that?
01. Being negative is easy.
02. Being negative gives you a sense of control.
03. Preparing for the worst can only result in things going better than expected.
04. You can say to people, “I told you it would go wrong,” and that boosts your ego.
05. Negative thinking can boost your self-confidence. By putting someone else down, you believe you have things better under control.
06. Countless people around you like to join in. It’s nice to be socially accepted.
These are all good reasons. Is there something wrong with negative thinking? I think so. People who think negatively live from fear. You feel like things will never get better in the world (and with yourself). You give up.
Sometimes you take the fear out on your fellow human beings, and sometimes on yourself. But it doesn’t get any better.
Why Should You Think Positively?
Living with a positive attitude is not always easy. Why? Most people around you are probably negative or slightly negative in nature. And it’s difficult to be different from the people around you.
Perhaps you sometimes have a fantastic (and secretly crazy) idea that you want to bring into the world, or you suggest doing something fun, or you want to take a distant unknown journey.
Negative people are more likely to react with rejection rather than enthusiasm. “Should you really do that?”
Yes, you will do it. And if you’re not doing it yet, you will after reading the tips below. Living with positive thoughts is living from love. It is living from infinite possibilities. You realize that the solution could always be just around the corner, which is why you can assess a situation differently than negatively inclined people.
Alright, here we go – 8 tips for positive thinking.
What can you do to become more positive? Below are nine practical tips for positive thinking that can help you become more positive step by step.
01. Realize that no reality is the true reality
Did you know that there are currently more than 8 billion people living on this planet? And that each person has their own reality. Moreover, every individual also thinks that their reality is the ‘true reality.’
Do you understand it now? I do. You determine your own reality. When you realize this, it doesn’t matter whether you think positively or negatively. What do you choose?
02. Turn the world upside down with a buddy
Find a buddy with whom you want to learn to be more positive. Turn the world upside down by correcting each other’s negative statements. And change these statements into positive ones. You can do the same with your thoughts and your language usage.
03. Shift your focus towards the good things
Most people and the media are focused on all the things that go wrong. This is a great way to develop a negative mindset.
From now on, focus on the things that are going well. Regularly make a gratitude list, reflect on your successes, and write down a few positive things in your diary every day. It’s those little things that matter, but because they remain small, it’s difficult to focus on them.
04. Feed your mind with inspiration
Balance your thoughts. The news tells you what you need to know about the misery in the world. Do something positive about this. Or even better: swap the negative for the positive! Instead of the news, watch an inspiring presentation from TED or read an inspiring book for fifteen minutes in the morning.
05. Turn negative events around
Look for something positive in every negative event. As you now know, we indicate our own reality everywhere. What would happen if you called a ‘negative’ event ‘positive’? A few examples:
- If you fail your studies, you know that you have to work hard to achieve something. And you also know that you now have to learn for a second time. It takes time. That lesson can save you time in the future and if you want to achieve something you should work hard.
- Because you used to be bullied, you can now put yourself in the shoes of children who are being bullied. You can help these children by standing up for them and listening carefully to them.
- From a young age, you have always been way too heavy, so you couldn’t do many things that other people could. You now know that you never want to do that again and you will continue to exercise and eat healthy for the rest of your life.
Every event has positive and negative sides. Try to get something positive out of every experience, and focus on these positive parts. Here you will find the strength to be completely yourself.
06. Make positivity an important part of your lifestyle
Your lifestyle determines your attitude towards life. Make positivity an important part of your lifestyle. It contributes to a healthy and happy way of living. Use the tips from this blog to develop a positive lifestyle.
Surround yourself with positive people and ensure that your room is a source of positivity. Use quotes, books, photos, souvenirs, trophies, and more to make your room an inspiring place. Create an environment that aligns with your lifestyle.
07. Laugh more – Become a child again
If you can create your own reality, you can also decide how seriously you take everything. Want to become more positive? Don’t take life too seriously and laugh more.
Laughing is healthy. It boosts your immune system, relaxes your body, releases happiness hormones, reduces anxiety, decreases stress, and helps us build better relationships.
How can you laugh more?
- Play more often. With children, pets, your partner, colleagues, friends, and family. Make jokes, play games, have fun.
- Enjoy comedy, movies, TV series, and books.
- Occasionally think about situations that made you laugh a lot, and relive the joy.
- Smile at everyone.
Laughing is enjoyable, healthy, and good for your mood. We tend to laugh too little rather than too much. You’ll notice that at first, making an effort to laugh more might feel like a challenge. It’s a wonderful challenge, though. Best of luck in laughing more!
08. Relax – stress is fear and fear is negativity
Stress originates from fear. The fear of not being good enough, of not being capable enough. Perfectionism often comes into play here. You’re afraid of failing, which makes you insecure. That insecurity leads to less self-confidence in yourself. The laughter disappears because you have a lot of worries on your mind.
So, relax. Let go of that negative energy. Learn to trust yourself.
Positive thinking is a great way to enrich your life and the world around you. Below you will find some articles that can help you further:
