The Power of Positive Thinking

Have you ever come across someone who always seems to be in a good mood? They seem like they don’t have any bad days or are always happy. Is this possible? And if it is, how is it possible?

There are many ways to practice maintaining a positive mental attitude. Imagine becoming so good at being in this mental state that it feels natural for you. I have three things for you to practice and think about when it comes to acquiring a positive mindset.

#1 You are what you think and focus on

I can personally attest to this mindset of positive thinking. I have lived this way for the majority of my life. I’m not sure where I learned this from, but it could be that from an early age, having many obstacles that were out of my control and having to figure things out on my own helped me develop this mindset. It was easier and felt better to go through life looking on the bright side rather than giving my full attention to the hard parts of life and feeling bogged down by them.

If you constantly tell yourself how bad your situation is or dwell on negative emotions for long periods, of course, you will feel like garbage! Not only are you what you think, but you are also what you give and receive. If you are harboring emotional garbage, you are dumping that emotional garbage onto other people, and that emotional garbage is coming right back to you. It’s a never-ending cycle. If you are only focused on how bad you feel about something or someone, then that is all you will see, and more of it will show up in your life!

I want you to take some time and feel these emotions below. For a minute, with your eyes closed, feel the negative ones and the situations that you may have experienced associated with them. Stop, let go of your thoughts, and now feel the positive ones for the same amount of time. Feel the difference between the two. Which state of mind would you prefer to live in?

Some negative emotions include jealousy, hate, anger, resentment, bitterness, guilt, shame, fear, and irritation.

Some positive emotions include love, hope, courage, faith, gratitude, excitement, joy, peace, and pride.

Embrace challenging yourself to focus on all the things that best serve you.

Own your strengths on the field.

#2 You are who you surround yourself with

Psychologists and personal development experts say that you are a product of the five people you spend most of your time with. If you want to get good grades in school, it is unlikely that you will hang out with students who are getting bad grades. If you don’t care about school or your grades, you will most likely hang out with those who feel the same way.

If you want to become the best soccer player you can be, you probably won’t join a basketball team. If you want to live a happier life but take your lunch break with others who clearly feel bogged down by stress and drama, chances are you probably won’t be as happy as you want to be. Wherever you choose to spend your time, you will become more like the environment and the people that come along with it. Remember, it is a choice out of your own free will to pick your friend group.

Our brain cells contain “mirror neurons,” which are responsible for imitation. When a person performs a motor act and observes another individual performing the same or a similar motor act, a special class of neurons fires to imitate the action. Have you ever hung around someone so much that you start saying the same slang words as them or using the same hand gestures that you’ve never used before? Humans are creatures of habit. We are wired this way!

Keeping a positive mindset requires spending time with those who have positive mindsets. Refer to the list of positive emotions. Who in your life right now displays these emotions consistently? Can you spend more time with them? Pay attention to those in your life right now who display the list of negative emotions. Notice the differences in their speech, behavior, and actions. 

#3 The glass is half full

It is refreshing to look at life through a lens of gratitude. We all have so much to be grateful for, regardless of our personal situations. I live in the United States, one of the richest and freest countries in the world. Did you know that slavery still exists in certain parts of the world? Did you know that millions of children die each year because they don’t have food to eat? In the USA, poor people are fat. In other countries, poor people die of hunger. If you live in the US, poor people in our country have cell phones that cost over one thousand dollars. Hundreds of millions of people around the world live without these luxuries.

I understand that having personal problems sucks, and at the same time, there is so much joy to be had in this life. We all have difficult things to deal with in our lives. I am not minimizing your feelings or problems. I am asking you to maximize your positivity with gratitude. When you get good at this, it will almost feel like the problems sort themselves out or become easier to deal with. If you are having trouble finding a positive mental attitude, having an attitude of gratitude is a sure cure.

Think about something right now that you are so thankful to have in your life. What is it that you appreciate going on in your life right now? Focus on that. Hang on to it. Feel how awesome it is, whatever you’re thinking of. Wake up each day and say, “THANK YOU FOR MY LIFE.” We are only experiencing one life at the moment, and it is a gift. 

Have an attitude of gratitude. It serves you and others in so many ways. 

Focus on the good in your life. More of it will come to you. 

Focus on the positive people in your life. More of them will come to you. 

Focus on what you appreciate in your life. More of that will come to you. 

It just feels good to be a pleasant person and live in peace. It’s a total drag to spend time with or be around people who gripe, gossip for fun, use sarcasm as a weapon, and are just plain negative.

Now you have three ways to strengthen your powerful positive thinking!