Are you a positive thinker and action taker? Maybe you want to be, but instead, you often fall prey to the negatives you see and hear around you. It’s your life. It’s time to throw off any negativity you feel and replace it with a positive outlook that makes your life feel less reactive and more under your control.

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How you view life affects your physical and mental health as well as your emotions. It also raises or lowers your blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels. Feeling negative about things makes your life harder. You may get sick easily and find it difficult to face the adversities and hardships in your life.

Thinking negatively makes it more difficult for you to enjoy the little things in life. Whether it’s by focusing only on the negative, or by blaming everything that goes wrong on yourself, making things seem even worse than they are, or seeing things in only black and white. If you do one or some of the above, then you’re setting yourself up to fail even before you begin.

But anyone can instill positivity into their lives if they so choose. The power of positive thinking might seem the typical cliché, but it truly does work wonders for your self-esteem, overall mood and thereby reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.”

— Roy T. Bennett

Here are 10 ways to assist you to cultivate a more positive life.

1. Learning experiences not failures

Acknowledging that no one is perfect puts things into perspective. You’re going to make mistakes, we all do, but instead of focusing on your failure, break down what went wrong so you can learn from it, and use it to your advantage.

2. Positive friendships

Surrounding yourself with people who are grounded, upbeat, and positive themselves, helps you to maintain a positive outlook. Positivity, as is negativity, is contagious. So, choose your friends wisely.

3. Know what you are grateful for

Every night before going to bed, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. It may be as small as a pleasant walk or something bigger such as getting your project done on time at work. It’s a fact, that the more you declare your gratitude, the more you have, to be grateful for. Making gratitude a habit, is one of the most beneficial additions to your daily routine.

4. Laughter is still the best medicine

Watching stand-up comedy routines or funny movies opens you up to laughter which signals the brain to release ‘feel-good’ hormones. This reduces stress levels and allows you to see the silver lining, even in the most difficult of situations.

5. Appraise what you need to change

This could be hard to do at first and may require several attempts, but it gets results and you’ll feel empowered. Maybe your job is ill-fitting and fills your life with negativity. You may want to do something else, but fear is holding you back. Maybe it’s your car, your apartment, the color of your walls - many things affect the level of negativity in your life, but once you put your finger on it, you can consciously change it for the better.

6. Start your morning with positive affirmations

Begin your day on a high note by affirming that this is a great day and you are confident that good things will happen throughout your day. Pessimists tend to start their day worrying and thinking about all that can go wrong. This makes them see everything in a negative light and causes a series of unfortunate events like a domino effect.

7. Cease the stream of negative thinking

It might need lots of practice at first but be patient and make the effort. Observe your thought patterns. You can do this by taking down notes each time you focus on the negative. Every time you feel negative self-talk creeping in by being overly critical or judgmental, or focusing only on your failures, write down a positive affirmation to counter each negative thought.

8. Discover a new hobby

Hobbies are something we don’t hear of so much these days since we’re all so busy. But taking the time to engage in something you’re good at and enjoy, fills you with a sense of joy and fulfillment.

9. Lead a beneficial lifestyle

Eat right, exercise regularly, and sleep more to see a definite boost in your mood. Plus, you’ll feel more confident and this helps you see things in a brighter, more positive light.

10. Practice until it’s natural

Reinforcing positive living requires practice. Like anything the more you do it, the better you’ll become at it. Then, one day when you’re facing a crisis, you’ll find that the first thing that comes to your mind is not what can go wrong, but how can I use my strengths to overcome this challenge.

No one ever said life was easy and sometimes we become overwhelmed with what life throws our way. But the choice belongs to us as individuals whether we are to meet life with a smile in a positive way or a complaining negative manner.

I hope you found this post beneficial and will share it with your family and friends.

TOP TIPS

The one aspect of life you can count on is change. People are not fond of change, but it happens to us all the time. Most people (if they’re lucky) will get older. Many will have children.

The children will grow up and go to college and then branch off on their own. Parents get older to the point where their children may have to take care of them. This goes on and on.

The following tips are helpful ways to deal with life transitions.

I also include 2 actionable steps you can take right away and a shortlist of suggested readings for people who are looking for additional information.

1. Accepting Change

Of course, some changes are going to be easier than others, while many changes are difficult or just plain beyond our control, and there’s no way around that.

Therefore, it’s best to accept them and get on with your life. That’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination. But, once you learn to do this, you will find it much easier when those types of changes occur.

2. Don’t Live with Regrets

We are unable to change our past, at least not yet. Until someone discovers a way to do that, don’t worry about what you can’t change in your past. It’s a huge waste of time and energy.

Instead, it may help you feel better if you make amends where possible, or do that one thing you feel you missed out on doing. Besides, if you let regrets rule your life, you risk missing out on the life you still have in front of you.

3. You Are Not Alone

Regardless of your stage of life, there are plenty of people who have already experienced it or are doing so right alongside you.

Seek out these people and learn from them. Don’t forget to pass on to others what you already know. You’ll meet new friends in the process, and you’ll discover that the world is not as lonely as you thought.

4. Have Some Alone Time

You shouldn’t go it alone. But, you should take some alone time for yourself. Think quiet contemplation. This is a time that you spend to help clear your head of the cobwebs.

Go for a walk, go to the park and feed the pigeons, or go to the gym. Whatever you want to do, it is for you to decide.

5. Enjoy Life No Matter What

Everybody deals with tragedy and disappointment at some point in their lives. You will grieve the loss of loved ones, and you may even have adverse situations that you’ll have to deal with.

As much as possible, keep your chin up and try to enjoy your life no matter what type of situation you find yourself in. You only get one life, you want to live that to its fullest.

6. Understand Your Purpose

You were put on this earth for a reason. You do things differently than anyone else. Even though you think you do something similar to others, you have a unique angle or spin that only you can bring to that thing.

Try to determine what it is you are meant to do and do it. If you are stuck on something that doesn’t fit for you, your life is going to be miserable or unsatisfying at the very least.

7. Get Help When Overwhelmed

There are going to be situations where it feels unbearably tough to deal with. If you ever get to this point, seek out help.

You can start by asking for advice from your family or friends. But for more serious situations, consider seeking professional help.

ACTIONABLE STEPS

Get Your Financial Affairs in Order

Financial burdens are with us throughout our lives. These get more difficult as we take on more responsibilities and as we age. Older people use medical services more than younger people, on average. You need to make sure you have what you need whatever your stage in life. It’s a good idea to seek out professional help from an advisor for this.

Update Your Will

It’s amazing how many people don’t do this and when they finally leave this wonderful planet, those left behind have to pick up the pieces. Make sure you specify how your assets are going to be divided when you are gone. It’s going to happen, hopefully, later rather than sooner. But, happen it will.

10 Tips To Live More Positively