Life is hard. We don’t always get what we desire and sometimes, plans don’t pan out the way we had imagined. Challenges and hurdles bump into us at every corner and often, we find ourselves overwhelmed and engulfed by self-pity, pessimism and hopelessness. It is easy to fall into this rut. Some may even believe that not hoping for anything good may protect them from future disappointment and hurt.
Positive Mindset – Introspection
But ask yourself, is this a way to live? Can we perhaps transform the way we think and align our minds to a new perspective, where no matter what happens, it is a win-win situation for us? It begins with the acceptance that we do not possess what happens to us, but we can definitely change how we perceive what happens to us. Our response is our power. And it all starts with the mind, the most powerful entity in our possession.
The answer lies in positive mindset / thinking, responding to people and situations with a positive or optimistic attitude. Remez Sasson, author and creator of the website SuccessConsciousness.com sums it up as “Positive mindset or thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results.”
So how does adopting a positive mindset help us? Obviously, one is less open to disappointment, regret and resentment. When we view things from a positive lens, we automatically feel better, happier and healthy inside.
“Positive mindset or thinking can be a fantastic way to relieve stress… It can involve a conscious focus on the benefits of a situation rather than its drawbacks, or on a focus away from negative events; positive mindset can include a conscious attempt to back away from focusing on the negatives in life. It involves optimism and gratitude and supportiveness, and can include positive affirmations as well as a determined effort to stop complaining,” says Kendra Cherry, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist and author of the Everything Psychology Book.
How can we install this machinery, Positive Mindset, within ourselves?
1 – Surround yourself with people having positive mindset
The energy that vibrates around you makes a tremendous impact on your thoughts, feelings and actions. So make sure to move in positive company. Your friends, colleagues and general acquaintances make up an essential part of your microcosm, so choose wisely and surround yourself with people who are happy, supportive and optimistic.
2 – Embrace a new day with positive affirmations
When you wake up every morning, start a new conversation with yourself. Let yourself know that no matter what happens in the day, you will take it with a pinch of salt and stay happy. Promise yourself that you will be strong and never give up on hope. Tell yourself that you will be productive – for yourself and others – and when it is time to lay a weary head down for the night, it will be with a smile, inside and out.
3 – Look for the funny side of bad situations
American writer, Elbert Hubbard said, “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” Guess what, it holds true! Nothing diffuses a stressful situation better than humour – for you and others involved. So have a laugh whenever you can, even if it’s at your own expense. Nothing is more important than your peace of mind.
4 – Let failures be your teacher
You are bound to fail. But instead of letting that get you down and out, extract from it a lesson. Every failure comes loaded with teachings, and if we can see them, borrow them and learn from them, we can only get better at not repeating our mistakes.
5 – Be aware of how you talk to yourself
More often than not, we beat ourselves up about mistakes, wrong judgements and our own flaws. The tone and words we use for ourselves could be reprimanding and even cruel, leading to negativity and self-loathing. Pause. Observe how you speak to yourself and change every negative to a positive. Be kind, crack a joke, laugh and accept your broken parts. This is how you turn the tables onto the right side.
6 – The now, deserves all your attention
“We cannot live in the past; it is gone. Nor can we live in the future; it is forever beyond our grasp. We can live only in the present. If we are unaware of our present actions, we are condemned to repeating the mistakes of the past and can never succeed in attaining our dreams for the future.” These words by S.N. Goenka, the Indian teacher of Vipassanā meditation sum it up. Instead of fretting over what we have no control over, we could focus our energies on the present, living it the best way possible.
7 – Identify the good in the bad
Every experience carries its weight in wisdom. Something good and beautiful may come cloaked in a bad, unpleasant or undesirable garb. And while focusing only on the latter, you may miss out on the former. So, look for the sliver lining. It’s always there, no matter how dark the cloud! Be grateful for whatever you have. The good in the bad may not reveal itself immediately, but in time it always does.
A positive mindset brings with it a plethora of benefits that span your personal and professional life. You find yourself coping with stress and challenges more effectively, being happier and more light-hearted and attracting like-minded people, and better health and general well-being. So always stay hopeful, stay positive and the sun will shine bright in your world.
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