“Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin
Believing in the power of positive thinking is one of the most effective ways to change your attitude. But this can be difficult for many people.
From the time we are young, we are told not to do certain things. We hear the words “no” and “can’t” more often than not. We go through difficult times; everything from divorce to the loss of jobs or loved ones. We could become bitter and negative about everything in life.
Being optimistic is directly related to how we think. Positive thinking has the power to change a lot of things in our lives. Research reveals that positive thinking is more than just being happy or having a happy attitude. Positive thoughts can actually help you create life skills that last much longer than a mere smile.
Negative thoughts, on the other hand, can narrow your mind and focus your thoughts. They keep you from seeing opportunities and moving forward – there is always that “what if” scenario going through your mind.
Positive thinking impacts your work, your health, and your life in every way. It’s been shown to affect how you develop your skills. It affects your health in how you see things. For instance, when you are happy, contented, and feel loved, you see more possibilities for your life.
In this report, we’ll discover what “positive thinking” actually is and how it affects us. We’ll see why it works and how you can incorporate it into your daily life.
What is positive thinking?
René Descartes had it right when he said, “I think; therefore I am.”
What and who you are begins with a thought. The mind is a powerful tool that can make or break your life and your business success. You can use your mind to fuel business success, change your life for the better and improve your relationships with others. But what exactly is positive thinking? Is it simply putting on a happy face or does it involve more than that?
You’ve probably heard the saying “Is your glass half-empty or half-full?” How you answer that question provides some insight to your outlook on life and whether you are generally a pessimist or an optimist.
Positive thinking is basically your mental attitude. It’s an attitude in which you always expect good results. In other words, it’s the process of creating thoughts that can transform energy into reality. A positive attitude looks for happiness, health and happy endings in every situation.
Positive thinking is gaining popularity among many people.
More and more people will tell you they got where they are because of their positive thinking lifestyle. In fact, a person who faces their life with a positive mentality will almost always be more successful in both their careers and their personal relationships than the negative thinker.
Understanding positive thinking and positive self-talk.
Positive thinking isn’t the act of hiding from life’s tough or unpleasant situations. In fact, positive thinking means you approach those situations in a more productive and positive way, instead of with a negative attitude. You believe the best is going to happen.
Negative people are worriers. They believe the worst will happen no matter what.
Positive thinking begins with self-talk – the thoughts that run through your head.
Negative self-talk leads to a pessimistic outlook on life, while a positive outlook leaves you an optimist.
Positive thinking isn’t the idea that you see the world through rose-colored glasses by ignoring the negative things in life, though. Positive thinking means having a positive outlook, but you don’t ignore the bad things. It involves making the best out of a bad situation, or trying to see the best in others.
Researcher and positive psychologist Martin Seligman put it this way: positive thinking is how you explain why something happened. People with an optimistic explanatory style will give themselves credit when good thing happen, but see negative events as temporary.
Those with a pessimistic style, on the other hand, blame themselves for all outcomes. They believe bad events will last and are to be expected.
There are health benefits that come from positive thinking as well.
Some of them include:
Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
Increased physical well-being
Positive thinking is more than just smiling and avoiding bad situations. Positive thinking is how you see every situation in a positive way. It reduces the stress on your body that comes from negative thinking. An optimistic and positive attitude leads to healthier lifestyles, both physically and mentally.
Why positive thinking works.
You know what positive thinking is and how it can affect your health. But does it really work?
Can positive thinking improve your life or is it just a scam?
Positive thinking is very effective at changing your life if you understand what it is and how it works.
Before you put on your rose-colored glasses, you need to realize positive thinking is more than just being overly optimistic about life. Psychologists suggest that you center on things like your belief in your abilities, to come at challenges with a positive approach, and try to make the best of bad situations.
Positive thinkers look at situations realistically while they look for ways to improve the situation and learn from their experience.
A lot of research has found that positive thinkers cope differently in their lives than other people do. They are problem solvers who try to improve their individual situations. If a bad situation can’t be improved then they are more likely than pessimists are to move on.
Optimists are more likely to engage in healthy habits that will protect them against disease. They are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or eat poorly. They exercise, sleep well and stick to rehab programs.
Optimism is associated with better psychological health. Optimists are less depressed, have less anxiety and face difficult life situations with less distress.
Positive thinking has a positive effect on their bodies, leading to better decision-making and control over situations that optimists may find themselves in.
Positive thinking works by helping the body effectively change how you perceive bad situations in life.
How to incorporate positive thinking into your life.
Having negative thoughts can play havoc on your life. They can bring you pain and worry. They drain your energy and keep you at the moment instead of being able to move past it.
Positive thoughts, though, can help you see solutions to a problem, help you move forward, and leave you feeling relaxed and full of energy.
“See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.” ~Dalai Lama
Now that you know what positive thinking is and how it can affect almost every situation in your life, you probably want to know how you can begin incorporating it into your life.
Here are 11 things you can do to help overcome your negative thoughts:
1. Do yoga or meditate.
Clearing your mind to allow you to focus your thoughts can bring your attention to what you need to be focusing on.
2. Look for the positive.
Be loving toward yourself and to others. Focus on your strengths and assets. Maybe you felt nervous when going to a particular event, but then you received lots of positive comments from others who were happy to see you.
3. Smile.
Force yourself to smile. It really does help to change your mood. And it relieves stress too.
4. Surround yourself with positive people.
Get away from the negative people in your life. Talk to people who are positive.
5. Halt negative thoughts immediately.
When you catch yourself with negative thoughts, give yourself permission to stop it. Instead of thinking, “I can’t do that. I’m not talented enough,” say “I can do that. I am just as talented as anyone else.”
6. Don’t play the victim.
You are responsible for creating your life. If you don’t like the situation, change it.
7. List five things you are grateful for at this moment.
Being grateful is a form of positive thinking.
8. Be nice to yourself.
Treat yourself with respect. Treat yourself the same way you would treat someone else. Would you call someone else names like ugly, fat, or loser? Probably not. Then don’t do it to yourself.
9. No one is perfect. Move on.
Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn a lesson from each of them and then move on.
10. Learn to accept compliments. Build your self-esteem, self-image, and confidence.
Take the compliment as it is meant to be given; as a gift. Compliments can help you build your self-image and self-confidence.
11. Focus on what's possible.
Get rid of the negative words like “can’t.” Remind yourself that you don’t need others’ approval for your accomplishments. Focus on your own capabilities and what is possible.
Incorporating positive thoughts into your life can change your future. You can become happier, healthier, and more successful if you believe you can.
How to encourage positivity around you.
What happens when you’ve changed your thinking into positive thoughts, but those around you are still negative? How do you change (or at least encourage) positivity around you? There are a few ways you can encourage positivity in others with your own actions. These work in not only workplace situations, but in the home and other places as well.
A few ideas to encourage positivity:
Show gratitude towards others. Recognize others’ work and their contributions to your own success. Expressing gratitude can set a positive tone of respect from others.
Focus on your strengths, as well as the strengths of others. Using our talents is a big confidence builder. Helping others use their talents to excel can boost their confidence too.
Encourage others, especially children, to try or to keep trying. This can build their confidence and make them more positive.
Balance out the negatives. We have a tendency to dwell on negative thoughts. Refocus your thoughts on the positive successes you have.
Use positive words when speaking. Replace negative words with positive ones. Speak to others with positive words.
Use words that suggest strength and success.
Praise others when they do good things or achieve an accomplishment.
Use visualization techniques with children. The visualization uses their imagination to help them see the positive.
Encourage them in private. Don’t bring up their mistakes in front of others.
Explain others’ value.
Stop finding fault with what is wrong and applaud what is right.
You can encourage positive thinking and attitudes in your surroundings by being positive in how you speak and act toward others. Praise others, offer encouragement when they do something good and stop finding fault in others.
Where to Go From Here
Positive thinking is more than seeing life through rose-colored glasses and avoiding bad things. It’s about a way of thinking that encourages positive outcomes. Positive thinkers seek solutions to problems. They see their value in different situations and can visualize their successes.
You can build happiness and positive thoughts in your life through meditation, writing in a journal, playing games or whatever else that encourages positive thoughts.
Positive people share characteristics that promote good health and overall happiness:
They think about and emphasize good things in life.
They are grateful and thankful.
They don’t complain.
They feel they can do anything to achieve success and reach their goals.
They believe in abundance.
They are confident.
They eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.
Having a positive attitude is something that can be changed. You don’t have to live with negative thoughts. When you catch yourself being negative, change the thought.