For as long as I can remember, I've always been the type of person to look at life in a relatively negative light. When I was an adolescent, it seemed more normal. I was told that my emotions and outlook on life are a temporary vision caused by fluctuating hormones and "teen angst." However, as I get older, I still find myself focusing on the "what ifs," which normally leads me to think about virtually everything that could go wrong.
For a while now, I've been trying to not let negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions from taking over my outlook on life. Now, that's honestly a lot easier said than done. It's so incredibly easy to feel lost and alone, to dwell on what so-and-so said to you that hurt your feelings, or to constantly face disappointment from those around you. I've found that we, as human beings, spend so much of our time and energy worrying and thinking about trivial things, and as a result we lose sight of all the simple pleasures in life. As cliché as it may sound, our planet Earth holds so much beauty and grace, and we lose sight of that when we constantly see the glass as half-empty.
As a person who is constantly looking for new methods of bettering herself, I recently stumbled upon the "21 Day Positivity Challenge." Essentially, the challenge includes three main parts per day. The first task is to reflect on and answer that day's question. The second task varies daily. The third task is to identify at least one positive thing about your day. It can be something small or something big, but it must be positive.
They say that it takes 21 days to successfully form a habit. I'm not entirely sure if three weeks is enough to transform me into a glass half-full kind of girl, but I have to say, even being seven days into this challenge has made me look at my daily life differently. I invite everyone to take on this challenge and become one step closer to creating a happy lifestyle!
Day 1:
On a scale of one to 10, how happy are you?
Task: Think about why you did not give yourself a 10. Start to think about what actions you can take to get closer to that 10.
Day 2:
Who is one friend you appreciate having and why.
Task: Tell your friend that you appreciate him or her. Take some time to think about how you can fully express your appreciation.
Day 3:
What is one thing that has been frustrating you lately? How can you overcome it?
Task: For the ways you have come up to overcome your frustrations, put them into motion. You can start off with a small step. As long as you start making a change, you're doing great.
Day 4:
What is your favorite movie? Why?
Task: Share your favorite movie with someone. Consider someone who you think might enjoy the movie or benefit from it in some way.
Day 5:
What did/do you love most about your mom/dad?
Task: Do something nice for your mom or day today. If your parents have passed, think about the biggest message and/or lesson they taught you.
Day 6:
What makes you smile?
Task: Do something that will make you smile today.
Day 7:
What stresses you? Why?
Task: Give yourself a break today. Do something fun. Let go of everything that stresses you.
Day 8:
How can you overcome your stressors? (See question 7.)
Task: Begin to take the necessary actions to overcome your stress.
Day 9:
Who inspires you? Why?
Task: Try to embody the qualities that you admire in the person who inspires you.
Day 10:
Are there any negative people in your life? Who are they? Why are they there?
Task: Evaluate each person you come across today and consciously ask yourself: Is this person a positive or negative energy in your life?
Day 11:
How can you better handle the negative people? (See question 10.)
Task: Begin to apply your method(s) of better handling negativity from other people.
Day 12:
What does it mean to be a positive person? How can you be more positive?
Task: Start applying what you wrote on being more positive. It could be to smile more, to give a genuine compliment to everyone you encounter, to give every friend you see a hug, etc.
Day 13:
What are three good things about receiving criticisms?
Task: Think about criticisms you've received in the past. Were you hurt, or did you take them in a positive light?
Day 14:
What are five things to celebrate about your life today?
Task: Be thankful for those five things. Think about how those things benefit your life and contribute to your happiness.
Day 15:
Who is someone you dislike? What is one positive thing you can share about him/her?
Task: Approach someone you normally avoid talking to. As you do that, try to note one positive thing about your encounter with that person.
Day 16:
What is your favorite pastime? Why?
Task: Spend at least 10 minutes on your favorite pastime.
Day 17:
What makes you laugh?
Task: Do the things that make you laugh!
Day 18:
What are three negative thoughts you carry? Why?
Task: Try to separate the negative thoughts you have today and think of three positive thoughts to counteract your previous ones.
Day 19:
What are three positive thoughts you can replace your negative thoughts with? (See question 18.)
Task: Uphold these positive thoughts and use them from blocking out any possible negative thoughts that can arise.
Day 20:
Who are three positive people you can spend more time with?
Task: Reach out to the three people you listed. Plan to meet up with each of them during the upcoming weeks.
Day 21:
On a scale of one to 10, how happy are you? What have you learned about positivity and happiness?
Task: Celebrate your 21 days of positivity. Read your favorite book, take some time off, watch your favorite movie, spend some time on your new business endeavor, or do your favorite activity. You deserve this
ROUND UP:
How has your experience been?
