It is amazing how powerful our mindset can be in terms of influencing our feelings and actions. I have struggled with maintaining a healthy and positive mindset for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been one to focus more on the negatives than the positives, thinking that one bad day meant that it was the end of my life as I knew it or over-thinking myself into bad moods without even realizing it.

However, the first step to change is realizing that there is an issue and working hard to improve it in whatever ways you can. Now that’s not to say that I haven’t slipped up and reverted to my old ways once in awhile; it’s a learning process, and any level of growth is still growth, and that is something most of us tend to forget. The process to change your mindset will most definitely not be easy. I speak from experience; I would constantly give power to powerless things and cloud my mind with what-if’s and what-could-have been’s. It was tough, but I realized I was ready to abandon my what-if thoughts and start taking pleasure in the present and appreciate what IS, rather than what COULD BE.

It is perfectly normal to feel negative once in awhile, but to feel negative all the time is something you really have to try to change if you want to grow and improve as person. Your mindset may be negative in the sense that you want to give up every time something bad happens to you or doesn’t go your way. Or maybe you have a habit of only acknowledging the negative things that happen in your life.

If you can relate to this, you should know that you aren’t alone, and today is the day that it all changes. If you follow these steps, you’re going to see a huge impact in all aspects of your life including your thoughts, experiences, action, and even lifestyle as a whole.

1. Acknowledge and appreciate the little things in life

As humans, we tend to let some of the best things in life go unnoticed because we are so busy focusing on what’s wrong in our lives or what we hate. We take so many things for granted; it could be something as simple as a cup of coffee on rainy day or a deep conversation with a friend that somehow impacted us in a way we didn’t really even realize. Once you start making the conscious effort to notice and reflect on these little things, you will be a much happier person.

2. Make daily reflections on the good in your life

A lot of us fall prey to letting bad days or situations consume us. If one bad thing happens in our day, that sets the tone for the rest of our day. We have to make a conscious effort to stop letting the negatives in life control us. Forcing yourself to reflect on the good is a subconscious way to keep yourself in check when it comes to avoiding falling off the edge and maintaining your sanity and peace amidst rough situations.

3. Learn and motivate yourself from your failures and mistakes

We cannot experience success without failure. Making mistakes gives us the opportunity to bounce back and grow from all the hardships we encounter during our lives. Use a bad grade on a quiz to motivate yourself to work harder for the next assignment or test. All the energy you exert on mourning over a mistake or failure can be channeled towards working towards your success. Train yourself to recognize the bad, grab ahold of the opportunities it presents you, and work towards your growth and success.

4. Cultivate good habits to train your brain to think positively

Negative words and actions are direct reflections of your mindset. Having a more positive presence reflects the good that you are capable of radiating. Train yourself to continue focusing on the good. Speaking and thinking in a certain way will make your mind associate everything with a positive connotation. Making these small changes in your words, habits, and behaviors can make the biggest changes in both your life and mindset.

Being able to positively alter our mindset will change ourselves and our lives in ways we never thought possible. Your life is only as good as you make it, and your happiness is in your power. So take charge of your life and create the life you know you deserve.