Positive people are not simply born positive. They consciously choose to have a positive outlook, and it isn’t easy. Having the self-discipline to consciously make the decision to be positive in situations one is faced with takes a lot of hard work, time and self-control. Often enough, it takes months of dedication to the task before it becomes a natural response to stressful and upsetting events. However, there is enough negativity in the world as it is. What this world and its people need most right now are individuals who bring them up and see things in a better light. It brings people together, gives them a reason to smile and hopefully, encourages them to do the same. Be one of those people. I have written five simple ways to be more positive in an ever-darkening world.
1. It Starts With Your Thoughts
Your behavior and character begins with the thoughts you choose to let into your mind. When you think negatively, you will behave negatively, and soon it becomes a habit. Start catching those negative thoughts before they start to consume your mind and day-to-day activities. Doing this is easier said than done. A lot of the time, we are simply in a mood to want to be negative because it is much easier to be a pessimist than an optimist. However, once you clear your head of the negativity, you will begin to feel a lot lighter.
2. Love Yourself
This is one of the hardest. We are our worst enemy when it comes to self-judgment. Although everybody should hold themselves to standards and have a desire to set and achieve goals, we often hold ourselves to an unrealistic standard. We think that failure is not OK, that we have to look like fitness gods, or that we always have to look our best. The truth is, everybody fails. There are no lessons or growth without failure. Failure teaches us what we want in life. It’s OK if we don’t look like the model in the magazine; everybody’s body is different. It’s OK if we want to not worry about our hair or wear sweatpants out into town. Learn to love yourself and accept your flaws and weaknesses. Our weaknesses teach us humility and give us things to strive for. You can never truly love somebody else if you first do not learn to love yourself. And what this world needs most is more compassion and more love.
3. Stop Judging Others Before You Know Them. Just Be Nice.
It sounds like something you would hear in kindergarten, but that’s because we constantly have to be reminded throughout our entire lives. We are all guilty of judgment; whether it’s in our heads or aloud to our friends. Judgment is a plague. It is dangerously easy to get into the habit of judging others, and it is an extremely hard one to get out of. You will never know what kind of events have happened in one’s life to mold them into the person that you see in front of you. Everybody struggles with a burden, and regardless of what you think of them or how they behave toward you, they have feelings. If you are judging them, most likely a lot of people have. Just be nice. It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with their morals, their weekend activities, or the way they decorate their body. Give them a break. Start a conversation. A few of the closest friends I have today are people I harshly judged before I got to know them. Give everybody a chance.
4. Spread The Smiles With Sincere Compliments
When I was a kid, my Sunday school teacher gave me the challenge of complimenting at least one person every day. I never actually did it until I was older because I thought it would be weird. Once I decided to, much to my surprise, I received the most sincere smile whenever I found something nice to say about their appearance or something I thought they did well. Sometimes, I was even told I made them feel more confident because they “weren’t sure it looked good on them,” or “they didn’t think they were actually that good at it.” It made people’s day. Eventually, I started doing it with strangers on the bus, or in a long line, or with the lady cutting my hair. This simple action is one I highly recommend. People need more reasons to smile in a world that, at times, seems like it’s falling apart. By being positive, you will influence more than you think to follow your lead. Both negativity and positivity strongly affect the people you hang around with. It is up to you to decide which one you would rather influence people to be.
5. There Is Always a Silver Lining
Looking for the silver lining in every situation can be hard to find at times. In some situations, it will often seem impossible. However, in every crisis, personal trial, failure, or unfortunate event, it always is. Sometimes it will take a long time to see. Years might pass by until you look back and realize that you wouldn’t be where you are today if it hadn’t happened. Having a long-term perspective in unfortunate situations will help you understand that everything happens for a reason. Even when you try your best, life happens, and you will be thrown off course. Find that silver lining, whether it’s plain to see or not, knowing that you will learn from it. Use it to your advantage and take control of it.
