Think Positive, Talk Positive, Feel Positive
A positive outlook on life is arguably one of the most powerful assets you can have. Positive people expect success; good health, happiness, wealth and good relationships and those things tend to show up in their lives. This is not because they are already successful, or because they are more confident and thus more outgoing, it is simply the attitude.
Understanding positive thinking
Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
Positive Thinker?
The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.
- Expect good things to happen! Success, wealth, a date with the girl down the hall - anything that is positive in nature. And don’t just think about them happening, you need to fully believe that what you want will in fact come to you! Look for opportunities for your goals to be reached at all times and pounce on them when you see them. Don’t second-guess if a potential opportunity is just chance or wishful thinking!
- Disregard and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Even if you started thinking something pessimistic, just take a deep breath and think the opposite, POSITIVE thought.
- Try to minimize your time around negative people. This gets difficult if your good friends are pessimistic and unwilling to change, but you should try and foster a positive environment, no matter where you are.
- Before starting on any new project or activity, visualize the positive outcome that you want to come from what you are doing.
- Do things that make you happy! Become more and more of a positive person, you will discover that even activities that annoyed or bored you in the past will be at least bearable, if not enjoyable.
- No more saying I can’t. “You know you can.” Anything is possible with optimism!
- Walk and sit with a straight spine and shoulders back. Good posture breeds confidence and thus optimism. Also exercise regularly even if it is light exercise. Physical activity releases all kinds of positive endorphins that can do wonders for even the most pessimistic people.
Optimism is Contagious: If you are a source of positive thought, you are also a source of positive energy to the environment and people that you interact with. Positive feelings affect more than other peoples moods, it can influence health and vitality.
Positive Thinking and Health: The thing MOST affected by optimism is physical health. Logically, the brain controls the body. If the brain thinks positively, that energy will radiate into the body as well. Studies have also linked positive thinking to pain reduction and life span.
It’s all the basic law of attraction; positive thoughts breed positive results.
Your thoughts affect your life and those around you!
Resources:
High Existence, Mayo Clinic