“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~Winston Churchill
Things are getting deep over here!
Happy Tuesday lovely people! 🙂
(Image Credit)
Yeah I know, I always complain about Tuesdays, but after this one only ONE MORE to go!!!! Wooooo!!
So towards the end of the semester, I feel like everyone gets so on edge and stressed out beyond belief. This is normal, but the main thing is to not lose your mind in the process. I know I struggle with remaining positive A LOT. Like I mean, a lot. Just ask my boyfriend….(Sorry!)
Even when things are difficult, I know that being positive—and trying to make the best of whatever situation I’m in—really does make even the most challenging situations easier to bear. Here are 5 steps to making your life a little easier when you’re dealing with negativity and stress.
Step One: Believe a Positive Attitude is a Choice
This step is the hardest to take. I thought that people were either positive or negative. Sometimes people blame their negativity on all kinds of outside forces—fate, experiences, parents, relationships—but never really stopped to think that you can choose to be positive. When you find yourself in a bad situation, just know that it’s up to you to find the good, to be positive regardless of what’s happening around you.
Step Two: Rid Your Life of Negativity
If you want to live a positive, joyful life, you cannot be surrounded by negative people who don’t encourage your happiness.
This, as you can imagine, isn’t easy. It can hurt to distance yourself from people—even when you know they aren’t good for you or your current lifestyle. Learn to focus on the positive things you’re doing and let go of the negative ones. This process won’t be easy, but it’s hard to live a positive life when negative people and behaviors are pulling you down.
Step Three: Look For the Positive in Life
In every person and in every situation, there is something good. Most of the time it’s not obvious. We have to look. And sometimes we have to look hard.
No matter how terrible the situation might seem, you can always find something good if you take the time to think about it.
Everything is a learning experience so, at the very least, you can learn from bad experiences. However, if you really take the time to look, you will usually find something good, something genuinely positive, about every person or situation. But again, it’s hard.
Step Four: Reinforce Positivity in Yourself
Once you start thinking more positively, you’re going to have to reinforce these thoughts and behaviors in yourself so they stick. As with any sort of training, the more you practice, the better you get—and, yes, you can practice being positive!
The best and easiest way to do this is to be positive when it comes to who you are. Tell yourself you’re awesome. Tell yourself you look good. Tell yourself you did a great job at work or at school or whatever it is you do.
Whatever you do, don’t focus on the negative. It’s okay to not like everything about yourself, but don’t focus on what you don’t like.
Step Five: Share Positivity with Others
Not only do you need to be positive with yourself for this to really take effect, but you need to be positive with others. You have to share your wealth of positivity with the world! 🙂
Be nice to other people. Tell someone she/he looks nice today. Tell someone she/he did a great job on that presentation. Tell your parents how much you love them and how great they are. When someone is feeling down, do what you can to cheer him or her up. When you start feeling like the idea of being a positive person is too daunting, remind yourself that all it takes is one small step in the right direction to move yourself toward a more positive attitude.
Believe in yourself and remember the most important lesson of all: A positive outlook is a choice that you can always make.
By the way, yesterday’s oats:
Strictly peanut butter, strictly awesome.
Have a fabulous day! XOXO