I’m not going to lie… it is not easy to ALWAYS be positive. Things happen, life happens, and it isn’t always pleasant. This conversation is not about ALWAYS be positive, it is instead about intending to always be positive and absorbing others positivity when you lack in that area.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
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Could not have said it better myself! There is an old saying that I sure we all know, “Stop and Smell the Roses.” I truly believe these tow quotes go hand in hand. Do I have a million dollars? Nope. Am I able to earn a living and able to work hard to pay my bills? Yes. And I am grateful.
Gratitude and positivity are the cousins of happiness. If I am happy and maintaining a positive outlook on life, then I am able to manifest the good in life. If I am negative and focused on the bad things that are happening or have happened, then I am missing out on what is right in front of me. I am looking on the rear-view mirror and not through the windshield of life.
There are folks out there whose first instinct is sarcasm or possibly to comment on the negative. These people, if given the opportunity can affect how we think and feel about situations and activities. When we were kids and we were so excited about maybe a boy we liked, or a grade we got, or an upcoming activity; if there was a “cool kid” that thought differently, did we let their opinion sway ours? Did you wear a beautiful new dress to school one day and maybe a girl commented on the fit not being just right and you suddenly felt less beautiful. Imagine if those same comments were reversed and you were encouraged by those you admired. Would that change your feelings? Of Course. It would hype you up and you would feel even better than you already did. THIS is the power of positivity and transversely the power of negative thinking.
Now, think of your current life and current situations. Are you that mean girl always commenting on the negative or possibly thinking you are politely playing devil’s advocate or are you the one hyping up your friends and even strangers, encouraging them to be the best they can. Are you the one saying, “do better” or are you saying, “I know you can do, keep going”. Those statement can have the same intent but be felt so differently on the receiving end.
Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.
So, the question is, how do you radiate positivity without feeling like you are walking on eggshells with what you say and do. Easy! Confidence, good self-esteem, self-care and compassion. It’s the recipe for happiness in any and all situations.
Bad things happen, there is no doubt in that. How we react to them is what matters. Not the bad thing itself.
“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.”
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It will in fact always rain sometime…. It is what we do with that rain. Here are my thoughts on what to do with the negative:
- Share your story, but don’t focus on the bad, focus on your climb upward from that moment. That is where the positive is.
- Seak out “Moments” and embrace them. If it is raining, then be glad you don’t have to water the lawn. You are saving money and the work to do so. If you are running late to work, let’s be honest… you are already late. Take a breath and do a little self-talk to be grateful for your job and the ability to do it, then charge on.
- Plant the roses: Share a compliment, hold a door, smile at a stranger, say please and thank you for any service rendered to you. These tiny little actions can plant a rose in someone else’s garden. This allows you to have more roses everywhere you go, not just keep them to yourself.
Positivity breeds positivity and we don’t share it, it won’t grow.