I cannot think of a better time to be negative than now. We can only leave our house (within reason) we cannot meet and interact with loved ones. Outside is a battlefield where thousands of people are dying and yet I cannot think of a better time to reconnect and strengthen your will and determination to succeed than right now! I know right; it would be so easy to succumb to a negative way of thinking, especially with our current world and the ongoing trauma it and we are facing. Yet, I am am firm believer in the human resolve and our innate power to demonstrate strength and resilience when we need it most. Like anything though, maintaining a positive mental attitude takes practice. Even the most positive individual you know will have days when it all becomes too much. The only difference between you and them is that they have developed strategies to help them work through their negative responses and they are able to turn to them to help maintain a positive mental attitude; no matter the challenge.
I have spent 5 years developing strategies that help me to work through the most testing times and I encourage you to work on applying them to your life. We are in this together, read and revisit the gems in this post and work at incorporating them into your life. You've got this!
Be Realistic
You are human and as a result of this, you will struggle. Be realistic in your expectations of yourself. If you are feeling upset, allow yourself time to feel upset but allocate a time. Give yourself 15 to 20 minutes to really feel the emotion but don't dwell in it. Then focus you attention on doing something that will heighten your mood and lighten your spirits. Listen to music, journal, take a power nap, do meditation. What you shouldn't do is set unrealistic expectations of yourself. Once you take the time to flesh out how you are feeling, you will build more resolve and strengthen your ability to press on, no matter what.
Feed Your Mind With Positivity
Most of us are very blessed to have a wide array of different communication platforms at our finger tips. You can visit YouTube to find a positive affirmations video or watch a motivational talk, you can listen to an uplifting podcast, you can communicate with a friend who inspires and empowers you. Your mind is a vessel that needs to be filled with things that will drive it forward. You have the power to choose what you feed your mind with. Take the initiative to look at the different ways you can continually feed your mind with messages that would keep you moving forward and taking progressive steps. Keep a Gratitude Journal
This keeps on cropping up! Just take it as a clear sign that you need to start doing it! Giving thanks for what you have now, makes space for more of what you really want. Wake up and give thanks for life, give thanks for your home, for having a roof over your head, for having the Internet so you can research ways to grow and become a better version of yourself. Give thanks for being safe, for having your health. You will become overwhelmed by how much saying thank you can not only lighten you mood but keep you mindset where it needs to be. Write Down Your Dreams
Things look impossible now because the world in on a lock down but that doesn't mean that you cannot keeping planning for what is to come. What do you want to achieve in your life? are you near to manifesting them? what does your dream life look like? where do you live? what car do you drive? where do you shop? where do you eat? You have to see it to action it, to manifest it. Wishing for better doesn't create better. You have to take the necessary steps to help giving birth to your dreams. Even in this current climate, there is no reason why you can't create a vision board, watch videos of people who may be living the life you want for yourself. Return to your list daily, allow it to motivate and inspire your thinking and creativity.
Don't Blame Others
Don't blame others for your failures. Of course, it's not positive to beat yourself up over your failures, either. The healthy way to handle failure is to take responsibility for the failure and learn from it. Think of it as a learning curve - you can improve and not make the same mistakes again. So many of us are held back my mistakes from our past and they hinder our current development and our future growth. What is upsetting you from your past, even more so; what is upsetting you right now? write down everything which is causing you anxiety and stress, write them down on a piece of paper, read each issue out and then say out loud:
" I will not allow these circumstances to destroy my future"
Then rip them up. They have no place in your life. Take responsibility and take control. No one outside of yourself has the power to control your life. You have the power, take it back now. Be Bold
It's okay to be scared when embarking on a new way of thinking and becoming but there is that great saying "Feel the fear and do it anyway" and when it comes to taking a positive stance and making changes it can of course be scary.
The truth is, the fear in staying where you are and as you are needs to be more crippling than taking steps to implement change.
Sometimes, you can exhibit a negative mindset by being too cautious. If you always feel the need to have several back-up plans before taking any risk or venture, it can hold you back. Being sensible about risks is healthy, but being overly cautious can paralyse you. Confidence in Your Abilities
Sometimes it's hard to believe in yourself and your talents. But if you want to develop a positive mindset, you need to think well of yourself and your skills. Have confidence in your skills. There may be others who have similar skills, but no one has your personality behind them. You can do everything you have imagined you can. Write down everything you are good at and brainstorm ways that you can use your skills to benefit yourself or to be of service to others.
Choose To Be Happy
Yes, you read that right! Happiness is a choice. Everything doesn't have to be perfect or perfect aligned for you to be happy but you can choose your response. You can choose to focus on the good and not the bad, you can choose to smile and not frown. You have the power in your hands to have the mentality you need to move you forward and keep you moving that way. Believe in yourself and your ability to manifest positive change within your life.
By Sasha Shantel
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