Virtually every self-help book on the
market have one thing in common - expressing the importance of being positive
to increase your happiness and well-being.
There have been many studies done on the
power of positive thought and the conclusions show a mass amount of health
benefits, without having to take medication! Positive thinking has been proven
to reduce stress, help people live longer, and improve your overall well-being
and ability to cope.
So if it is that simple, then why aren't we
living in a society of total bliss and happiness? The answer is that no one,
you nor I, wants to admit that they are negative. And if you can't admit that
you are negative then how can you ever change your lifestyle to being positive?
In Online Dating Magazine's article about
online dating profile tips, the #1 tip is to avoid negativity in your profile.
Whether it is "I'm lonely" or "my last boyfriend was a
jerk" these types of statements turn people off, making it easy to bypass
your profile for one where a person seems more in tune with life, and
himself/herself.
But avoiding negativity shouldn't just be
an issue for your profile. It should be an issue for your life. And with that
in mind, here are seven steps to help you turn negativity into positive
thinking:
Step 1: Admit You Are Negative
The first step to changing your life is to
admit that you are negative or that you have negative thoughts. Whether talking
about a coworker behind his/her back or believing you "can't" do
something; these contribute to a non-healthy lifestyle.
Step 2: Be Determined to be Positive
Once you've admitted you are negative, or
at least have some negative tendencies, you can resolve to changing the way you
think. Become conscious of your daily thoughts and when a negative thought
enters your mind, quickly turn it around. Instead of "I don't think I can
do that," think "I love a new challenge and will conquer this
one" or "I can do this no matter how hard it is." Instead of
"I'll do this later," think "By getting this done now I can have
it accomplished." Eliminate words like "can't" from your
vocabulary and replace them with "can". Start to say positive things
about other people. Start to think positive things about other people.
"Wow, that was really nice what he/she did." When presented the
opportunity to comment on someone else, refrain from saying anything bad.
Step 3: Remove Yourself From Negative
Influences
Your environment begins to reflect who you
are after time. Thus if you have friends or coworkers you hang out with who are
always griping about their job, boss, or life then begin to slowly weed out
that group of people and seek out those who are positive and don't talk about
others behind their back. When you replace a negative environment with a
positive one, you make huge strides in improving your lifestyle.
Step 4: Replace Cola with Water
The healthiest beverage you can drink is
water. And by replacing chemical and sugar-filled drinks with water, you will
make massive improvements to your health. First of all, you are eliminating the
sugar and caffeine that are so addicting, yet bad for overall health. Second,
you are increasing your water intake. Chemical-free natural water will help
improve your energy, eliminate toxins from your body, make your skin more
healthy looking, and improve your mental performance. How can you not help but
become more positive with such changes to your life?! Drink lots of water - it
is the true "miracle vitamin".
Step 5: Stop Watching the News
Murder. Rape. Fraud. War. Daily news is
often filled with nothing but negative stories and when you make reading such
material a part of your daily lifestyle, you begin to be directly affected by
that environmental factor. If you still need a dose of news, then tune into a
station or site that features "Good News".
Step 6: Learn to Meditate
Meditating allows you to clear your mind,
lower stress, become more focused, and stay positive. It's a very positive and
powerful medium. By taking just 15 minutes a day to meditate, you'll find
yourself handling time and stress much better. You'll also gain a more positive
outlook on life.
Step 7: Spread Your Positiveness to Others
Put your new positive thinking lifestyle
into action. Take time out to write down the top 10 things you love about your
partner and give that list to him/her. When you experience good customer
service, take time to write a note or e-mail expressing your gratitude.
Practice spreading your positiveness to others and it will grow.
When you allow yourself to become immersed
in positive thinking, you will start to see it affect other aspects of your
life. For example, instead of feeling "inconvenienced" by merging
traffic, you'll allow someone to easily merge in front of you and feel great
about it. They might even wave or mouth "thank you". At a grocery
store when you have a cart full of groceries and the person behind you has only
one or two items you may find yourself saying, "please go ahead of me
since you only have a few items" and that person's gratitude will make
your day. You'll find yourself actively thinking about others and your
contribution to their positive experiences will have a huge affect on your
eternal happiness.
