Being a more positive person comes naturally to some, but most of us need to work at it. Read on for 7 simple habits that will make you a more positive person.
I really hesitated to hit publish on this post. The reason; I look at so many of these books and articles that tell you if just speak positive words each day and put them out in the universe, it will make it happen as well, garbage.
Really and truly do you think that you can will something to happen just by speaking it? Because you’ve spoken positive affirmations and willed it to happen, it will happen?
Look I’ve had enough trials and hardships in my own life to know that’s just not true.
At the same time, I firmly believe that our words are incredibly powerful!
I remember when I was a kid there was a saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. Today I know this is the most ridiculous saying ever because words have the power to crush us. But they also have the power to encourage us and lift us up, thereby making us a more positive person.
For that reason, I think it’s super important to be mindful of the words that we are speaking, not just to others, but to ourselves.
Now again, I’m not advocating for the “let me just speak it and it’ll manifest itself in my life” school of thought. What I am saying is that how we talk to ourselves can have a dramatic impact on our lives. Really to have lives that are filled with what truly matters to us, we must be kind to ourselves and we must realize that we can have a life of meaning and purpose.
If we’re stressed or unhappy, everything feels exhausting, this makes it hard to become a more positive person. The first way to start elevating that stress and unhappiness is to consider the ways you speak to yourself.
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Understanding the Power of Words
First, if we are to choose our words with intention, we need to understand how our words affect how we feel about ourselves, our lives, and our circumstances. Our words can shape our experience of life through the things we think and speak. In fact, the words we speak can direct the course of our life. James 3:5-6.
Our words have the power to:
Encourage (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Build up (Romans 15:2)
Give grace to the hearer (Ephesians 4: 29)
You see ultimately our words come from our heart from what we believe and think deep down. What’s in your heart matters because it influences what we do.
So let me ask you; what are the words you speak to or about yourself? Are you regularly criticizing yourself, telling yourself you don’t measure up? Do you tell yourself you can’t do it? Do you compare yourself to others, telling yourself they are better than you?
7 Simple Mindset Shifts to Become a More Positive Person
We all have them, thoughts that hold us back and make us think we aren’t capable. But through our words, we can choose to think differently and begin to believe in ourselves.
It starts with instilling these seven habits!
1. Be Intentional With The Words You Tell Yourself
Watch the words you use when you talk to yourself.
If you want to change your attitude from “I can’t do this” or “I’m going to fail”, to “I’ve got this” or “I’m going to do great”, change your self-talk. In doing so you will gain greater self-confidence. Confidence in yourself is absolutely critical to living a joyful life and success.
Remember words matter and you are in control of the words you speak. Speak kindly to yourself. Choose words that are positive even when talking to yourself.
2. Surround Yourself With Positive Messages
2. Surround Yourself With Positive MessagesPositive thinking is as contagious as negativity is. When you’re trying to cultivate a more positive mindset look for ways to surround yourself with positivity.
Read books with a positive message, or listen to music that has uplifting lyrics. Hang positive messages and artwork around your home.
By surrounding yourself with positive messages as much as possible you will find yourself gaining a much more positive outlook and mindset. This will, in turn, make you a more positive person.
3. Surround Yourself With Positive People
Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. The rule suggests that the five people you spend the most time with shape who you are. This naturally means they shape how you think and how you speak.
As Tim Ferris explains, we might interact with many people, but the few who are closest to us have the greatest impact on our way of thinking and our decisions.
Part of becoming a more positive person is cultivating the habit of surrounding yourself with people who do the same. When you do, their mindsets will begin to rub off on you by default. So look for people who have the qualities you want to emulate and start building a relationship with them.
4. Practice
A simple universal truth; the more you practice something the better you get at it.
A key factor to becoming a more positive person is to develop a daily practice of positivity. However, along with a positive mindset, it’s imperative that you also establish good habits.
The reality is that no amount of positive thinking can replace good habits. So you want to make sure you’re doing all the little things that will help support living out the things that matter most to you. This means taking time each day to care for yourself. It also means making sure that you are doing something each day in line with your priorities.
These are the things you want to put in place as daily essentials when you’re setting up your daily routines.
If you can count on having the right habits set up, you clear space to focus on those things that matter most and become a more positive person.
5. Take Responsibility
One thing I’ve noticed is that negative people tend to be exceptionally skilled at playing the victim card. They are a victim of their life and circumstances, everything just happens to them.
But when you take responsibility for your attitude and remind yourself that, while you are not responsible for what others do, you do have complete responsibility for how you respond to it.
The days are yours to shape the choices you make. The key is not to build up obstacles in your mind or imagination but to minimize them with a positive mindset.
6. Seek Out Accountability
6. Seek Out AccountabilityAnother key habit to cultivate in becoming a more positive person is to find someone you admire who will be willing to hold you accountable for how you are speaking to yourself.
Even being in the presence of someone who has learned how to master their own mindset, you’ll begin to pick up their approach.
Just remember you must be open to being honest with them since obviously, they cannot read your mind. But if you have someone you can go to and let them know that you are working on becoming a more positive mindset, ask them if they would be willing to check in with you on how you are doing. This can be invaluable to your success.
7. Take care of Yourself
Remember what I said about our words coming from our heart. If you are not loving and caring for yourself, it’s going to be nearly impossible to develop a positive mindset.
You have to start believing that you matter, and that you are worth caring for.
If you’re not caring for yourself life begins to feel chaotic and overwhelming. This, in turn, makes it difficult to see the good and appreciate what it is you have.
However, when you stop and take the time for you to do those little things that fill you up, you will begin to feel refreshed and gain a whole new perspective. This doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated, even just 15 minutes of reading a book or going for a walk can have a big impact.
You’re not always going to be able to stop those negative thoughts and words from popping up, but you can refuse to listen to them. Just remember, you get to decide how you feel about things.
Yes, it takes work to be intentional and to surround yourself with positivity and positive people but it is worth it. This is your life, take responsibility for how you live it.
So commit to stop picking on yourself. Appreciate how special you are, and take the time for things that fill you up. Soon you will live a life you love!
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