I want to immediately address something for anyone clicking on this feeling down, apprehensive or frightened about anything.
Negative thoughts are normal thoughts.
It is part of being human. Do not judge yourself and stigmatize.
Remember, you control your thoughts, they do not control you.
If I was to ask you why you think you are a positive person, or to contrast, negative; it is actually a really difficult question to answer in a huge amount of detail.
The reason for this is because a lot of what determines your thought patterns is subconscious.
They are natural reactions.
However, these became subconscious and natural due to repetition. Your mind has been fed this as a response to situations, and therefore sticks to what it knows.
This is what makes this topic such an empowering one, because as I mentioned at the top… you are in full control of this.
Your mind is forever evolving, and you decide how it changes.
For example, reading this gives you tips that will become new habits that encourage positive thinking. These are things that, even if you already class yourself as a positive person, are great additions to your everyday life.
They will help you deal with negative thoughts instantly and also help form how you react to events in the future.
Look For The Good
At first glance, this tip makes you want to take the palm of your hand and slap it against your forehead because it sounds so obvious.
Duh! Want to be more positive? Pay less attention to the bad!
Sounds pretty darn simple.
Why doesn’t everyone do it then? Well, this is a case of theory making things seem much easier than they are in practise. Much of it comes down to your thinking habits.
Here’s a nice metaphor. You are on a running track and you catch sight of a hurdle that appears in your lane. What are your initial thoughts?
Do you think about how high it is, and how, when you reach your final stride, you will stumble and clatter into it, breaking your face as well as other vital body parts when you plummet inelegantly to the ground?
Or to contrast, do you think about how, even if you do fall, you will be one experience richer, and therefore greater prepared for the next hurdle that may appear down the track? Also, who is to say that you won’t clear it first time?
Often, you cannot control which of these come into your head first.
The reality is that there is good to be found in every situation, no matter how dark.
Sometimes it will present itself clearly for you, other times it will take some searching for. Once you find it, never let it go. Even when everything else is overwhelmingly telling you to loosen your grip.
It will guide you to a better place.
‘And it’s hi ho silver lining, and away you go.’
Contextualise
If your life was a movie, would this event be a main part of the plot, or would it not even make it through the director’s cut?
Often it can be easy to get swept up into a tornado of negative thoughts, even when the reason is nothing but a slight rain shower.
When you feel your positivity over something fading, take a few steps back and readjust so you can get a better look. Position yourself away from your circumstances and widen your negative tunnel vision into a whole horizon of perspective and opportunity.
This is hugely effective when extreme emotions are involved, as it is easy to lose sight of logic and reason.
Smile
Smiling when it may seem like you have nothing to smile about seems crackers. Like breaking out into hysteric laughter in a silent room.
However, there are genuine benefits as to why you should wear a smile on your face as often as you wear a shirt or shoes.
To name a few, the physical act of smiling releases stress, elevates your mood, and influences feelings of positivity. However, that only scratches the surface of the power behind a smile.
There are various health benefits such as the lowering of blood pressure and how it releases endorphins that reduces feelings of pain.
On top of this, it attracts others! Who does not want to be around people who radiate happiness?
Positive Affirmations
Anyone out there a fan of any team sports? Well, if you are, then you know of the impact of the team talk.
Team talks can happen before, during and after games, and are an opportunity to assess a situation, and then air the motivation and inspiration needed at that moment to spur your team on to perform at the height of their abilities.
The purpose of these talks is to gather the people that form the collective and ensure they are all pushing in the same direction.
Sometimes these are important to us as individuals too.
It may feel as though some negative events from your day have bruised, scratched, and burned you but these words and affirmations are your way of ensuring that it does not break you or your spirit.
These words must pack a positive punch and mean something to you. You can’t just insert phrases that sound like they are some kind of verbal medicine.
They need to flow from your mind and ignite something in you that engulfs unhelpful thought patterns.
Find your words that feed security, contentment and optimism and use them regularly to build your positive energy, self-esteem, and confidence from within.
Others
Empathy is an incredible thing.
We see a fellow human express feelings and we suddenly feel a sensation that enables that feeling, which could be personal to them, to be shared. Like some sort of emotional osmosis.
This means that, in many ways, the way you are is a result of the influences around you.
The infectious nature of emotions and energy is what makes this true. So are you going to benefit more by spending time with those who are often downbeat and pessimistic, or with people that are optimistic and full of positive can-do energy?
Being in circles that are full of people with a bright outlook means that you can both inspire and be inspired. Which is fantastic fuel for whichever direction your life takes.
Gratitude
There are things in your life right now that you may take for granted and would not think about until it disappeared completely.
This could be a person, a material thing, or even the fact that you are here, living and breathing right here, right now.
Of course, the fact that you exist should not be on your brain 24/7. However, by regularly taking time to think about your life and the things that make it what it is and how thankful you are for them, can really breathe new perspective into your outlook.
By shifting our thinking to focus on those energising, positive thoughts that get crammed to the back of the mind as it fills with the pollution that everyday life can bring. We can really lighten the weight of what can sometimes be a heavy world and helps clear a path through the noise.
Practising gratitude regularly is thoroughly cleansing. Reminding you of all those things that are truly important, and not the things that have just happened most recently.
Know Why It Is Important
Now of course, you can go away and use the tips I have given you above and try to live a more positive life. However, none of this will really do what it can unless you know your why.
Why do you want a more positive mindset? What would a positive mindset bring to your life specifically?
We know that it can improve your health, happiness and relationships. However what does that mean to you?
What health issues could it heal? What would being happier do? Which relationships could benefit?
Once you have a concept of those things, that is all the motivation you need.
Thanks
Alex & The Excel Team
P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your learning & development challenges for 2021, call us on +44(0) 1628488 854.
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