Author of Manifestation Miracle
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” ― Marcus Aurelius
Fred, a good friend of mine, used to be the most negative person in the world.
Well, that’s what he tells me anyway.
I find it hard to believe because I can’t imagine him having one negative bone in his body.
Sometimes, I honestly want to get annoyed by how positive he is. He’s ever the optimist even when things get rough.
Just this year, he lost his job TWICE.
No one but Fred could stay so upbeat after something like that.
He edits videos for a living – and is quite brilliant at it – but both media companies he worked for recently let him go. One went bankrupt and the other downsized their staff.
With this year just about to end, the timing couldn’t be worse.
No one wants to start off the new year jobless, after all. But that didn’t affect Fred one bit.
He just saw it as a detour that would lead him to bigger and better opportunities ahead for next year.
Staying Afloat In a Sea of Negativity
When I asked him his secret to staying positive, he told me:
“I used to flip out over the smallest things when I was younger. But I slowly learned how to stop taking everything so personally…I let go of the need to treat every problem as a personal attack or tragedy. I guess I just got tired of thinking that way, you know?”
And it’s true. One of the basic building blocks of an optimistic mindset is to process difficult life events in a healthy, constructive way.
David D. Burns, author of “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy”, states that the kind of thoughts we have is the result of HOW we think.
He also tells us, “Your feelings result from the meaning you give to the event, not from the event itself.”
So, if you can change your way of thinking, then you can also keep yourself from feeling terrible when life throws you a curveball.
But you might say that it’s easier said than done.
After all, not all of us can be like Fred and let problems roll off like water on feathers!
Indeed – making any kind of REAL change isn’t easy or fast.
In fact, you’d feel even MORE terrible if you expect to become a positive person overnight!
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The sooner you invest in good habits, the quicker you can start enjoying the benefits of positive thinking.
Here are 5 ways to welcome the new year with a positive mindset:
#1: Drop the victim mentality
One of the biggest causes of negative thinking is acting like the Universe is going out of its way to sabotage you.
The truth is that you’re shifting all of the blame on external circumstances.
Instead, you need to take control of the things that you CAN do, including coming up with a solution to your problem.
Get busy with taking action, and you’ll have less time trying to blame others for your situation.
#2: Serve others
If you’re having trouble seeing the good in the world, you can create it yourself.
The real danger of negative thinking is getting stuck in your own head with distorted, pessimistic thoughts.
To let those thoughts pass through quickly, focus on doing something good for other people instead.
Volunteer for a cause that’s important to you and give others the gift of your time and skills.
In most cases, doing pro-bono work doesn’t have immediate benefits, but you’ll enjoy some long-term ones that aren’t so obvious at first.
A study done in 2016 by the University of Pittsburgh and University of California showed that the brain actually grows and develops while helping other people.
Not only do stress levels go down, the brain also associates volunteer work as a pleasurable activity.
So the more you try to make other people’s lives better, the better you can wire your brain for happiness.
#3: Change the script in your head
Most people aren’t aware of the kind of narrative they have about themselves.
We act like directors in the movie of our lives, and it’s often based on a badly written script.
And we feed this terrible script every time we create toxic thoughts about who we are and why we don’t deserve to be happy.
But now that you’re aware of this, it’s time to take control of your thoughts and visualize your best possible future.
In order to be more positive, you need to get excited about the endless possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead.
And to do that, you need to get into the habit of thinking of these things for at least a minute every day.
Imagine the kind of day you want to have, and picture yourself going through the motions to make it a reality.
Then imagine what it would feel like when you enjoy that well-earned leisure time.
Don’t underestimate the power of mental exercises like these.
In the book “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”, Joseph Murphy says that your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is perceived.
In other words, the things you imagine in your head are just as REAL as what happens in the physical world.
And as a result, you’ll unconsciously do the things needed to turn your abstract thoughts into tangible reality – including the perfect day you just visualized.
#4: Develop greater awareness
Negative thinking is a habit that people don’t even think about. It quietly runs in the background on auto-pilot as a response to challenging circumstances.
Thus, coming up with negative thoughts during a bad situation is second nature to someone who’s used to thinking that way.
But you need to remember that these negative thoughts aren’t an accurate reflection of reality. It’s just your mind projecting a worst-case scenario.
The best way to DISRUPT this pattern is by practicing self-awareness during THAT exact moment.
So, when a problem comes along and you feel those toxic thoughts creeping up on you, simply tell yourself, “Oh look, I’m doing it again…”
And at this point, you can either drop that negative thought like a hot potato or replace it with a healthier, more constructive one.
Or you could also CHALLENGE your negative thought.
Ask yourself, “Is this thought actually true…or is my mind just exaggerating the problem?”
Sometimes, taking a step back and observing yourself from a distance will help you see things more clearly.
#5: Keep a journal
Whether you’re a fan of good-old fashioned paper or prefer blogging, keeping track of your daily moods can have a therapeutic effect.
I’ve found that I can stay on top of my emotions and be more optimistic when I put my thoughts into writing. I usually answer a few basic questions:
- How did I feel today? What were the reasons why I felt that way?
- If I felt bad, how can I better manage my emotions next time?
- What are the three things that I’m grateful for today?
You don’t have to be a best-selling author to document these personal reflections. Write it down as you feel them; no one else has to read it but you.
When you get into the habit of practicing this heightened self-awareness, you’ll immediately feel more in control of your life.
Once you’re in this state, it’s pretty much impossible NOT to feel better about yourself and the world around you.
But as I mentioned before, these habits take time to form.
So if you can start making small changes today, you can already get on the path to a more positive year ahead of you.
I know what it’s like to struggle with negative thoughts myself.
It’s never fun being trapped in your own head and trying to keep those thoughts at bay.
In my case, I looked happy on the outside. But I felt burned out from working all the time to keep up the appearance of a great life.
I wondered why others did better than me without even exerting half the effort I was. Somehow, wealth and abundance seemed to just flow in their lives by just THINKING of it.
But then I learned a little-known psychological principle that allowed me to do the same…and MORE.
To find out how I unlocked the missing ingredient to the Law of Attraction, go and watch this video I just put up:
Welcome The New Year With a Bigger and Brighter Future – Learn The “Lazy Person Secret” TODAY (Video)
