{"id":1664,"date":"2017-12-27T02:26:59","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T02:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.destinymiracle.com\/blog\/?p=1664"},"modified":"2019-10-23T08:51:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-23T08:51:11","slug":"5-ways-to-be-more-positive-for-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/destinymiracle.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-be-more-positive-for-2018","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways To Be More Positive for 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author of Manifestation Miracle<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2015 Marcus Aurelius<\/em><\/p>\n

Fred, a good friend of mine, used to be the most negative person in the world.<\/p>\n

Well, that\u2019s what he tells me anyway.<\/p>\n

I find it hard to believe because I can\u2019t imagine him having one negative bone in his body.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, I honestly want to get annoyed by how positive he is. He\u2019s ever the optimist even when things get rough.<\/p>\n

Just this year, he lost his job TWICE.<\/p>\n

No one but Fred could stay so upbeat after something like that.<\/p>\n

He edits videos for a living \u2013 and is quite brilliant at it \u2013 but both media companies he worked for recently let him go. One went bankrupt and the other downsized their staff.<\/p>\n

With this year just about to end, the timing couldn\u2019t be worse.<\/p>\n

No one wants to start off the new year jobless, after all. But that didn\u2019t affect Fred one bit.<\/p>\n

He just saw it as a detour that would lead him to bigger and better opportunities ahead for next year.<\/p>\n

Staying Afloat In a Sea of Negativity<\/h3>\n

When I asked him his secret to staying positive, he told me:<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to flip out over the smallest things when I was younger. But I slowly learned how to stop taking everything so personally\u2026I 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?\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s true. One of the basic building blocks of an optimistic mindset is to process difficult life events in a healthy, constructive way.<\/p>\n

David D. Burns, author of \u201cFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy\u201d, states that the kind of thoughts we have is the result of HOW we think.<\/p>\n

He also tells us, \u201cYour feelings result from the meaning you give to the event, not from the event itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, if you can change your way of thinking, then you can also keep yourself from feeling terrible when life throws you a curveball.<\/p>\n

But you might say that it\u2019s easier said than done.<\/p>\n

After all, not all of us can be like Fred and let problems roll off like water on feathers!<\/p>\n

Indeed \u2013 making any kind of REAL change isn\u2019t easy or fast.<\/p>\n

In fact, you\u2019d feel even MORE terrible if you expect to become a positive person overnight!<\/p>\n

However, that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t try. The sooner you invest in good habits, the quicker you can start enjoying the benefits of positive thinking.<\/p>\n

Here are 5 ways to welcome the new year with a positive mindset:<\/p>\n

#1: Drop the victim mentality<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest causes of negative thinking is acting like the Universe is going out of its way to sabotage you.<\/p>\n

The truth is that you\u2019re shifting all of the blame on external circumstances.<\/p>\n

Instead, you need to take control of the things that you CAN do, including coming up with a solution to your problem.<\/p>\n

Get busy with taking action, and you\u2019ll have less time trying to blame others for your situation.<\/p>\n

#2: Serve others<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re having trouble seeing the good in the world, you can create it yourself.<\/p>\n

The real danger of negative thinking is getting stuck in your own head with distorted, pessimistic thoughts.<\/p>\n

To let those thoughts pass through quickly, focus on doing something good for other people instead.<\/p>\n

Volunteer for a cause that\u2019s important to you and give others the gift of your time and skills.<\/p>\n

In most cases, doing pro-bono work doesn\u2019t have immediate benefits, but you\u2019ll enjoy some long-term ones that aren\u2019t so obvious at first.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Not only do stress levels go down, the brain also associates volunteer work as a pleasurable activity.<\/p>\n

So the more you try to make other people\u2019s lives better, the better you can wire your brain for happiness.<\/p>\n

#3: Change the script in your head<\/h3>\n

Most people aren\u2019t aware of the kind of narrative they have about themselves.<\/p>\n

We act like directors in the movie of our lives, and it\u2019s often based on a badly written script.<\/p>\n

And we feed this terrible script every time we create toxic thoughts about who we are and why we don\u2019t deserve to be happy.<\/p>\n

But now that you\u2019re aware of this, it\u2019s time to take control of your thoughts and visualize your best possible future.<\/p>\n

In order to be more positive, you need to get excited about the endless possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead.<\/p>\n

And to do that, you need to get into the habit of thinking of these things for at least a minute every day.<\/p>\n

Imagine the kind of day you want to have, and picture yourself going through the motions to make it a reality.<\/p>\n

Then imagine what it would feel like when you enjoy that well-earned leisure time.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the power of mental exercises like these.<\/p>\n

In the book \u201cThe Power of Your Subconscious Mind\u201d, Joseph Murphy says that your subconscious mind doesn\u2019t know the difference between what is real and what is perceived.<\/p>\n

In other words, the things you imagine in your head are just as REAL as what happens in the physical world.<\/p>\n

And as a result, you\u2019ll unconsciously do the things needed to turn your abstract thoughts into tangible reality \u2013 including the perfect day you just visualized.<\/p>\n

#4: Develop greater awareness<\/h3>\n

Negative thinking is a habit that people don\u2019t even think about. It quietly runs in the background on auto-pilot as a response to challenging circumstances.<\/p>\n

Thus, coming up with negative thoughts during a bad situation is second nature to someone who\u2019s used to thinking that way.<\/p>\n

But you need to remember that these negative thoughts aren\u2019t an accurate reflection of reality. It\u2019s just your mind projecting a worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n

The best way to DISRUPT this pattern is by practicing self-awareness during THAT exact moment.<\/p>\n

So, when a problem comes along and you feel those toxic thoughts creeping up on you, simply tell yourself, \u201cOh look, I\u2019m doing it again\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And at this point, you can either drop that negative thought like a hot potato or replace it with a healthier, more constructive one.<\/p>\n

Or you could also CHALLENGE your negative thought.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself, \u201cIs this thought actually true\u2026or is my mind just exaggerating the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes, taking a step back and observing yourself from a distance will help you see things more clearly.<\/p>\n

#5: Keep a journal<\/h3>\n

Whether you\u2019re a fan of good-old fashioned paper or prefer blogging, keeping track of your daily moods can have a therapeutic effect.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve 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:<\/p>\n