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Top Tips For Keeping A Positive Attitude Alive And Well
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If you are a regular reader of NaturalOn, you know that a positive attitude can affect your mental and physical health. A positive attitude is one of the keys to a happier, more fulfilling, and successful life.
One of the great things about attitude is that you have 100 percent control over it. Yes, crappy things happen, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t look for the silver lining, the light at the end of the tunnel, look on the bright side, or any other quote you are fond of using.
When you tell most people that they should keep up a positive outlook, they immediately accuse you of wearing those rose colored glasses and being a fake little ray of sunshine. Let’s look at things realistically. We already said that life can deal us a pretty crappy hand sometimes. We aren’t saying be unrealistic and pretend that bad things aren’t happening, what we are saying is that you don’t have to wallow in those bad things.
Think of life as a car on a highway. There you are, happily cruising down the street, singing away to your favorite song when suddenly, a squirrel runs right out in front of you and you hit it. You stop to check and find that said squirrel is now roadkill.
Now you could sit there looking at the squirrel all day long (all week, all month, all year) mourning its death, beating yourself up because you hit it, making a little memorial, and marking the date on your calendar. Oh, and let’s not forget that you need to tell every single person you meet the rest of your life about this squirrel. Or- you could move said squirrel to the side of the road, feel sad for the part that you played in its untimely death, then get back in the car and keep going. You might feel sad for a little while, but you put those thoughts aside, focus on the good things in life and perhaps when someone tells you their story about a dead squirrel, you might tell them yours, but you don’t dwell on it. Things happen. Acknowledge it, accept it, learn from it, and then move on.
If you need help dealing with how you feel about demise of that poor squirrel, here are 6 tips to help you keep that positive attitude.
1. Perception is Reality
If you look only at all the crappy things there are in life, we can guarantee that you will find a never ending supply of crappy things. Why do that when it is just as easy to look for all the good things in life? It takes the same amount of energy but how it will make you feel is what makes all the difference!
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2. Bird of a Feather
You know that old saying birds of a feather flock together? If you hang around with those who constantly complain, constantly look for the bad, and constantly talk about the negative, after a while, that will be all you can see as well.
3. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
The truth is, if you live in a cluttered house and office, you will find your mind is equally as cluttered. By surrounding yourself with uplifting music, colors that inspire and please you, and even small pictures or knick knacks on your desk can help to brighten up your atmosphere as well as brighten your mood. Fill your life with things that make you feel happy and ditch those that don’t.
4. Don’t Forget to Take Time Out
No one can be little Polly Sunshine all day, every day. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take a little time out now and again to recharge your batteries. If you can, take some time for yourself every day. If your schedule doesn’t permit that, at least take one or two afternoons or evenings each week just for yourself. Do whatever relaxes and pleases you so that you can look on your life with fresh eyes and a positive attitude once again.
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5. Be Grateful
One of the quickest ways to feel happier is to look at all the good things you have in your life and be grateful for them. Even if you don’t see all the positive, you can certainly find something good in it. For example, you might not love your job, but imagine how you would feel if you were unemployed! Be grateful for the job you have and take steps to find one that suits you better. Be grateful for your friends, your family, your spouse, your kids, your home, and your health. You are already far richer than most people in this world.
6. Garbage In, Garbage Out
As we said, negative things happen in life and you cannot avoid them. However, when you have finished dealing with them, take out the “trash” by moving on. Don’t focus on all that garbage that happened. Deal with it, learn from it, than get on with your life!
7. Stop the Tape
Almost all of us have a constantly running loop tape filled with negative messages we accepted at some point in our lives as truth. You know, those thoughts might go something like this: I can’t do anything right, everything I touch turns into a disaster because I am unorganized and a loser. I will never amount to anything because I am a fat, ugly, dunce.
Sounds familiar?
READ ALSO: Find More Joy And Feel Happy With These 5 Easy Tips
The next time you catch yourself playing that tape, stop! Think a positive thought that you know to be true. Say it out loud if you can! Those tapes can change from negative to positive with a little time and effort on your part. Studies show that negative self-talk causes stress on the body and mind. You don’t need that in your life!
If you find that you simply cannot forget some negative situations, tapes, or people in your life, please seek the help and advice of a qualified therapist.
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