Dare to Have a Positive Mindset
You might ask ” What is having a positive mindset mean?”
Did you ever monitor your words?
Did you ever think whether your words are positive or negative?
Did you ever observe whether your words are motivating or demotivating?
Let’s dig deep and discover how can we change our negative self-talk to positive affirmations to live happier, feel confident and achieve success.
A man once telephones Norman Vincent Peale. He was despondent and told the reverend that he had nothing left to live for. Norman Vincent Peale invited the man over to his office. “Everything is gone, hopeless, the man told him. I’m living in the deepest darkness. In fact, I’ve lost heart for living altogether.
Norman Vincent Peale smiled sympathetically.
Let’s take a look at your situation, he said calmly. On a sheet of paper, he drew a vertical line down the middle.
He suggested that they list on the left side the things the man had lost, and on the right, the things he had left.
You won’t need that column on the right side, said the man sadly. “I have nothing left, period.”
Norman Vincent Peale asked, when did your wife leave you?”
What do you mean? She hasn’t left me. My wife loves me!”
“That’s great!” said Norman Vincent Peale enthusiastically. “Then that will be number one in the right-hand column – wife hasn’t left. Now, when were your children jailed?”
“That’s silly! My children aren’t in jail”
“Good! That’s number two in the right-hand column – children not in jail, “said Norman Vincent Peale, jotting it down.
After a few more questions in the same vein, the man finally got the point and smiled despite himself.
“Funny, how things change when you think of them that way”, he said.
So it’s about how you want to see your life, and how you perceive each situation or incident you went through. Hard times could be perceived as obstacles and could be perceived as challenges, not succeeding in something could be translated as failed or could be accepted as a learned lesson, exactly like the famous example of the glass half full, some people perceive it as half full and others are perceiving it as half empty although it’s the same glass.
Some people think that telling themselves that they are not good enough, not ready, or not qualified will push them forward but usually, success starts from positive thoughts, self-confidence and a feeling of self-worth, as positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results.
Here are some steps and techniques that help you acquire a positive mindset:
1.Start your day with a smile:
Decide how are you going to make your day the best day ever, what is the difference you are going to make in the world, and it shouldn’t be a huge thing, it may be as small as smiling to someone in the street, helping an old women holding heavy stuff, or delivering quality work.
2. Feed your mind with positive validation:
Like reading your testimonials daily, keep a kind word folder, asking your friends and collogues about your strengths, or going through your latest achievements.
“A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.”
Mahatma Gandhi
3. Rephrase your words:
The words you are using and the way you are talking makes a great difference in your progress and your life in general.
Monitor your words and your way of talking and once you find yourself speaking negative words or in a negative way, pause and rephrase your talk, for example:
- Instead of saying I can’t speak in public, you may say I need to work on my public speaking.
- Instead of saying this is my weakness, you can say this is the area I would like to develop.
- Instead of saying I failed in this, you can say I have got to learn a new skill.
- Instead of saying I have obstacles on my way, you can say I have some challenges that I am going to face.
4. Focus on what you are good at not on your weak points:
Acknowledge and embrace imperfections, as we are not supposed to be good at everything, so don’t stress yourself with the things you can’t do, on the contrary cheer yourself up for the things you are good at.
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
Edmund Hillary
5. Be grateful for what you have:
The 24-carat is an Arabic belief that everyone has a 24-carat, which means that God gives us equal benefits but it is divided differently among each other
So you may have much money, good health but you don’t have kids, and someone else have kids, friends and good health but poor and don’t own anything. It’s all about how you see these blessings and how you appreciate them and how you are grateful for each and everyone of them and how you focus on being happy for the things you have, not to be unfortunate for the things you don’t have
6. Write a journal:
Writing a daily journal stating the things you were grateful for each day in addition to the learned lessons you went through will makes you feel how blessed you are and how worthy your day was.
7. Surround yourself with positive people:
Being among negative people drain your energy because the negativity is infectious while being among positive people always recharge your energy, makes you happy, and encourages you to succeed.