Go to the profile of The Soul Jar
The Soul Jar
By: Rebecca Lewis :: thesouljar.com :: Positive & Inspirational Blog

7 Helpful Tips for Finding Positivity

In my recent interview with Dani DiPirro, founder of Positively Present, my final question to her was this:

What would be one piece of advice you would give right now to someone who might be struggling to find positivity in their life?

Her response: “If you’re struggling to stay positive (I know how hard that can be sometimes!), try focusing on the things you have to be grateful for, the things you already have, instead of the things you feel like aren’t going well. I’ve found that whatever I focus on, I tend to have more of in my life — so instead of focusing on what’s not good, redirect your attention to what is good.”

Very wise advice!

This started a thought though; sometimes, what works for one person, may not always work for others. What might be some other advice that I could provide to someone struggling to find positivity?

First, I think it’s important to understand, we have the ability to CHOOSE positivity. It’s not necessarily about being happy all of the time; it’s about choosing to interpret negative emotions and respond to them differently. It’ll take practice and patience, but you can and will be able to, choose positivity in an otherwise negative situation.

Below is a list of 7 helpful tips for bringing positivity into our lives.

  1. Acceptance. I believe the first step to finding positivity is acceptance; acceptance of who you are and where you are in life. You can’t begin to know where you want to go if you don’t even know where you are. Be honest with yourself and evaluate your situation. You’ll then be ready to make a plan of action based upon your specific needs.
  2. Set a goal and make a plan. Setting goals helps to give us purpose in life by giving us something to work towards; making a plan helps to guide us in the right direction to ensure success in our endeavors. Be specific in your plans. If your goal is to find positivity in your life, rather than simply saying you’ll try to be more positive, you might make a plan to set aside 10 minutes in the day for reflection/meditation, you might make a mental note to smile when talking to or passing by others, or maybe your plan involves reading inspirational/motivation books/blogs. Whatever plan you think will help you the most, be specific about it, and do it!
  3. Practice gratitude. This is an extension of Dani’s advice. Gratitude helps in finding positivity by shifting your focus from the negative things in life, to the positive. It’s about recognizing all of the little things that happen throughout the day that might normally be overshadowed by negative thoughts. There are big things to be grateful for on a daily basis; things like having a roof over your head, food to eat, a place to work, etc. However, don’t fail to overlook the small things as well. Was your commute to work better than normal? Were you complimented on something today? Did something go right that could’ve gone disastrously wrong? Whatever it is, recognize these small things and soon you’ll realize that you have a lot to be positive about.
  4. Be your own cheerleader. Root for yourself. Tell yourself “You can do it” and believe it. Give yourself words of encouragement whenever you struggle to find positivity in a situation. Remind yourself that you have the choice to determine how you’re going to react to a situation.
  5. Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is one I personally struggle with but I know is so important. Similar to “choose your battles”, it’s all about perspective. When you’re upset or battling negative emotions, take a step back and ask yourself, “is it worth it”? Will what you’re upset about matter tomorrow? In most cases, the answer will probably be no.
  6. Be selective of those around you. You cannot expect positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people.
“People inspire you or they drain you — pick them wisely”. — Hans F. Hanson (Tweet this!)

7. Make time for the things that make you happy. When you’re happy, you’re more likely to focus on the positive. In my post, Know Your Soul, I discuss understanding the uniqueness of your soul and what makes you happy. Once you figure that out, it’s simple… whatever’s good for your soul… do that!

What other methods do you use to help keep positivity in your life? I’d love to hear them!

This post originally appeared on TheSoulJar.com