I’m a fairly positive person, but sometimes it helps to really focus on being positive and seeing the awesomeness that flows from that. That’s where this positivity challenge comes in. Think of it as detoxing the cynical from your life for five days by giving human nature the benefit of the doubt and seeing the incredible goodness that is out in the world.
It’s also about the law of attraction. We attract what we put out into the world; put out positive vibes, get positive vibes back. I have seen it over and over my friends, and I’ve seen the opposite happen too.
POSITIVE VIBES ONLY
Sometimes it can take work to be positive. Ok, a lot of the time! I am a fairly positive person, the glass is usually half full, but sometimes I need reminders to see the positive side of things. For example, in the school drop off line (Public service announcement – you can’t park there!). Take this week to notice your thoughts. Take captive the negative thoughts and purpose to change your mindset.
I have a few go-to’s that I use in situations where I start to lose my “positive vibes” that help me return to “positive vibes only land”.
CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Example 1. Someone cuts in front of you or drives so close to the back of your car that you could pop the trunk for them to climb in. I find this super intimidating and sometimes it makes my blood boil. But the other day when it happened, I changed my perspective. Instead of seeing it as my problem, I realized it was the other driver’s issue. Instead of being mad at them, I sent a little prayer/good intention their way for peace. I realized that there was something going on in their lives that was making them act that way, and while it still doesn’t make it ok, it took the weight off my shoulders and hopefully the good vibes got to them.
ROUGH DAY?
If it’s been a rough day, try looking back and finding the positive moments in it. See if you can identify five things that were good in the day or at least in part of the day. There will always be something. And perhaps try changing your perspective about the tough bits; was there something you were supposed to learn or practice (eg patience) through the difficulty?
BE IN AWE
If you find yourself thinking the world is no good, people are no good etc. take a look around. Actually see things and be in awe of them. Awe is something we don’t practice much as adults. We can learn a lot from kids though! When you see a kid look at Christmas lights or a really tall building you see the awe on their faces. It’s that innocent amazement at something truly awesome. As adults, we rush around so much that we forget to really look at the world around us and be amazed by it. Take some time this week just to look around. Take a good look at how the light plays in the trees at sunset, or be amazed at how a huge bridge carries the weight of so many cars and people. Find the beauty that speaks to your soul.
GIVE A HUG
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s cool! If you’re a hugger, make it a good one. Stay longer than usual (as long as your huggee is cool with it!) and give your body a minute to release the endorphins. It will wash the negativity away in a flash and bless the person on the receiving end too!
BREATHE
It sounds so simple, but big deep breaths that open the heart and lungs and create space in your body are going to help expand your emotions as well. Mindful breathing makes a connection between the body and mind (and the emotions) and helps us come back to a place where we can make conscious choices to be positive.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
The important thing here is to make sure you’re being kind to yourself. Overcoming negative thoughts is a journey of many steps. Don’t berate yourself if you have negative thoughts! That’s negativity – see the cycle! Break the cycle by being kind to yourself.
Focusing on being positive is about being mindful of where your thoughts go and breaking negativity habits by replacing them with new, positive ones. It’s a journey, but one so worth taking! Start by noticing your thoughts and recognizing patterns and go-to thoughts, then try out one of the suggestions above for each of the five days. It’s hard to change the groove of thought patterns, but it is possible and it is worth the effort to be just that bit happier!
Be a love and share how you stay positive in the comments below.
Love,
Claire.
freespiritedsisters.com 