Every day, I come across so many people who seem to have lost their spirit for the present and future. It breaks my heart to see people with so much potential choosing to give up due to their past experiences.
Whether it’s a family crisis, relationships or financial issues, problems that occur at an early age stick to a person’s mind like gum. I have noticed this in every age group- from terrified childhood to depressed teenage years and hopeless adult life.
Reasons may vary for different people but most of us are still trying to get over some horrible experiences. During this process, we develop a constant fear that they might happen again. With that, it is very important to work on your fears until you become free from their shackles confining your mind and body.
If you are going through this phase then let me tell you that you can actually leave those fears behind and move on to a better future. Life stops for no one. You have to accept the reality and move on.
Here are 10 tips on how to be more positive in life.
• Forgive Yourself
One person you keep blaming for every failure that you experience is yourself. You judge yourself too quickly and you keep blaming yourself for every disaster that happens in your life.
This time, you need to forgive yourself first. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s completely fine to be wrong sometimes so don’t be tough on yourself. Treat yourself as you treat your friends and family.
• Don’t Give Your Past The Power
“It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to has a power over you.”
Don’t attach yourself with those sentiments that can’t be set to rewind. Go to a mountaintop and scream your heart out. Make sure you don’t keep those negative experiences inside.
• Make A Memory Box
Create a box filled with little things from your childhood. If you lost your childhood stuff, you can start collecting things today. They can be as small as a rock or a leaf but if it reminds you of good times, then keep it in the box.
Whenever you are feeling down, open that box. It’ll make you smile while remembering those happy times.
I personally have a memory box and it always helps me on my bad days. It sends me back to those innocent days and I laugh on my own, feeling better than ever.
• Share
According to Paulo Coelho, to move forward, it is necessary to remove the past. You have to take it all out to someone. You have to spill out the things that deep down are bothering you the most. A good conversation always helps. It gives you a new perspective.
He also said that history should be removed by telling your story to a complete stranger. It’s an interesting trick but make sure you don’t freak out someone in the process.
• Consider Your Present A blessing
If you are living even a 1% better life then yesterday, be thankful because millions are still stuck at the same point. The present is the most important part of life because it stays with you forever. The past will always be behind and the future will always be an uncertainty.
• Be Proud of Your Scars
Why do you keep trying to hide your scars? They are your battle wounds and medals. It’s a lesson for you and the people around you. Be proud that you are a survivor and a warrior. Make sure to help those around you who are in need of inspiration.
When you can tell your story without crying you know you’ve healed.
If you are worried about what others might say about you, then you must accept your own reality first. If you know yourself, you will not be harmed by what others say about you. Once you accept the facts, people’s words won’t matter as long as you are clear with yourself.
• Practice Gratitude.
One of the quickest ways to shift your focus away from negativity, judgment, and disappointment is to list the things in your life for which you are grateful. Be grateful to be gainfully employed, to sleep in a bed each night, for the sun that comes up each morning, for the waiter who greets you with a smile, for the people that love and care for you, and for a body that lets you experience life each day. Practicing gratefulness can cause almost an immediate shift in your perspective. Keeping a daily gratitude journal, even digitally, can help remind you to keep life’s blessings at the forefront of your mind. Another strategy is to have a gratitude partner—someone who can support you in your journey to positive thinking. Each day, text, email or tell each other three things for which you are grateful. Think of this person as your accountability partner for your path to healthy thinking.
• Do Something Kind.
It’s easy to get absorbed by our own world of misfortune and to forget about the people around us. Stepping outside of your daily routine to help someone else can provide amazing perspective and fill you with positivity. Strive to do one nice thing for someone else each day.
• Positive Posture.
The mind and the body have an intrinsic connection—each has a profound impact on the other. If you are struggling to move your mind into a more positive perspective, try moving your body there first. Try standing up straight, shoulders back, chin held high, stretching your arms out as wide as they can go. Feel powerful. Feel positive. Carrying yourself with “positive posture” will encourage your mind to feel more positive as well.
• Build Your Future
You can either sit in your room all day over thinking the scenarios that might not even happen again or you can start cementing the bricks of your future.
Life is so short and tomorrow could be your last day. Make sure you leave something behind for the world to remember. Always have big future plans and goals so you have something to wake up for every morning.
Final Verdict
Life is not always easy, and sometimes we get handed a bushel of lemons. However, it is our own perspective that ultimately determines if we will drudge through life puckered and sour, or skip along with a glass of sweet lemonade.