Why Positivity Isn't the Be-All and End-All of Happiness
Ask most people, and they will inform you positivity is the key to happiness. After all, speak and think negatively and you'll feel bad. Do the opposite, and you'll feel the opposite. It makes sense. However, the road to a happy life isn't paved with smooth stepping stones; it's full of bumps and roadblocks, and there's no other route to your destination.
Too much positivity results in irrationality
Positiveness only results in the expansion of joy when it isn't a lie. Believe in sticking to the sunny side of the street? All well and good. Pretend you're there when torrents of rain fall on you, though, and you're in danger of looking foolish and upsetting your more rational mind.
You might imagine such sentiments are the cries of curmudgeons who don't recognize a good thing when they see it. Then again, perhaps cynics have a point. No matter how hard you try to make-believe everything's rosy when it isn't, your logical nature knows better. Your brain will fight attempts to bask in unwarranted positivity because it doesn't want you to be crazy. Nonetheless, there is a way to use positivity to your advantage, even when the sky is falling.
When positivity works
Understanding how to use positiveness makes all the difference between your efforts working and failing. Foolishness - as in pretending you don't need to improve your situation - doesn't work. Looking for the silver lining in setbacks, however, does.
Therapists know recognizing life lessons can help to heal painful memories. No matter what has happened, or is happening to you now, you'll cope best if you notice benefits exist. Even dire events can make you stronger and wiser, and herein lie positive outcomes on which to concentrate.
Flexibility and the acceptance of unwanted circumstances you can't change can make you happy too. Therefore, if there's a thunderstorm when you're throwing a garden party, you can choose to laugh and dance in the downpour. Or, you can become grumpy and miserable. Whether positive or negative, it's up to you which you select.
While positiveness isn't the complete answer to happiness, it is your friend. Use it wisely, and it will serve you. Indeed, you can rewire your brain by channeling your thoughts and actions toward a rational version of positivity. Live in a make-believe world where the journey to happiness is easy, though, and you'll stumble over the setbacks you pretend aren't in your path.
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Good post.
I see many people conflating contentment with happiness/joy. I get the feeling that what most people are after is actually deep, lasting contentment and peace.
In my own investigation and self-inquiry, I have found that spontaneous joy is a byproduct of contentment with oneself, not a direct result of effort and/or actions with aims.
Very rational. Good post brosef.
Thanks my good man, Inspired by the last talk. : )
Most welcome 😎
Thanks for those nuggets.
Thank you also on the additional info on how folks can promote their posts by sending little tokens to @bellyrub
Your post is highly motivational and advisory.
You really touched lives.
better to be realist instead of positive.
Yes only way to life in this world. Realize
The problem is that pessimistic people often think they are thinking realisticaly
Henry Ford once said: If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.
Very good post @zeartul The power of your vote is strong. . 👍
totally agree. positivity to the exclusion of all other emotions is a contagion. balance is essential. there is no light without dark, no sun without rain.
Exactly, Being real and accepting that is what matters at the end.
Ever seen the movie Yes man or read the book?
The core values are great, potentially addictive, but they're not long term. It's true, that positivity breeds positivity and negativity does the same to itself. Perhaps in the face of adversity, when all is to shit and every options is just as shit, that positivity can lead you to a wild card, unexpected moment. Maybe that's where the philosophy of this thinking is situated.
But
Realism helps, but it can also be the door to "negativity".
I think life is about a healthy balance of the two...
nice my best friend @zeartul
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I thought happiness was related to having enough options and resources to chase dreams or already be living the percieved dream. Depressed people are people who think they're out of options and stuck.
I'm always happy, why worry and worry, if you can not worry and do not worry.
Very good thought! Very true!
A very good article and I like the variety of possibilities to get happy. And one thing is also thankfulness. Nice greetings.
Agreed, there are times when it's not positivity, it's nonsense. But not that often. Positivity may not be the be all and end all of happiness, but it certainly qualifies as the well-dug, weed-cleared soil that will become a garden.
Added to which, a positive, pollyanna outlook will help you endure adversity and recover from it much faster. There's tons of evidence to support the theory that your thinking and your posture are two halves of the same coin, and affect the chemical balance in your body.
I would like to read your thoughts on how a negative outlook is equally unrealistic. In fact, that could be your next article! (Gentle hint there! :-D )
Agreed having a positive mind set is a great mood changer and signifies a strength with in in regards to what is happening around you.
Equal as much negativity is also unrealistic, in reality it is a balance of both but pretending to be positive defeats the purpose of ones way to combat reality, You can be positive that it actually looks like you are just lying to your self.
Thank you, for the motivation on my next post.
Amazing @zeartul
Thank you.
:)
Great post and well said. No life is just a sunny journey, there are bumps and cercumstanses that can be tuff but it's how we choose to handle them and our attitude that matters.
Thank you for sharing 😆 have a wonderful weekend. Cheers
That is what I wanted to point out you can be positive as much as you want but it comes down to what is also around you.
It is the way you come through what ever struggles you have, we rise from the ashes.
That is what defines us.
You have a great weekend as well Ill be DJing today. ; )
Totally agree 😉 that's what defines and shapes us.
Again well said👍 your great.
So zeartul djing today? Got to hear this.. Lol
I think our happiness and contentment comes from a state of equanimity. We need to find our balance in order to have a happy life. Which is sometimes hard to do...
Excellent post, since you already have my vote again, great work, I wait for you in my blog, your support is very important for me, thanks for that great work, your friend @frederichs
Nice post !! upvoted and Resteemed !!
Love this post, @zeartul! There is indeed a fine line between delusional positivism, and hopefulness. Often, the pendulum swings far and wide, with extreme irrationality on one side, and bitter cynicism on the other. To your point, a healthy balance creates a healthy mind.
According to the Kybalion the energetic pendulum swings equally hard in both directions. So one could assume that high amounts of positivy create the same amount of negativity.
Nice post and very valuable. A human being cannot be happy all the time, every single day or every minute of the day. It's impossible and not healthy. We learn form the setbacks and the unhappy days. There will always be ups and downs. It's important to hang on while being down because happy days certainly are coming!
Well said!
I was listening to a story how a young kid would say what he was thankful for that day when he woke up and his mom was saying she a big difference since he started the routine.
I when my cat died. The position e people said " well at least he lived a long life and had someone to care for him". The truth was my cat died and I missed him and felt imense grief. Going through grief , even though it feels terrible is a positive experience. You are supposed to do that when something you love dies. People who are positive all the time deny anything that makes them feel bad. You cannot deny feelings. They just manifest themselves is some other way, always a negative experience. Good topic. Instaed of trying to be positive try to own your own truth
I share similar sentiments. Positivity should be weighed in with feasibility, practicality and reality. We can't only be positive all the time.
Very good post. Positive is good in life, but you have to accept reality as it is.
You might like my post I did earlier. ('like'- probably not the correct term).
https://steemit.com/blog/@lucylin/depression-my-story
Is good to see the positive things but not to be stupid :)) , we have to adapt from situations to situations , and not be blind by seeing positive things and also don't look after negative thing, we must find some sort of balance :)
Thank You!