As I write this I am feeling very positive and happy but that’s not how I felt yesterday or the day before. Why? Well, I am just now recovering from my third round with COVID and before that I had strep throat and the flu resulting in one pretty lousy month.
But today, today I’m starting to feel better. I feel my strength returning slowly and I can start to believe I’ll actually be a functioning member of society again very soon. It is much easier to be positive today than it was yesterday.
Do you ever find it difficult to be positive about things? When you are facing challenges it can be very hard to stay positive. As a natural born worrier I tend to look for the problem because I want to prepare for it but that really isn’t as productive as it sounds. It actually just leads to anxiety and self-imprisonment.
So that’s why I’m writing this article. I want to drive home to myself the things I know about how to be more positive. I want to know how to be positive in difficult times and how to be a positive person overall so I can keep my mind calm and my heart hopeful!
If you want to learn how to be a more positive person too stick around for some good reminders and inspiriting quotes.
Why Should We Figure Out How to Be More Positive?
Sometimes, when people have told me I should be more positive I have shrugged it off. My reasoning was that some people don’t worry enough. They don’t think about the consequences of their actions or they don’t think ahead and prepare. In retrospect I can see that while those things are important it is also important to prepare for the best and think about the good possibilities or outcomes.
So why should we learn how to be more positive in this negative world? Simply put it is because we will always find what we look for and if we look for the bad there will always be plenty of it but if we look for the good we will find that too! And which would you rather have in your life?
Positive thinking quotes that remind us why we are trying:
Positive minds create positive vibes that create positive lives.
Nathasha Potter
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
Maya Angelou
How to Be More Positive About Yourself
When I started to think about how to be a more positive person I thought about how that really starts with what I tell myself.
For example, while I was sick I started to believe I was probably going to die. Did I know that was probably totally overblown? Of course I did. But I felt awful and I wanted to wallow in it. Was that doing me any good? Of course not. Instead, I needed to remember that being sick was temporary and I could do things to help myself heal.
Most of us have the terrible habit of tearing ourselves down. We tell ourselves we aren’t skinny enough, aren’t talented or smart enough, or aren’t brave enough. But you know what? You believe yourself. When you tear yourself down your actions will solidify your flaws. Your negative thinking will block improvement.
Instead, try to be more positive about yourself. Look for good qualities in yourself. Tell yourself you are brave and tenacious! Notice that you have beautiful eyes and a great smile! Compliment yourself once in awhile and you will build you self-worth. That self-worth will give you strength to believe you can do great things!
Thinking positive quotes about how you perceive yourself:
All our dreams can come true, if we have courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
When you arise in the morning think of what a precious privelege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius
Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.
Walt Disney
I won’t let pain turn my heart into something ugly. I will show you that surviving can be beautiful.
Christy Ann Martine
Lily Pulitzer
Being happy never goes out of style.
Don’t forget, while you’re busy doubting yourself someone else is admiring your strength.
Kristen Butler
Keep a positive mind. Remember, a failed attempt doesn’t make you a failure -giving up does.
Lorii Myers
How to Be More Positive About Others
Another area where we tend to let negativity in is in our thoughts towards others. People are imperfect and messy and they let us down sometimes. They have personality quirks and they sometimes test our patience.
I have worked with a lot of different personalities over the last twenty years and what I’ve learned is this. My attitude about a person can literally transform the person without actually changing anything they do or say.
What I mean is this. If I decide a person is annoying everything they do after that will drive me crazy. But when I decide a person is fun, when I put forth the effort to understand where they are coming from, and when I give them as much grace as I hope they give me then the very same person that could have tested my sanity becomes my genuine friend.
When you learn how to be more positive about people by giving them room to be their unique selves you will make your own life more beautiful! And more than that, when you believe in others it helps them believe in themselves.
Positive thinking quotes that help you treat others well:
We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.
Alphonse Karr
Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us.
Earl Nightingale
Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.
Harvey Mackey
How to Be More Positive About the Future
Now I’m not saying it’s easy to be a positive person. I mean I started this post on my “death bed”. Negativity seems to be our default setting as humans. In fact, I read that it takes three good experiences to offset one negative experience. It’s called the negativity bias. Isn’t that kind of amazing?
On top of our negativity bias we live in a world that is full of negative events and if you watch the news or just live your life things are bound to get you down.
So wouldn’t it be great if you knew how to be positive in difficult times? What can you do to look for the good and offset the bad?
For me the most important ingredient to a positive attitude about the future is hope. I have a strong hope that things will get much better in the future. We all need hope. If you don’t have hope for the future it’s time you find something you can really look forward to.
Another way we can be positive about the future is by realizing that our actions do matter. As individuals we may not make a drastic difference in the world but when we do good things it affects the world and the people around us.
Thinking positive quotes about the future:
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
Oprah Winfrey
I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.
Mark Twain
A positive attitude gives you power over your circ*mstances instead of your circ*mstances having power over you.
Joyce Meyer
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.
Wade Boggs
Be More Positive About Life!
Even though I have an extremely positive hope for the future the day to day can still make it challenging to maintain a positive attitude. As we already learned we are biased towards the negative and many of us have an insatiable habit of complaining that we don’t even realize we have.
In learning how to be a more positive person I have learned that I have to break those patterns. I need to stop complaining and start looking for the positive. I need to find three good things that I can be thankful for each day. By cultivating contentment and an appreciative spirit I can be more mindful about every day life and enjoy the little things more.
When you are finding it challenging to be positive about your life stop and notice all the tiny little moments that are beautiful. Think about the people who love you and focus on serving others more than yourself. Develop creative hobbies and healthy habits because those things are self care that can rejuvenate you. Actively look for joy.
Positive thinking quotes for everyday life:
Gratitude allows us to participate more in life. We notice the positives more, and that magnifies the pleasures you get from life.
Robert Emmons
Enjoy the little things, for one day you lay look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault
A positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
Winston Churchill
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
Charles R. Swindoll
When things go wrong, don’t go with them.
Elvis Presley
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Marcus Aurelius
Will You Learn How to Be a More Positive Person?
I hope these tips will help you to remember how to be more positive when you are feeling negative. I plan to remember this post on my bad days.
The fact is being a more positive person requires active effort in this negative world. We have to work hard to see the positive, let go of disappointments and frustrations, and take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others.
I promise though, all that hard work is worth it! When you learn how to be more positive you will enjoy a happier outlook, a calmer heart and better relationships with everyone you come in contact with. You will transform your life from something you have to sludge through to something you have the privilege to discover every single day!
How do you stay positive? What are your habits and techniques for finding joy? Are there any positive thinking quotes you love? Please share in the comments below!
