9 Ways to Promote Positive Thinking

For years I lived an uneventful existence. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t unhappy either. I was just sort of stuck. I had a steady career, earned a good living, and an amazing husband. As an observer, you would think that my life sounded idyllic, but inside I felt unfulfilled, unmotivated, and unsuccessful. To me, each day presented itself little different from the before.

I looked around me and saw that everybody within my own circle, friends, former classmates, colleagues, relatives, and immediate family were no different. They too seemed stuck. They seemed unmotivated- living lives on automatic pilot. I began to question why this was. Why was a gray matter life the new normal?

I’ve read dozens of books over the years on philosophy and spirituality but despite the numerous studies, I remained an unchanged person. It wasn’t until I happened upon minimalism that I began to see things with greater clarity.

I realized that the key to unlocking the door to happiness was not contained in any book. It was contained in my own ability to live in each moment. That in order to change my world I needed to change not just how I lived in each day but the way I thought about the way I lived. Change how I thought about myself. Change my world view. 

It seems like such a small thing but the simple act of positive thinking changed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. It helped me to change career paths, to let go of toxic relationships, and to focus on my family, marriage, and personal business goals. To pursue my passions in life. A change that helped me to cultivate a life devoid of the mundane gray matter existence of my youth.

Which leads me to today, National Positive Thinking Day, a day where I reflect on how my once pragmatic view of the world became an uncluttered, mindful, and positively existence. So if you too are looking to change your outlook on life here are 9 tips that can help you make embrace more positive thinking too:

Remember that you are powerful: Most of the time we have no idea what we are supposed to be doing. Instead, we spend years trying to find one person or another to imitate. We conform to our external environment. We follow social norms. We allow pop culture to dictate the roles we play in life. 

We play roles and cover up our true selves by identifying with titles and roles. Forced rules for living- thoughts that we are just a secretary, just sad, just lonely, or just plain miserable. Ideas that say I can’t help it-it’s who I am. The truth of the matter is that we are none of those things. We are not our professions, feelings, or circumstances. We are not prescribed gender roles. We are far greater than any label in existence. We are all far more powerful than we think we are. Remember your power. 

Choose to embrace life: One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is the practice of letting so. Learning to embrace each moment for what it is, whether it’s an obstacle or an opportunity. Stop selling yourself short based on trivial matters and start focusing on what’s really important to you. Life becomes hard when we decide to complain about things rather than trying to change them ourselves. Don’t go through life expecting things to change.  Be bold and courageous. Make decisions that benefit your personal growth. Stagnation in life ends when you remember to stop being a supporting actress in the story of your own life!

Control your reactions: We create our reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life. What we believe in our inner world, manifests in our outer world, not the other way around. We all have problems. We’re all tested by circumstances outside of our control. Regardless, we are still in control of what matters most, our reaction to those instances in life. Remember, how people treat you is their lot in life; how you react to them is yours. How you judge others doesn’t define their behavior. It defines yours. 

Opinions are fleeting: We place far too much emphasis on other people’s opinions about us, often to the exclusion of our own. This takes away from our own personal power of design. Stop identifying with other people’s perceived and actualized opinions of yourself. Become aware of how you see yourself. Nobody knows you better than you do. Never accept another person’s reality as your own. And, most importantly, remember that another person’s opinion of yourself is none of your business. 

Know you are enough: Experience has taught me that if you have to compare yourself to someone else, let it be a someone less fortunate. Let it be a lesson in how abundant your life truly is. Be aware that as a person you are enough. Right now. Right as you are. Want is a futile emotion. Replace the unending cycle of wanted desire, unmarked consumerism, or relentless envy in your mind with a steady stream of empathy towards the lives of others. It will create direction and purposefulness for your days. 

Love yourself:  You have arrived you lovely creature! Everything you need to start loving yourself is already within you. Cut out the distractions, open your eyes, and see yourself be happy, loved, and fulfilled.  Be your best friend. Be your own soulmate. Love yourself completely. Accept everything that you are. You are beautiful. Believe it. And remind yourself often of that fact.

Be collected: We often get uptight over the actions of others. We then punish ourselves for their bad behavior. Stop this punitive behavior. Accept only the responsibility for our own actions. Remember, you are the only one who will lose out in the end if you define yourself by anything less than calm, cool, and collected behavior. 

Record your journey: Create a record of your journal. consider journaling. Maybe start a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel. Document your journey. Reward each positive thinking milestone. Share your progress with others. Lavish in your stillness while remaining mindful of the progressive and fulfilling actions in life

Know you’re here: The first step in the journey of positive thinking starts with being content. Starting right where you are today. Don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to enjoy the journey. Not everyone woke up this morning. Nor will everyone go to bed safely tonight. Life has no guarantees. Every minute you are living is a blessing. But it’s always an option—a choice. A choice to know you’re already here. Right, where you’re meant to be.

Friends, those are my 9 tips for thinking more positively on National Positive Thinking Day. I hope these tips will inspire you to positively and proactively change the way you view yourself and the world around you. Take a chance on yourself. You’re a sure bet! Now I have to ask, what will you be doing today to positively think about yourself or others? I’d love to hear about it below!