Gaining That Vertical Line (Going From Negative To Positive Thinking)
We all think about our future sometimes, but if you’re more often than not stuck in a pessimistic head-space, then it’s time to change that. You might be thinking to yourself, “How can I go from negative to positive? How can I think more positively?” Well, you’ve come to the right place.
What is positive thinking?
Defined by Psych Central as “a mindset that creates and experiences a life filled with good things,” positive thinking is an essential skill that helps us navigate our world.
If you find yourself pulling away from or lacking in positive thoughts, this article will help guide you towards a more positive outlook. When you learn how to train your mind to think more positively, you’ll notice a difference in your everyday thinking patterns and even the way you feel.
Positive Mindset Qualities
According to Positive Psychology Progress, there are six qualities that make up a positive mindset:
- Optimism (the belief that something will turn out for the best).
- Cheerfulness (the ability to smile and laugh).
- Self-Confidence (the belief in yourself).
- Personal Initiative (the ability to act on your own accord).
- Trust (the belief that others are honest and kind).
- Zest (the enjoyment of life).
The Benefits of Positive Thinking
Positive thinking can be quite beneficial for many reasons. It’s certainly easy to see why positive thinking would help to influence your health positively in various ways, but it does so much more than that!
Some of the benefits of positive thinking include:
- increased energy levels
- improved immune system functioning
- decreased stress levels
- more success in school/work
- a better mood overall
- and more joy in life
How To Train Your Thoughts
There are lots of different ways that we can think about thinking, but the most important thing to know is that you have a choice in what you think. You choose what thoughts go into your mind, and you choose how to respond to things that happen.
You might think of your mind as being like a computer. A computer is capable of performing certain functions. But, it doesn’t just start out by doing them.
You have to tell it what to do. And for computers and minds alike, you don’t always know how well it’s working until you run it through some tests.
Yes! Tests! Like I said before, there are lots of ways to think about thinking, and this is just one way. Another way is to think about how your thoughts lead to emotions and feelings.
These feelings influence how you behave and relate to others, which influences the kinds of experiences you have in life, which influences the kinds of thoughts that come into your mind.
So when you’re running a test on your mind-computer (or on your mind-body connection), don’t just look at the results. Look at all the factors that went into creating those results.
Conclusion
Positive thinking is not just waiting for something good to happen — it’s taking charge of your life and enacting change on a daily basis.
Positive thinking can be used to improve almost every aspect of your life. From how you relate to other people to how well you handle stress. From how your appearance affects others to how effectively you manage your health. The opportunities for growth through positive thinking are endless!
