Lately, I have been working towards thinking more positively and having a better outlook on life. Just doing this has already changed my world greatly.
My life isn’t perfect and I understand that no one else’s life is as well. Everyone has something that might make them sad, angry, scared, etc. and I understand that in some circumstances it can be quite difficult to see the positive.
However, no matter how bad life seems to be going for you, I believe that having a positive outlook on life and engaging in positive thinking exercises can change your life. Learning how to be positive can be a great thing as there are many benefits of positive thinking.
You’re probably wondering “How does being positive relate to Making Sense of Cents?”
This is a topic I am discussing on my blog because being negative can impact many areas in a person’s life.
Being negative can impact your finances in that you may never think you will get out of debt. Then, because of this you give up and let the debt keep piling up because you don’t see a way out.
Being negative can impact your career because you may think that you are permanently stuck with a job you hate.
Being negative can make a person think they don’t deserve certain things in life such as traveling, family, friends, fun, and so on.
The list goes on and on.
Due to the reasons above, I thought this topic would be perfect to talk about today. I believe that being positive can help improve your financial situation, your career situation, your life, and everything else.
Below are some of the many benefits of positive thinking.
Being positive can help motivate you in life.
The first of the many benefits of positive thinking is that it can help motivate you. It can motivate you in life because it can help you realize that you are in charge of your life.
If you are positive about things going on in your life, then you most likely will set goals for yourself and strive to achieve those goals. This is because you believe that good things are possible and that you are in charge of your destiny.
By being positive, you will hopefully feel more motivated to get out of debt, to find your dream job, to travel the world, or to do whatever else in life that you want to do.
Being positive will help you stop fretting about the past.
If you have a positive mindset, that means you are no longer dwelling on the past. You will realize that you cannot change the past, and all you can do is realize what happened and how you can improve for the future.
Dwelling on the past will get you no where in life and all you are doing is wasting your time. Instead, make positive changes and learn for the future.
Being positive can change your outlook on life.
Being negative can limit yourself and your abilities greatly. If you think you cannot do something, then you most likely will not. Negative thoughts can make you feel stuck, they can make you feel like there is no way out of your problem, and that you have no options.
This is why you should stop acting negative and be more positive instead.
Being positive can help you realize that you are able to do things. Being positive will help you realize that you are in control of your life. Being positive will help you realize that little things in life will not kill you. Being positive will also help you move on and deal with stressful situations better.
Everything in your life will be impacted if you choose to live more optimistically.
How to be positive with positive thinking exercises.
So, how does a person learn how to be positive? Now that you’ve read the many benefits of positive thinking, I’m sure you are interested in trying it out and seeing if it works.
Here are my positive thinking exercises so you can learn how to be positive today:
- Instead of saying “I can’t,” say “I can!”
- Smile more. Smiling is contagious! Studies have also proven that smiling can improve your mood as well. Even if you have to force a smile, just do it.
- Be optimistic. This is one of the positive thinking exercises that you must do no matter what. No matter how bad things are, you should try to think about the positive things going on in your life. Think about how you can improve your life and how you are in charge.
- Be thankful for what you have.
- Don’t try to keep up with others or compare yourself to others in a negative way. Yes, you can use others as motivation as long as it’s what you truly want.
- Remember you are in control of your life. If you are unhappy at your job, then do something about it. If you are unhappy about your finance situation, then change your situation.
- Forget about regret. Regret doesn’t get you anywhere in life and this is an important step when learning how to be positive in life.
- Do nice things for others. You’ll help someone else be more positive and you’ll be helping yourself as well. This can mean carrying someone’s groceries, saying hello to strangers, volunteering somewhere, and more.
Do you believe in the benefits of positive thinking? Why or why not? What positive thinking exercises do you do?
Leave a Reply
Positive thinking is a choice and a habit for me. To most of us, it’s hard to have positivist when we see no way out of darkness. However, in just a moment, when we choose to be positive, everything suddenly changes. We tend to SEE the way out. Thus, positive thinking is what everybody needs to have.
Good job on making it a habit Jayson!
I 100% do and I think that people forget that they also bring certain things to them because they focus on them too much!
Same here Michelle!
I think positive thinking is a very valuable habit. It’s not always easy to be positive especially when we’re surrounded by negativity whether it’d be through friends, family or simply what’s going on in the media. But I think we can all find something positive in our lives and focus on that. If we believe good things can happen to us we can also achieve them by turning us away from the negative and instead focusing on the positive.
I try to stay positive most of the time by being grateful for the little things, smiling and realising that it’s up to me to make a change and the only way that will happen is if I stay positive.
All great ways to stay positive 🙂
Michelle, your post have been SO good lately!! I can’t get enough. This post is exactly why I went from making $84k last yr to $110k this yr. It’s exactly why I will pay off $32,400 in student loan debt this year. I cannot stress it enough. The personal development and personal finance books, blogs, and podcasts have changed my life. Being positive (genuinely) is life changing!
Haha thank you so much Natalie 🙂 Glad you are enjoying them.
That is some awesome progress!
Michelle, I definitely believe in positive thinking! Staying positive helps me stay in the state of mind required to be successful. Meanwhile, negative thinking can be destructive.
Yes, negative thinking can be extremely destructive. If only more people realized that.
Staying positive is really hard but I agrees it is a choice one can make. Great post.
Thanks Kathy!
People who poo poo the power of positive thinking are usually bitter and miserable. I’ll take the positive thinking.
Same here 🙂
Positive thinking is SO important. I know when I think negatively it affects not just me, but my kids and my kids and my husband. I’m also lazy when I feel negative and of course that just makes the whole situation that much more worse. When I’m feeling positive everything is just better. One of the things I’m working on is a vision board to help me maintain that optimism and keeping a gratitude journal. It’s way too easy to see the glass as half empty vs. half full.
Having a vision board and a gratitude are both great ideas. Good job Sarah.
I definitely believe that positive thinking has the power to change your life! I read the book “Success Principles” by Jack Canfield years ago, which is all about being positive and remembering that you’re in charge of your life, and it helped me see that I needed a new career. This is a great post. Even though I’m a generally positive person, it’s good to be reminded of how important positivity is. Thank you!
Thanks Michelle!
Great post, Michelle!! I completely agree with you. There is huge power in positive thinking. My husband and I watched a movie last night that featured a homeless character. I was thinking how fortunate we were to be sleeping in a warm, cozy bed. We really are SO blessed and it’s important to recognize that on a daily basis. It really changes your outlook 🙂
Thanks, Michelle!!
Yes, realizing what you have is an important step! 🙂
Absolutely! I can get down on myself sometimes, and I use a lot of these to get to a better place. Sounds weird, but changing your inner monologue to third person helps a lot, too.
I agree 🙂
Being positive has definitely impacted my life for the better. I like to practice gratitude and think optimistic about what ever happens in my life because it not only feels great and reduces stress. But it allows me to become more successful when trying to reach my goals.
Good job!
Agreed, positive thinking can benefit you in all areas of your life. Always try and start my day but telling myself that today is going to be a great day when I wake up. Just want to get myself in the right frame of mind.
Great way to start the day Brian 🙂
Definitely! When you get into negative thinking patterns they start to repeat and you believe them and then you live out a self-fullling prophecy. I’d much rather be positive and believe great things are going to happen for me! 🙂
Same here 🙂
I totally agree with you. It’s difficult to be positive all of the time – like when I recently added up the total amount of our credit card debt. But, we have the choice either to be ruled by current circumstances or to believe that we can take action to change our future. Thanks for this uplifting message on Monday morning!
Welcome 🙂
Welcome 🙂