Attitude is Everything – How I Keep a Positive Outlook

A positive outlook allows me to always see the good in people, the bright side of things, and keeps my spirits high.  While life may not always be the land of milk and honey, I’ve found some effective activities to help me maintain a positive outlook.

Here are some of my favorite activities to cultivating a positive attitude:

 

Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal.

 

Developing an attitude of gratitude helps to put life into perspective.  Gratitude reminds me of the things I have rather than the things I am missing. Gratitude brings me appreciation of people, events, and feelings to the forefront of my mind.  Writing a brief journal entry every morning starts my day off positively.

 

Recite Aloud Personal Affirmations in the Mirror.

 

Saying personal affirmations aloud to myself while looking in the mirror really brings home the message loud and clear.  I try not to be shy about it, but sometimes I feel silly, but it really does work.  Telling myself something positive while I look into my own eyes makes me hear the words and internalize them.  The more I say my personal affirmations, the more I believe them and the more positive I become.

 

Some affirmations, I like to say are:

 

“I am beautiful on the inside and my smile shows it on the outside”

 

“My past does not define me and my dreams will propel me into the future”

 

“I can do anything because I am capable and I believe in me”

 

“I love you just the way you are”

 

Share What You Know.

 

Giving back to others by sharing my expertise, experience, or knowledge is immensely rewarding. These first-hand exchanges are personal and bring me closer to people.  I also feel empowered by helping to empower others.  I have learned so much in my lifetime from my relationships, work experience, travels, and challenges.  Any tidbits of knowledge I can impart to others from my life can hopefully enrich others.  Sharing what I know is a great way to stay engaged with people.

 

Invest in Friendships.

 

I can’t say enough of what it means to have quality friends.  Friendships make happiness fuller and lessen sorrow.  Friends who are true friends are genuinely there for me because I took the time to invest in my friendships, cultivate them, and nurture them.  Friends to me are more than someone I say “hi” to on the street or “Happy Birthday” to on Facebook, friends are people who I can share my joys and successes with as well as my challenges and failures.  I can be just me around my true friends and it is these friends that help keep me positive.

 

Smile! And Smile A Lot.

 

A smile brings joy inherently in the action.  I smile to strangers all the time and I have new friends because of it.  I smile when I talk and even when I am listening.   A smile can be used in so many ways and mean so many things, but the constant thing a smile implies is joy and interest.  The best thing about smiles is that they are contagious.  Try it, you’ll see.

 

Be Kind to Yourself.

 

Trying not to beat myself up when I make mistakes has been a lifelong challenge.  Instead, now I celebrate and learn from my shortcomings or failures.  I give myself permission to be less than perfect and try for my best effort instead.  My best effort is good enough.  Giving myself credit for genuinely trying is acknowledging that I put forth my best attempt, which is worth a lot.

 

Cultivating a positive outlook through these practices makes me happier.  I learned that I can change my day, even my future, by just changing my attitude.

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

-Winston Churchill

 

If these activities work to help you cultivate a more positive attitude, let me know.  Leave a comment on activities that work for you too!

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