All of us know some people, who mostly maintain a relatively positive attitude regardless of what goes on around them. They rarely lose their cool. That is why such people enjoy appreciation of others since they can focus on the positive in a pretty negative event. They see an opportunity even in the face of a challenging situation.
This is possible because such people have a positive attitude towards life. And, as a result, they are happier and have practically no stress. Many of such people have inherently built a high threshold for stress, due to which they are not easily affected by stress related to their routine activities.
Despite our specific temperamental tendencies, a positive attitude can be developed with some practice. It will not be wrong to call the brain a muscle since like any muscle it can also be developed by anyone with special training. One can develop one’s mind in terms of positive attitudes, and thereby enjoy its benefits.
A pertinent question often arises why people develop negativity most of the time in difficult as well as normal situations.
One of the significant reasons for negativity is that we mostly compare ourselves with others. And, therefore, we see what others have that we don’t have. But we fail to see what we have that others don’t have. Such an unbalanced comparison with others gives rise to the feeling of negativity in us. We shouldn’t forget that no two persons are born equal or will be equal even in the same family. Disparity and dissimilarity underlie the basic nature of things and, therefore, any comparison is likely to cause dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
Another significant reason for the negativity in us is that we don’t have faith in ourselves. Lack of faith in our abilities gives rise to inferiority and inadequacy that interfere with the attainment of our hopes. It saps us of our self-confidence, thereby interfering with self-realization in life.
The following are four powerful ways of developing a positive attitude by getting rid of negativity:
Practice gratitude – It is customary that we mostly use the yardsticks of others to measure our worth. And, as a result, we find ourselves lacking which fills us with negativity. The practice of gratitude is an effective weapon to fight negativity. We should always be grateful for what we have instead of being ungrateful for what we don’t have.
Association of positive people – It has been found that the energy of positivity travels quite fast in the form of waves. And that is why it spreads around quite fast and never fails to touch everyone in its vicinity. Even the gloomiest of people cannot remain unaffected by the energy of positive people around them. So, it is prudent for us, especially those having a proclivity to negativity, to seek the company of positive people. Their company will be a source of happiness for such people.
It has been observed that when many positive people associate with each other, the collective energy of positivity increases manifold and greatly enhances the happiness of the people, who associate together. This collective force of energy influences the psyche of such people, who experience some real transformation in them. The frequent exposure to such high collective energy gradually impacts the sub-conscious mind of such people and eventually, it becomes their second nature to remain positive in all circumstances. Hence, they develop a positive attitude in life by overcoming negativity by associating with positive people.
Nurturing the positive – We all have seeds of both positive and negative traits in us. It entirely depends upon us what we choose to do with them. Whatever we choose to do with them, that is seriously going to impact our lives in many ways. If we water the seeds of negativity, the negative traits will grow to influence our personality. On the contrary, if we water the seeds of positive traits, we will influence our personality positively. Nurturing positive seeds is a continuous process since, like garden weeds of negativity will grow all the time, which we have consciously to pull out and throw to give space and nourishment that the weeds use prolifically.
Some of the effective ways of weeding out the negativity are reading and listening to positive articles, books, religious scriptures, etc., and doing affirmations about positivity besides associating with positive people.
Live in the present – The human mind has a very strong tendency to slip back into the past and begin ruminating about its unpleasant events. We tend to relive our unhappy past automatically at any moment, causing more unhappiness in the present though we are well aware of the fact that the past is passed that cannot be changed. Chewing the unhappy cud of the past causes us more unhappiness.
Similarly, the human mind also flits so often into the future, weaving many small and big plans. And when we fail to realize those plans as we desired, we cause ourselves unhappiness. So, worrying about what happened in the past and having high expectations from the future are sources of much negativity. By staying consciously in the present, we can strap up our monkey mind and stay in peace. It is an irony that we don’t accept the gift that the present gives us.
The bottom line –
Once we understand the role of a positive attitude in banishing negativity, we will do our utmost to develop it. A positive attitude can help us to find more fulfillment and enjoyment in life. Time and again, it has been proven that negativity damages our physical, mental, and emotional health. Positivity slows or negates the damages caused by negativity.
People with a strong positive attitude recover from negative life events more quickly and bounce back to normalcy. In other words, a positive attitude gives emotional resilience to the people, who possess it.
People with a positive attitude have positive emotions more often than not. The benefits we receive from the positive emotions are durable and long-lasting. The most significant benefit of positive emotions is happiness. So, the people with a positive attitude have a “happiness reserve”, which they can draw on in negative emotional states and thus stay positive.
Author: Doctor Pran Rangan
I am a physician with an expertise in writing articles on health related topics. My areas of special interest are cardiology, diabetes and exercise and fitness. I also write articles on spirituality.
