Positively Positive

I used to think that you either were or weren’t a positive person. (Spoken like a true pessimist!) But, after reading an email newsletter sent from Beliefnet.com and written by Chris Widener, I realized that anyone can transform negative thinking by focusing on positive thoughts. And in light of the stress and worries brought on my today’s economy, I thought we could certainly use a bit of positivity.

Widener’s article discussed ways to redirect negativity by focusing on solutions instead of problems and by “keeping your eye on the goal.” What a simple yet somewhat daunting task. It’s easy to get sucked in to the way we wish things were instead of how they really are. Common reactions, “Why me? This couldn’t/shouldn’t have happened.” But it’s often that resistance that breeds more negativity. Instead, remember this moment because you might be grateful for that challenge one day. Learning to focus our attention on what we can do now to get through it, will help make that day come sooner.

So what do you do to stay positive when life is making it hard to do so? Some use prayer or meditation, listen to happy music, take a walk, talk with friends or spend moments thinking about what they are grateful for. Watching Oprah always lifts me up and I also read positive quotes and inspirational stories in books and on websites to keep my positive meter running high. Either way, I’d say, have fun and do all of them. After all, life is short, why not choose to be positively positive!