Hello world! I am back from two weeks’ vacation, feeling great and ready to burst out of the starting gate once again. I did not realize how much I needed a break before I left but it soon became evident to me once I slowed down long enough for my body and my mind to tell me how necessary it really was. Starting today rested, feeling good, and full of positive plans running through my head about my business and where we are headed this year, I cannot wait to get back at it!
The majority of the time I am the glass-half-full kind of person and that is the way I am feeling right now. However, I am also a realist and an entrepreneur and I know that there are times when I, and many others, tend to feel like the glass is starting to become half empty. What can we all do to negate the negativity that sometimes seeps into our thinking? By identifying our own outlook and attitude habits, we can start to chip away at them to keep looking on the bright side of things. In this article, I am going to share five tips to help all of us to negate the negativity.
- Wake up on the right side of the bed. Before your feet hit the floor in the morning, you need to make sure you are focusing on the positives that are going to come your way today. Calm your mind from focusing on the negatives like what you did not accomplish yesterday or the fact that you may not have had a good night’s Ask yourself these questions: what am I excited about achieving today, who can I be of service to and what am I grateful for today? I am always grateful that I lived another day to open my eyes.
- Detox from bad news. Everywhere you look, there is something going on in the world and a lot of it is, unfortunately, not positive. You have the control to turn triggers off that can cause you to become negative. Take a break from watching the news or reading newspapers if you do not want to hear bad news. Resist the urge to read all of the gory details about something that has nothing to do with you. Instead, read a good book or watch a funny movie with your loved ones. If everyone on Facebook seems to be so happy and leading such a perfect life, why can’t you? It just takes getting off of Facebook and being part of your own great life!
- Reset your default answer. Many negative individuals tend to resort to saying no as their first response when they are presented with new ideas and experiences. Instead of going straight to a no, instead default to another response such as ‘I am not sure about this, give me a minute to think about it’ and try to find a reason to say yes before saying no.
- Replace negative thinking with positive thinking through the words you use. Words are very powerful so make a list of the negative words you use and try replacing them with positive words. For example, instead of using the word problems think about replacing it with the word challenges. The words you use every day in your own self-talk can have a real effect on your attitude.
- Celebrate your successes. Entrepreneurs and goal-oriented individuals are so focused on striking things off the to-do list, they often forget to celebrate their accomplishments. When you finish a big project, land a new client or make a big sale stop and celebrate! Also, surround yourself with physical reminders of the positivity in your own life. Anything that reminds you of past achievements is great because they are yours to revel in. Each morning when I walk into my office, a poster size cover of my best-selling book signed by everyone who attended my book launch greets me.
Life is short so why not live it with a glass-half-full attitude and enjoy every second you can. To your success!