“Be positive! Think of the good side”
This is agreeably the most common advice we get from friends and colleagues or even give to friends and colleagues whenever the going gets tough, or perhaps, whenever a little doubt or fear arises.
However, anyone who has experienced certain misadventures, hard times or massive failure, will agree with me quite alright that heeding to that advice is not always an easy peasy.
The words positivity and positive thinking have been considered a mere soft fluff or feel-good words for decades by most individuals (including myself!).
Numerous research, which includes the pdf research file by a psychologist Fredrickson, at the North Carolina University, has pinned down the countless good effects of positivity on the brain.
The research proved positivity to be just as important as attributes like perseverance, endurance, etc, which are all key to succeeding or winning at anything at all.
Positivity makes you stand firm and keeps your brain from shutting off on the world and the hidden good sides that always accompany unfortunate circumstances. Yes! Every unfortunate circumstance is always accompanied by a good side. But it takes a great insight and foresight to take note of them.
Hence, when that long awaited business deal shuts off unexpectedly or when you’re faced with a life-changing event that causes you mental distress, how do you maintain a positive outlook? How do you make calculated decisions that can decide the fate of your life and career, or that of a loved one?
The below simple yet powerful tips will be of great help:
1. Pause and reflect.
Where did it all go wrong? What’s the fault from my part?
It’s most common to seek immediate action or reaction whenever we are faced with unpleasant situations. Panic, fear, frustration, etc, all creep in to take control of our reasoning.
But instead of taking rash decisions and gradually intensifying the issue as a result, calm your soul. Take a step back and take time to observe.
What does the magic of keeping you at peace? Is it music, sleep, movies, games? Or strolling around town with your pets? Do it.
Calming yourself firstly before taking any action will keep you in the right mindset to look through every nook and cranny of the mishap.
Hence, instead of filling your mind with “whys” and “what-ifs,” pause for a second. Take a clearer look at the possible cause of the event and you’ll be amazed how your view of the situation will instantly go beyond the naked eye.
2. Direct your thoughts.
Upon experiencing an unfortunate circumstance, it’s certain that your brain will run to and fro through important and needless things alike. At such point, it’s often difficult to gain control of your thoughts as they come in with such a rapid pace. Together with that, the fear that overwhelms the body is often unbearable.
If only you’re able to shut off the voices in your head and keep away from the overflowing negative thoughts, you’ll have the ability to control and direct your mind to see the good in every situation. Even the ones that appear hopeless before a shallow minded individual.
To direct your thoughts, take a break from the current situation and refresh your mind by engaging in activities you personally consider fun.
Activities like flying a kite, hanging out and catching fun with friends, reading an inspirational life-changing book or listening to a podcast, etc.
The point of this is to totally forget about your overwhelming predicament by engaging in an activity that will steal your focus and completely preoccupy your mind against worries and fear.
3. Make affirmations.
“It’s alright,” “It’ll be alright,” I’ll definitely pull through,” “I got this.”
Never underestimate the power of positive affirmations. Especially when issues requiring urgent reaction are involved.
Positive affirmations give you control over your subconscious mind. Which helps you to bravely man up to any unfortunate situation you may be faced with.
Just as science stated, being able to confidently say I CAN is far better than having a great IQ.
Guess what, being able to confidently say I GOT THIS – or other related positive affirmations – plays a similar role in your brain.
4. Fill your mind with positive memories.
Perhaps, in the past, you’ve experienced a more devastating situation that seemed totally hopeless, but eventually turned into a major success.
Or better still, you’ve come across the stories of people who experienced major breakthrough after hitting rock bottom.
Flashback at those memories and you’ll receive immediate mind boost that’ll pull you through.
Everyone faces hard times. However, if most successful people faced terrifying trials and eventually hit massive breakthrough as a result, why panic?
5. Analyze your situation and make calculated decisions.
And finally, after following the above steps, no doubt, you’ll feel absolutely refreshed and in control of your mind and body.
Then, and I mean just then, you can analyze your problems and decide the most appropriate steps to take.
Making decisions at the point of heated up emotions like fear, depression, frustration, etc, often causes us to make dumb ones. That’s because we are often blinded by sentiments and are forced to ignore facts.
So before making decisions in the midst inconveniences or unplanned events, it’s important to take a deep breath.
Follow the above steps to calm your soul and to refresh your mind. After that, you can throw the right fist and take proper decisions that’ll help you remain on the right track in your career or your entrepreneurial journey.
Most importantly, never underestimate the importance of positivity and the massive role it can play in parachuting you to success. Good luck!
About The Author
This is a guest post by Joseph, a young talented lifestyle blogger and freelance writer. He’s the CEO of Dream Chase Achieve, a rapidly growing lifestyle and self-improvement blog.