Having a positive outlook is the key to happiness and success. Why? Because life is hard. And sometimes it is really hard. But with a positive outlook, we are better able to manage life, even when it is difficult.
People with a positive outlook can manage life’s ups and downs because they are hopeful. They see the world as a place in which they can be successful. And they view themselves as having the skills necessary to succeed. Folks who have a positive outlook believe all that, even when life isn’t going their way.
Of course, some people are predisposed to be hopeful. They naturally have a “cup is half full” way of looking at things. However, no matter what personality type you have, you can learn to have a positive outlook on life.
Below are some ways to develop a positive and hopeful attitude about life, regardless of your circumstances. Try applying them to your own life, and see your happiness increase!
To Be Positive, Stop Being So Hard on Yourself
So often, we are our own worst critic. We beat ourselves up for making mistakes. Perfection is impossible, and yet, we demand it of ourselves.
For example, the other day, I was thinking about a mistake that I made at work about 10 years ago. It was a big mistake, and I felt terrible about it at the time. To be honest, I’ve carried that mistake with me for the last decade. And every time I’ve thought about it, I’ve felt terrible.
Well, as I thought about my mistake, I had an epiphany. I said to myself, “Realize that you have been in the workforce for about 25 years. And in 25 years, you’ve made only one unintentional, but bad mistake. That actually isn’t so bad!”
Flipping my perspective around like that was a revelation. I realized that I had been beating myself up over one mistake, when the reality is that people make mistakes. We try not to, but they happen. And one major mistake over the course of a long career is OK!
So, if you want to have a positive outlook on life, stop being so hard on yourself. Accept that you are going to make mistakes. You will not do everything perfectly. Once you accept being imperfect and are OK with that, then it is far easier to develop a positive outlook!
Realize that Life Is Always Changing
Often what keeps us from having a positive outlook is that we feel stuck. We may feel trapped in a bad marriage or in an unsatisfying job. Or, we may believe that we will never accomplish our goals.
In order to have a positive outlook on life, you need to realize that life can change at any moment for the better. In fact, life often changes for the better when we least expect it. Hopeful, positive people realize this fact. They know that their circumstances today easily can change tomorrow.
So, positive people keep trying to improve their lives. They figure out a way to either fix their bad marriage or leave an unfixable marriage. A positive person will hunt for a new job if the one they currently have isn’t rewarding. Hopeful people keep pursuing their goals, even when success doesn’t seem possible. They keep trying because they know that life isn’t constant. It is ever-changing.
People with a positive outlook are people who keep trying to make their lives better. They don’t curl up in a ball in the corner and accept life as it is. Rather, they keep striving to improve their lives, because they know that they are never truly stuck. Instead, life always can change. They just need to keep trying.
Focus on Whatever Is Good in Your Life
Life can be hard. In fact, sometimes it can be very hard. And some people’s lives are beyond difficult.
I will concede that it is hard to be positive if you are facing real issues, like poverty, violence or loneliness. Illness or the loss of a loved one can discourage even the most happy-go-lucky person. What I’ve found is that the only way to maintain a positive outlook during periods of serious difficulty is to draw your attention away from your problem. You instead want to focus your attention on whatever is good in your life.
For instance, you may want to focus on a relationship that gives you great joy. For me, in times of stress, I have turned my attention to my relationship with my daughter. That relationship has given me so much joy, even when other parts of my life have been a challenge.
If your home life is hard, you might focus your mental energy on your job. Or you may want to focus your attention on an activity that brings you happiness, like walking in nature, listening to classical music or reading.
When we turn our focus away from what is upsetting us, and turn it toward something good, that helps us to feel positively about life. We then realize that our lives are more than the problems that we are facing. Instead, we realize that life is far broader, and aspects of it are good. Those positive feelings can get us through challenging periods in our lives. That positive outlook maybe can even help us to feel moments of joy in the midst of stress or sorrow.
Having a positive outlook in times of difficulty can be a challenge. But it isn’t impossible! If you use the techniques above, you can keep your mind on a positive and hopeful track. And when you maintain a positive outlook, you can come out of any difficulty in a far better place. (To read more about looking forward to a positive future, click here.)
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