Most of us have had to make many changes in our daily routine that we may not necessarily be happy with.
As a result you may be experiencing irritability, anxiety, and many other emotions. This can make you feel unable to get to grips with the mundane events of life.
However, there is a way forward. By using positive self talk and adopting a positive approach, you can tune in to the positive things that are happening around you.
Recognize the Positives in Your Life
So why is it so easy to focus and use up our energies on what is going wrong rather than what is going right in the world?
There is actually science behind it. You are more likely to dwell on the negative rather than the positive. In fact because of this ‘negativity bias’, you can dwell on something negative even though something equally or more positive is present.
Research reveals that bad news takes only 3-4 seconds to imprint into your long-term memory. While good news takes about 12 seconds to be assimilated.
Threat perception and survival have always been an integral part of being human. So, your mind naturally dwells on the unpleasant scenarios that may be happening in your life at the moment. Pain avoidance is a far greater motivator than the pursuit of pleasure.
However, you do not have to be defeated by your biochemistry! If you want to focus on the positives in your life and want to be grateful for them, you need to be deliberate.
Two factors that are essential for you to recognize the positives in your life and become a happier, more contented person are awareness and gratitude.
Recognize the Positives in Your Life – Awareness
There are several positive things that happen to us on a daily basis. We just have to stop and take notice. Maybe you need a little help to recognize them.
Here are some of the positives that you cannot help but acknowledge on a daily basis.
- You woke up this morning. Every day offers the opportunity for a fresh start. You are alive and as such anything is possible.
- You are reading this post – which means you can see. In fact, if you have the use of all 5 senses, you are blessed.
- Your health
- People around you- In these trying times, you need to draw family and friends closer.
- You have food in your cupboards.
- You have a roof over your head.
- You are still employed.
While not all the above may apply to you, recognize the ones that do. Take a moment and think about them. This conscious thought process promotes the kind of awareness that you want to manifest on a regular basis.
It is easy to miss the little things that enrich our life experience sometimes without us even noticing them.
Have you ever paid attention to the displays of nature like a butterfly floating by or a bird landing delicately on a branch for a brief moment before it flies away?
These are the moments that make life worth living. All flora and fauna on the earth contribute to building a better life for us to enjoy and appreciate.
This wonderful show operates in the background while we go about our daily lives whether it be work, education, family, or any other pursuit.
Remember the ‘negativity bias’. Often the events that are ruining our day really are not as bad as our minds make them out to be. One of the strategies that you can employ when an inconvenience or a negative situation crops up is to ask yourself these questions:
- “Will this matter in a month?”
- “Will this matter in a year?”
- “Will this matter in 5 years?”
These questions help to put situations into perspective when your mind wants to spiral down a negative pathway.
Sometimes when you suffer an inconvenience like being stuck in a traffic jam, take a deep breath and remember that maybe the universe is just slowing your pace a bit. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Recognize the Positives in Your Life – Gratitude
Once you begin to train your brain to recognize your blessings, a feeling of gratitude takes over. This has a ripple effect.
When you are grateful, you begin to see more and more things in your life that deserve your appreciation.
We suggest that you try this two-pronged approach for at least a few months and see if you notice a change in the way you feel and how you view life.
There are several ways you can train your mind to be grateful. One very effective strategy is keeping a gratitude journal. All you need is a small notebook where you commit to writing at least one thing that you are grateful for.
Do not limit yourself. If you can write more than one thing, then do so.
You can also include your family in your gratitude boosting exercise. A great idea is to get a jar and encourage everyone in your family to write down something that they are grateful for on a piece of paper and place it into the jar. Then you can decide when you will count how many slips of paper are in the jar.
If you want to make it a long-term venture, you can count them at the end of the year. Or you can count on a monthly basis. Either way, you and your family will have a tangible representation of how blessed you are.
Gratitude is an extremely effective tool of the mind. By being grateful and appreciating all that you have and all the positive occurrences in your life, the more you will have to be grateful for.
As with most things, you have to be consistent. The same applies to gratitude. The more you practice, the better you will feel about your life and the more substantial your results will be.
So as you embark on this journey to become more in tune with the positives in your life and be more grateful, know that nothing happens overnight. Commitment and the right mindset are the keys to manifesting what you desire.
Go ahead and be grateful!
