How to Stay Positive
Be kind to yourself.
You're not a robot. You aren't capable of being your own best friend. You can't motivate yourself to put in the hard work that positions require of you. You can't build up your own self-confidence and keep it going through times of sadness and lack of motivation (Yes, even when you feel like you have nothing left to give).
So if all that has happened so far has been this:
First, be aware that it is okay to feel sad, mad, down in the dumps, or angry/frustrated. The world isn't perfect, and things will suck sometimes; but keeping these feelings at bay doesn't mean you're a bad person or weak by any means.
Second, remember that most people have experience similar things within their life: they know what it's like to be the odd one out during gatherings with friends who simultaneously cheer each other on while also tearing them apart for small mistakes; they know what it's like to arrive home from school with only itself as company against a rainy day; they know what it's like to come home from work with no one there but itself and maybe some trash bags for company (no offense intended). They are learning how to deal with these situations by coping with them in different ways. You too can learn how to cope! And if you need someone or something strong around you at times like these, call on yourself! And start doing so immediately!
Be kind to others.
Be kind to others.
Being kind to others is an important way to help yourself be happy. Being kind means to be aware of other people's needs, as well as your own. It also means doing things for other people and helping them when you can. When you are kind with other people, it makes you feel good about yourself.
Be kind to everyone.
There’s a lot to be said for being kind to everyone, no matter what. It doesn’t take much time or effort to be nice, but it can make all the difference in someone’s day—including yours. Being kind is important to both your mental health and the people you interact with in daily life. When you do good things for others, they feel good and so do you—it's a win-win situation! You never know if people have had a hard day already or if they’re going through something difficult right now, so just be nice to everyone, regardless of their station in life, race, religion, etc.
If you’ve ever wondered how people who seem happy all the time do it - this is it. Kindness really is contagious! Studies even show that producing altruistic behavior causes our brain chemicals to release dopamine and serotonin (the “feel-good hormones), leading us to want more of that feeling [1]. Not only that but being kind has been linked with lower blood pressure and reduced stress levels [2].
So how does one become more kind? Well, like many things in life - kindness is learned by repetition. If we make an effort each day to treat others as we would want them to treat us then we will grow into kinder people over time!
See the good in everything.
Staying positive is not about seeing the world for what it is. It's about seeing the world for what it can be. There is always an opportunity to see things in a positive light, so we encourage you to do your best and look for the good in every situation.
This can be difficult at times, but if you make an effort, gradually, you will find that you are able to maintain a positive attitude even when things seem bleak because of your knack for finding something good in any situation!
Set and reach goals.
We shall address the big questions first. What is ambition? Why do we have it? Do we need it? Should we work on it more or less than others? And, most importantly, what should our aspirations be?
I propose that ambition is a good thing in many ways and not bad at all. It can make us strive to achieve things that are important to us and often beneficial for our daily lives. Achieving great things can inspire others to greater feats, leading to benefits for years to come. We must feel a sense of pride in our accomplishments and strive for success within reason—as though striving for success were as natural as breathing but without ever having written a book about the topic.
To feel ambitious can also be healthy, giving us direction and goals with which we can gauge ourselves. To be ambitious of this or that is not unusual: indeed, it was likely planted within us by God or Mother Nature, who saw fit to give you the ability to grow strong muscles or just think on your feet so you could survive should you find yourself stranded in the wilderness with only one leg left. I'm not suggesting anyone become enamored with such ambitions—it's best if they remain realistic since anything beyond that borderlines impossible—but rather dreaming big dreams when something requires thought will motivate us further towards those goals so long as we're still able to successfully plan and prepare for them now and again.
The only caveat I'd add would be this: stay humble about these achievements because after all, no one wants someone who thinks he's better than them just because he accomplished more than they did in the past year! Keep chasing after new goals and dreams no matter how far-fetched they may seem at times—tomorrow could very well bring an exciting new opportunity into your life never before seen by any living soul!
Love others more than you love yourself.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and it has been with us since the beginning of time. It touched our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. In fact, it's what motivated Satan to tempt Eve into eating an apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They both gave up their right to immortality so that humans could share in its rewards.
Rather than simply acting out toward others (which would cause us to lose our identity), we choose love by casting aside parts of ourselves that may prevent us from experiencing its true essence: "that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," i.e., you are special because you're human.
Love is not a feeling—it's a verb that can be performed on many different levels: loving your family, friends, and pets; loving your job; loving strangers; or even just loving yourself more than anything else in life.
The more you love something or someone else, not just yourself, the greater contribution you'll make toward making this world a better place for everyone who lives there.
Fall in love with yourself.
Fall in love with yourself. You are more than your flaws and mistakes. More than your past, fears, insecurities, and self-doubts. You are more than your thoughts, which exist but don't define you.
You exist beyond what happens to you. Allow the positive stuff to be yours and let go of the negative stuff simply by observing it without attachment and letting it flow through you. Life isn't about being unbothered—it's about learning how not to be bothered by things that no longer matter anyway.
Find something greater than yourself to believe in.
The second step in staying positive is to find something greater than yourself to believe in. It will give you a purpose and make you feel like your life is worthwhile. This could be your family, your friends, your community, your career, your hobbies or simply what you believe in.
For me, I found my religion to be the one thing that has helped me the most in all areas of my life. It gives me guidance through difficult times and provides a sense of comfort that there is something greater than myself out there.
Having faith requires diligence on our part so we need to constantly look for opportunities to put it into action. If we care about someone who is ill or struggling financially we can support them by offering help or visiting them regularly – even just taking time out of our busy schedules to talk with them can make their lives better.
Take care of yourself.
The next growth area for you, if you want to continue to build your positivity and happiness, is taking care of yourself. Put yourself and your needs first. Give yourself permission to say no when you don’t want to do something.
Do the things that make you feel good, like exercising, cooking a good meal or playing an instrument. Having hobbies that make you happy can increase your overall mental health and give you something positive to focus on when times get tough.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming — it just means doing what makes you happy whenever possible so that you can be the most positive version of yourself at all times!
Enjoy the journey and not just the destination!
Enjoy the journey and not just the destination. It's easy to get fixated on a single end goal, like losing 30 pounds or going to law school. But if you don't take time to enjoy the little things along the way, it's possible that once you hit your main goal, you'll feel unfulfilled. For example, let's say your life goal is to become an astronaut. You spend 20 years training for it and finally achieve your dream—but then realize that all those years of preparation were spent in a state of stress and unhappiness. If this sounds familiar (or could be in your future), make sure that you slow down every once in awhile and enjoy your day-to-day life. Did you know that research shows that people who take more frequent vacations actually perform better at work? And who wouldn't want better performance at work?
Stay positive!
Be kind to yourself
Be kind to others
Be kind to everyone
See the good in everything
Set and reach goals for yourself
Love others more than you love yourself
Fall in love with yourself
Find something greater than yourself to believe in or serve, such as God, a school, a loved one, etc. (but try not to fall into believing that your work is who you are)
