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They say your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your latitude. In other words, how high or far you go in life is strongly connected to how you choose to look at life, situations, and people. Adopting a positive attitude can actually improve your physical and mental health as well as your longevity. Optimism can be yours if you only change what you are telling yourself. In an effort to think more positive thoughts, you must become aware of your negative self-talk. Grab a sheet of paper and fold it in half sideways. On the left side, write down every self-limiting and negative belief that comes to your mind. These might include "My life is horrible" or "I will never find someone to love". Over the course of several days, "listen" to your thoughts. Notice those that make you feel badly or particularly negative and add them to the list. Negative beliefs may have the power to drain you of hope. But, when you put a magnifying glass up to these beliefs, you may realize they aren't very rational. For each self-defeating belief on your paper, ask yourself aloud these questions to dispute them: Can I rationally support this belief? Since you cannot predict the future, you cannot rationally say you will never find someone to love. What evidence exists that this belief is false? Have you ever loved someone in the past? Does any evidence exist that this belief is true? Again, you cannot predict the future. What are the worst things that could actually happen if this "bad" situation occurred? If this happened, you would be alone. What good things could happen if this "bad" situation occurred? You could potentially learn to love yourself more and live out your passions. Affirmations are positive and helpful statements describing a desired goal that are repeated to leave an impression on the subconscious mind. Grab your folded paper, and, on the right side, write down an affirmation that transforms those negative, self-limiting beliefs into positive, transformative beliefs. Repeat these statements regularly. "My life is horrible" is transformed into "My life seems bad right now, but the tough times are making me stronger" "I will never find someone to love" is transformed into "Right now I'm feeling lonely, but it won't always be this way." A mindset of thankfulness can help you to develop a more positive outlook. Rather than dwelling on your burdens, focus on your blessings. Grateful people are have better physical health, enhanced psychological health, increased levels of empathy and decreased aggression, sleep better, have higher self-esteem, and more likely to build new friendships. Show more gratitude by: Writing it down. Start a gratitude journal. Tell others when you appreciate them. Meditate and focus on a spirit of thankfulness. Sometimes, we get completely caught up in the crises of our lives. Getting "caught up" can prevent us from looking at a situation objectively, and, thereby, finding a workable solution. Instead, we just get lost in the drama of it. Take a step back and observe your life from the lens of an outsider. Imagine that something happening to you is actually happening to a coworker or a close friend. How would you advise that person to handle the situation? Do you notice any negative thinking or unrealistic expectations?
Recognize the power of optimism, and choose it. Identify negative thinking. Challenge unhelpful thoughts. Create positive affirmations. Practice gratitude. Shift your perspective.