By Dari Mullins, Account Manager
We are bombarded by negative images, news and comments on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. From terrorist attacks on the news to negative criticism on social media, we stay surrounded by depressing words and images. Negativity sucks the life out of you and you have to fight to keep from falling victim to its grasp by staying positive.
Fortunately I grew up in a positive home. My mother went to painstaking lengths to be sure I ALWAYS saw the glass as half full and not half empty. In seventh grade, I remember riding to church on Wednesday nights complaining about my nemesis. It was middle school – there was ALWAYS a nemesis.
I would relay the drama of the day to her and lament on how badly I had been treated. I would complain about having no friends and how everyone hated me. Most of it was exaggerated greatly- but in my mind it was reality. My mother would listen patiently and then ask me to find something good about the situation and/or the person involved. I would get so angry sometimes – how can you find ANYTHING good about seventh grade? Well, if I didn’t come up with an answer, my mother would always find something positive about the situation or person. Little did I know that those trips in the car were educating me more than any Ivy League school ever could.
I have carried this acquired trait with me throughout my adult years – teaching it to my children and relying on it during the dark times in life. I realize as I get older that so many people don’t possess this skill. A good majority of the population allow circumstances to dictate their attitude. Since we are surrounded by so much negativity it is easy to get depressed and down on life.
There are three things that can be consciously done to stay positive in a negative world.
1. Find the good in EVERY situation
Even if the only good you can find is “It could be worse” – always try and find something good about the circumstance in which you find yourself. It could be that it is teaching you something, or helping you gain a new perspective on life. Every situation has something positive in it – start working to find it!
2. Be thankful – even if it is just for small things
All of us have things in our life for which to be thankful. Write those things down if needed. Even small blessings can add up and the list will be much longer than you expect. During a negative time make a special effort to focus on your blessings instead of your difficult circumstances.
3. Surround yourself with positive people
Negativity is contagious and will infect you before you even realize it! Be sure to surround yourself with like-minded joyful people. When you are around critical, negative energy it becomes very difficult to overcome. Turn off the news sometimes and watch a favorite movie. Put your phone away and go get ice cream with a friend and only discuss positive things.
If you make a conscious, determined decision to make small changes within yourself and your thoughts then you CAN stay positive in a negative world!
