“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
— Zig Ziglar
Can you imagine living through life without a complete set of hands, the ability to hear, or see things?
That’s got to be tough, won’t it?
This is why I’m amazed when I see people who suffer from such conditions flashing a smile and enjoying life like nothing’s wrong or missing.
One such example is Australian motivational speaker Nick Vujicic who was born with a rare disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome which left him with no arms and legs.
I guess we can all agree that it’s hard to go around without hands and feet. It’s going to be difficult to eat, write, or even just go from one side of the house to another yet Nick still finds everything good about life.
It’s funny (and embarrassing at the same time) how most of us who were born with a complete set of body parts sometimes complain more than those who don’t.
We complain about not getting the promotion we deserve, not being attractive, or sometimes even about the smallest of things like not having the latest iPhone or car.
The mind is a powerful tool. It has the ability to make us live life the way we want to and if you’re always erring on the side of negativity, chances are, nothing’s ever going to be good enough.
Here are 5 steps to help you become more positive and live life with less stress and more happiness:
1. Find the good in every situation
And I say every situation, I mean even the bad ones. Most of us have the tendency to lose hope immediately when things aren’t going our way but do we ever stop to think that maybe there’s a good reason why all of this is happening?
If your business fizzled out, it’s probably because you weren’t ready yet but now that you know why it failed, you’ll be able to capitalize on your mistake and be wiser next time.
The point is we can’t control what life will bring but we can control how we respond to it.
2. Be thankful
Having a “victim” mentality is like a poison. You’ll always wallow in self-pity everytime something terrible happens.
You always think you’re not good enough and that life is not treating you fairly. Poor you!
What about other people who aren’t as lucky as you to have a place to call home, food to eat, or money for education?
Learn to appreciate the little things because what you consider trivial may already be wealth for others. Practice gratitude every day. Be thankful not just for what you have but simply for being alive and being able to enjoy life with your loved ones.
3. Stay away from negative people
The people you spend the most time with has a huge influence on how you view life as a whole. As Jim Rohn once said, you are the average of the five people you spend more time with.
Hang out with negative people and you’ll find yourself singing the same tune pretty soon. Be friends with those who have more appreciation for life and you’ll rarely have something to worry about.
The bottom line is, if a person is not adding value to your life and is dragging you to the mud instead, you don’t have to spend time with them. Ever noticed how millionaires only hang with fellow millionaires?
4. Add value to someone else’s life
Speaking of adding value, being kind or helping someone out is a good way of attracting positive vibes. It doesn’t have to be something big. Something as simple as helping an elderly cross the street or opening doors for ladies is all it takes for you to feel good not just about yourself but with life as a whole.
Seeing someone smile or say thank you can sometimes be more than enough to brighten up an otherwise gloomy day.
5. Live in the moment
We can all agree that in life, nothing is certain. No one knows when your time will be up so why not treat each day as if it is your last?
Would you like to spend your last day on earth full of worry and disappointment? That’s definitely not the way you want to go, would you?
Time is of the essence. Make the most out of every second you have with your loved ones. Have fun, enjoy life, and stop worrying about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself.
