We all have times when things don’t feel right and we have a little voice in our heads telling us that life could be so much better if only x, y or z were different. When you feel like that, one solution is to action real change in your life but, in doing so, you might actually be putting yourself through unnecessary upheaval. Sometimes, it’s not that you need to change things but alter your perception of your life and the things that you do.
What we’re talking about here is viewing the hands in life that you’ve been dealt or, alternatively, those you’ve gathered through choices that you’ve made in the most positive way possible. If you adopt a glass-half-full approach to life rather than glass-half-empty, you may actually find that you don’t really need to make any big changes to enjoy life.
Of course, it’s all very well deciding to take a positive approach but how is that actually achievable, you might be wondering? It’s surprisingly simple.
Reject negativity
If you’re spending time with people who are negative and talk about shared situations negatively, it’ll have a knock-on effect on you. Think about the people you work with or socialise with and make a decision to spend less time with those who are always finding the worst rather than the best in a situation. While you can’t choose who you work with, you can choose who to spend social time with and, if your existing circle of friends aren’t giving you positive vibes, find new people to hang out with! Using a social networking app like Badoo is an easy way to meet new people and logic would suggest that others using the app are looking to share some fun times with other people, rather than find someone to have a good old moan with!
Choose optimism
You may feel that you’re instinctively pessimistic but you’re not; that’s just a state of mind. Try thinking about a particular situation from an entirely pessimistic point of view and then turn it on its head, and find a few positive aspects to what seems like a difficult challenge. For instance, if you have a big piece of work to complete, don’t think that it’s a chore to be got through. Instead, consider what you’ll learn during the process and what a sense of achievement you’ll have when it’s completed. Think about how your performance on this particular task could help the company you work for, and about the positive view your manager will have if you do the job well. You could even plan in a little treat for yourself to have when the task is completed! Suddenly, you’re looking at the same situation from an entirely different perspective, and you’ll feel motivated, not weighed down.
Watch your language!
We’re not talking about cutting down on the cuss words, here! But a subtle change of the language you use can improve your perception of life. Use positive phrases such as “I’m hopeful that…” and pepper your conversation with enthusiastic words such as “definitely” and “great”. If someone asks you how you are, and you’re just feeling ok, don’t say “not so bad”; say something like “I’m well, thanks”. If you’re tired, don’t say so; instead, turn it around and say that you feel like you could do with a rest. People respond well to a positive conversation and will reflect that positivity back to you. In the same way, if you give someone a smile, they’ll normally return it, and you both feel good as a consequence.
Of course, sometimes, you will have some bad days no matter how positive a spin you put on them. Life does throw you lemons now and then. But, as a general rule, the better you can view each situation, the less negative impact it will have on you. And life, in general, will feel happier as a consequence.
