| Joy |
I believe living a joyful life is largely determined by keeping your thoughts positive. Naturally, it’s easy to have positive thoughts when everything is going your way. It’s a little more difficult when things are not. Being alive is a beautiful and miraculous thing filled with many wonderful moments, but one thing about life that holds true is things will not always go exactly the way you would like. There will be frustrations, disappointments, and heart breaks. That’s a given, but what’s not given is your perception of and reaction to those types of situations. Choosing to keep your mind filled with thoughts of a positive nature, despite external circumstances, will help fill your life with joy.
Your Thoughts Impact Your Reality
Stating your reality is impacted by your thoughts may sound a bit extreme, but I believe it to be true. Of course, you are not your thoughts, but the thoughts you think affect you. Your thoughts influence your feelings, actions, and words. Your feelings, actions, and words dictate your results.
Any situation can be looked at in a variety of ways. The variety of perspectives can create a variety of experiences. If you focus on what is negative, you will create negative feelings and reactions. If you focus on what is positive, you will create positive feelings and reactions, hence a more joy filled life.
Keep a clear picture in your mind of who you want to be and what you want in your life. Think like you have already achieved your targets. Picturing what you do want, keeps your mind motivated with positive thoughts and helps prompt you to take actions to get you where you want to be.
Only You Can Choose Your Thoughts
Your thoughts are one thing you have complete control over. With the understanding of how much the nature of your thoughts affects your life, you can see how powerful this control is if you choose to use it to your benefit.
Learn to control your thoughts and cultivate a positve mind. I’m not suggesting you will never have a negative thought. I’m suggesting aiming to create the habit of positive thinking and having positive thinking be your norm.
Look for the good in situations and people. What you focus on grows. Remember the choice is yours!
Tips to Keep Your Thoughts Positive
You can train yourself to think positively, even if you tend to be the glass half empty type. Here are some ideas to help you choose positive thoughts.
- Catch negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. You can even say the positive thought out loud and repeat it more than once.
- Keep your mind focused on the person and life you are aiming for, not on what you don’t want. Even if you’re a long way from your targets, remind yourself you are on your way. Get excited about each step you take.
- Begin and/or end each day by reading something uplifting and inspirational. Avoid starting and ending your day with things such as the news which tend to dwell on the negative.
- Surround yourself with positive people. If you feel like you don’t have positive people in your life currently, listen to uplifting podcasts or join a group to meet some new people such as a volunteer organization, a sports team, or a class on something you’d enjoy learning.
- Keep up with a daily gratitude journal. When you create a habit of listing things you’re thankful for each day, it helps train you to look for and focus on what’s good and positive throughout each day.
- Avoid comparing yourself to other people. Comparisons can lead to negative self-talk and thoughts.
- Look for the lessons and silver linings when things do go wrong and focus on how you can serve and help in difficult situations.
By following these tips, you can create the habit of positive thinking and increase joy in your life.
Share any other ideas you have for keeping your thoughts positive with us below!