How to Replace Negativity with Positivity and Change Your Results

Have you ever found yourself in an emotional place where you can't help but focus on the negative? Does it feel like you're viewing everything through dark, dreary filters rather than rose-colored glasses?

Maybe you could benefit from undergoing a change in your disposition. You'll feel so much better when you take steps to be more positive. Plus, you'll get more positive results.

When you change your approach, you change your results.

Try these strategies to switch from a negative focus to a more positive one:

1. Accept that you'll encounter negative thoughts. Avoid beating yourself up because you experience less-than-positive ideas. Consider those thoughts as being an unavoidable part of your life that you can easily deal with.

• Life isn't perfect for anyone. There's a mixture of good and not-so-good moments.
• Challenge yourself to change your negativity into more positive energy.

2. Take responsibility for your own thinking. Accept that your thoughts are coming from within you. The good news is that you can control your own thoughts. .

3. Keep the negativity to yourself. Now that you've given yourself permission to confront negative thoughts, promise yourself you'll refrain from verbally sharing the negativity with those around you.

• If you decide to talk to someone about a challenging situation, wait until you have a better handle on controlling your negative feelings.

4. Flip your mood. Get a mental grasp on your negative thoughts. You may be familiar with the expression, "Turn your frown upside down," meaning to smile and avoid dwelling on your troubles.

• You can also flip your mood from dark to bright. Think of it as flipping your cognitive switch, like a light switch. You have the "power" to flip your disposition.

5. Record the positive connection to a negative situation. Keep a pencil and paper or your electronic device close by at all times. When you experience a negative thought about a person or situation, jot down something positive about it.

• For example, let's say you're excited to eat breakfast at your favorite restaurant this weekend. But you end up with the slowest waitress in the place. You find yourself feeling annoyed and think, "Why are they so slow? This waitress is ruining my breakfast."

• You recognize your negative thoughts about the waitress. "Flip" your mindset and focus on the positive aspects of your breakfast experience. Write something like, "When my food arrived¸ the pancakes were hot, fluffy, and full of pecans. The coffee was great."

• When you jot down the positives, you can read them later as an exercise to sharpen your disposition in a constructive way.

6. Adopt a new mantra, such as "Don't sweat the small stuff." In a tough situation, try to recite your mantra over and over again. You'll soon be ready to move on with your day.

7. Look ahead to the near future. Maybe you'll discover you are full of negative thoughts each morning. If so, allow yourself to look two or three hours into the future. Think about a productive day at work followed by a dinner with an old friend.

• When you can imagine and focus on the good things that are yet to come, a positive light will shine through and eliminate the darkness brought on by negative thinking.

8. Praise your efforts. Once you've experienced your power over your disposition, acknowledge your efforts. You can even reward yourself for motivation to maintain your positivity.

Start working now to successfully deflate your negative thinking. Change your disposition and adopt a more positive perspective. With experience, you'll see that life is so much sweeter when you identify the positives and learn to side-step the negatives.

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