Put your headphones in. Open up your favorite music app. Find “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World. Close your eyes. Or leave them open. It’s up to you. Now dance. Jump on your bed. Spin around your room. Ask someone to join in. Breathe in and breathe out. Remember this: you’re alive and you’re in control of your happiness.
Radiate positivity.
It’s not easy to be upbeat and positive all the time. When we are face-to-face with any minor inconvenience, we tend to lose faith and hope in everything. That’s just the human in us. So, how do you lead a positive life if everything is always failing or going wrong?
Picture this: You’re in line for a big promotion. To everyone around you, you’re an avid, determined, and even great employee. They all think you’re a shoe-in for the promotion. However, you don’t think you’re going to be promoted. You begin slacking, because really, what’s the point? You probably won’t get promoted anyway. And, honestly, Jenny is much better at everything. Your co-workers begin to notice your slack and, too bad for you, so does your boss. Next week, it’s announced: Jenny won the big promotion, but you were runner-up. You’re slumped, but, well, you should’ve seen it coming.
Being positive goes far beyond getting a promotion at work. For example, if you’re awaiting the results of the fifth ACT you’ve taken in a year, you must remain positive. Negativity will only cause you to stress more on the situation and focus less on the other things in life. In the face of hardship and evil, stay calm. Stay positive.
Appreciate what you have.
Don’t spend all your time wanting what everyone else has. Stop being negative and focusing on that. Instead, focus on the things in your life that you possess. Appreciate them because someone out there wishes they were living the way you do. Appreciate your body fat because that little girl whose mama doesn't feed her wishes she had some. Appreciate the lemon that you waiter put in your water, even though you didn’t ask for it. Appreciate your mom and dad. Appreciate the life you live.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
You are beautiful and people care about you. You were created out of love. You were made in God’s image. Love who you are. It may be hard, but focus on the positive things about yourself. Sure, you have really dry skin, but you don’t even need to wear mascara because your eyelashes are so long. You might not have very good parents, but you are independent and you put yourself through college. Know that the positive can outweigh the bad if you allow it.
Don’t hold grudges.
Grudges tear you up and eat away at you. You’ll always be focused on what that person did to you instead of focusing on the things ahead. She may have stolen your boyfriend but, let’s be honest, if he let her steal him… was he really all that worth it? And so what if your plans for the night were ruined by your overbearing parents? At least you weren’t in the car with your friends who were drinking and driving. Be positive about how things turn out. Don’t focus on a grudge because, well, it’s probably not affecting your life all that much.
Be here.
Not just here as in where you’re sitting, but in the now. Stop looking back and don’t worry about the future so much. If you use up all your time remembering that embarrassing thing that happened to you freshman year, then what are you doing right now that matters? And if you keep thinking about that acceptance letter that still hasn’t come in the mail, you’ll forget that you actually got into your plan B school. There’s a reason that you’re doing life right now---to do life. Stay focused on the present.
Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.
Be yourself and love it. Stop hanging out with those mean girls who talk crap about everyone around them. Stop wearing girl’s clothes if you like boy’s clothes. Love your originality and love it deeply. You are the most precious thing to yourself, and you should feel and be comfortable in your life. If that means losing ten friends that you’ve had since you were in middle school, then so be it. You are worth more than what they could give you in friendship. You owe it to yourself, to the world, and to others to be who you are on the inside.
Love everyone; hate no one.
You were raised on your parents’ beliefs. Know this: you don’t have to be a Republican or a Democrat just because they are. You don’t have to believe in God just because they do. You don’t have to be straight just because they said so. Also, you don’t have to hate them for being everything you’re not. Loving people is key to leading a positive life. If you are constantly hating others, then you’re consistently being negative. There’s no right or wrong way to love someone. Love people even if you don’t believe what they believe. You may not think that gay marriage is okay, but giving your love to those individuals is a positive way to live your life.
We all struggle with positivity. There are times in life when all we can focus on is negative thoughts. Will I be asked to homecoming? Did I pass my final exam? These are all normal situations and we’ve all experienced something of the like. But instead of focusing on how badly these occurrences may end, we can focus on the brighter side. If I don’t get asked to homecoming, at least I’ll look amazing and have fun with my friends. If I didn’t pass my final exam, I’ll study harder and I’ll pass the next one.
Build positive relations with those around you. Take control of your life. Take chances, be daring, and have fun. Don’t do things that make you unhappy or uncomfortable. Do what feels right. Do what is right. Grow into a better person every day. Love everyone. Influence others to be positive. Take action in your community. Believe in those around you. Believe in love. Believe in happy moments. Believe in positivity and believe in yourself. Take nothing for granted and appreciate everything. Live your life positively.
