How To Achieve A Positive Mindset

A positive mindset results in a positive attitude in life. It is the difference between success and failure. Because, believing you can’t do something is automatically setting yourself up for failure, before you’ve even done it. Read on to find out how to achieve a positive mindset,

Is your glass half empty or half full?

How often have you achieved something you thought was impossible? You are capable of anything you put your mind to, all it takes is a positive mindset.

Setting goals

When you set personal goals and aim high, you are already heading in the direction that you wish to go. Working towards these goals will put you on the path to your own success. After all, you are your own competition. It is important not to compare yourself to others, as this will put you down.

Resilience

Building up a tolerance level to cope with stress is achieving resilience. Resilience means adapting well in difficult situations; once you learn how to be resilient, you are able to grow. It is about accepting change and adapting to new situations. Whether it’s embarking on a new career path or moving somewhere new, welcoming change and being open-minded is rewarding.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity on every difficulty.”– Winston Churchill

How to train your mind to think positive

How you react to a negative experience will determine the outcome of that experience. Accepting that the situation is difficult is the first step in overcoming it. It is important to stay calm and remember that worrying doesn’t resolve anything. Face the problem and decide the best way to overcome it; every experience is a learning curve. Remaining positive is vital for succeeding. Moreover, negative thoughts drain energy and distract you from being present in the moment. Instead of feeding energy into negative thoughts, channel that energy and invest it into turning the situation around.

But how?

Using positive affirmations is one way to overturn negative thoughts into positive ones. Telling yourself that you are strong and you are capable will implement this and work towards changing your mindset. Tell yourself it is okay to make mistakes. Admit that it is difficult. Stephen Covey proposes, ‘when we succumb to believing that we are the victims of our own circumstances and yield to the plight of determinism, we lose hope, we lose drive, and we settle into resignation and stagnation.’ Once we give in to negative thoughts and accept a situation, it is admitting defeat. Therefore, it is important to face the situation head-on and act upon it, in order to turn it around.

Stop making excuses

It is human to make excuses instead of simply taking the blame for something. As Stephen Covey tells it, ‘society is addicted to playing the victim.’ Taking responsibility instead of ‘blaming everyone and everything else for our problems and challenges’ is necessary for progressing and moving forward in life.

Rhonda Byrne puts forward the theory that everything that comes to you in life, you attract. Therefore, whatever you are thinking, you are attracting to you. The problem a lot of people face is that they are attracting what they don’t want, because this is what they are thinking about. This is known as the ‘don’t want’ epidemic. Consequently, if you want to change anything in your life, you should start by changing your thoughts. This will allow you to become aware, wake up and see your surroundings.

How to achieve mindfulness

Mindfulness is being in the present moment. It is accepting your feelings for what they are without judgement. Becoming mindful can change your relationship with negative emotions, and accept them without feeling guilt or judgement. Tibetan Buddhist, Sogyal Rinpoche, suggests that mindful exercises like meditation allow us to accept negative emotions without shame: ‘When your attitude changes, then the whole atmosphere of your mind changes, even the nature of your thoughts and emotions.’

Clearing your mind of cluttered thoughts is another important factor in becoming mindful. This will allow your concentration to be fully invested in the present moment; not becoming distracted by past or future worries. This is especially important in today’s society, as the digital age in which we live is riddled with distraction and complication. As Myrko Thum (2008) suggests:

‘The present moment is the only thing where there is no time. It is the point between past and future. It is always there and it is the only point we can access in time. Everything that happens, happens in the present moment.’

Being connected to yourself is achieved when you are present. Acknowledge your surroundings and remain calm and tranquil.

“Start from wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got.” – Jim Rohn.