It’s the top of the year and I’ve immediately noticed two things: 1. EVERYONE wants success, happiness and are in desperate want of positive things to magically occur in their lives. 2. I have also seen these same people implant constant negativity into their lives, through their actions, the company they keep, and the interactions they have on social media. Why is that and how can it be fixed to accomplish the aforementioned goal?
CONDITIONING
From birth many of the behaviors we learn into adolescence and adulthood are really no fault of our own. Our guardians, our environment, and overall exposure have a major impact on our outlook on life. Some of us were fortunate enough to be exposed to an environment filled with love, support and opportunity despite shortcomings. However, most of us, unfortunately have not had that experience and were exposed to quite the opposite. Bad parenting, poverty, bad association, and mental illness just to name a few. We inherently have been conditioned to be the people we are when we leave home after our teens and now it is our responsibility to some how discover how to undo all of the “bad” and replace it with “good”. It’s more than a notion and quite frankly a daunting task that many fail to accomplish. But no worries! It seems that there are a good number of people that genuinely want to affect the world in a loving positive ways by genuinely showing people that happiness/content CAN BE ACHIEVED! I’m trying to be one of those people because I know I need encouragement, so why not be the change I want to see!
STRIP OFF THE OLD, PUT ON THE NEW
There is a scripture in the Bible that says …”strip of the old personality with it’s practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality…” (Col 3:9,10). I mean this really is a perfect description of what we must do to achieve the goals we seek. It sounds simple but the question is ‘how’? Well, you’ve got to do something no one wants to do!
BE YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER
It is so hard to be self-motivated, this I know! But it’s like you have to wake up every day and cheer yourself on with positive affirmations, get yourself all pumped up, just to walk outside and be immediately hit with persistent negativity. How can you not be affected? But here’s the thing guys, you MUST force yourself to believe in yourself! YOU have to be your biggest supporter because at times our loved ones may let us down, and most of the time it is because they are suffering from that old conditioning we just talked about. So, constantly tell yourself, “I am important”, “I will be successful”, “my God will do what he promised and support me through trials”. The list goes on and on but the key is you actually BELIEVING these affirmations.
MAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENT AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF YOUR SUCCESS
First, let me say that not everyone can readily up and change their place of residence all willy nilly. But with that said, I think we at times may take for granted the fact that our environment directly effects our attitude and thus our actions. Remember, by achieving a positive attitude we are another step closer to guaranteeing our success! Now, moving to a place where you’ll feel most comfortable and has minimal distraction is ideal, but realistically that isn’t always possible. So, here are a few things that have helped me.
- SHUT OFF THAT PHONE! – I made this first because this by far THE hardest one for me to do! It is the biggest distraction in my life and I hate that I’m low-key addicted to it. BUT putting it away will absolutely give you the focus and more importantly the time to focus on your goals and the important things in your life. Trust me I know!
- Me Time – Create a safe, regular space for alone time. With this time you should engage in prayer and/or meditation. Reset your mind for preparation of tasks that must be handled. Work on your hobby, listen to some music, or take a nap even. I find that when I block out “me time”, I have less stress and anxiety and I’m less likely to procrastinate, which I’m so bad at!
- Read A Book – Not just any book. Read books that will teach you something about where you’re looking to go. For example, if you want a promotion, read books about how to achieve that. If you’re struggling with what steps to take to accomplish a particular task, read a book on that. I’m usually more of a fiction reader but lately I’ve gotten more into motivational books that help me realize and unlock my potential. Here are a couple of my favorite books!
- Get Better Friends – “Bad association spoils useful habits”, an old saying but most definitely true! It doesn’t have to be “cut off season”. Be mature about this and consider your social environment and whether or not it has been conducive to your success. It could even be your own loved ones, but in that case you can’t just cut them off, you have to make improving those relationships a priority, so that your environment can be a positive one.
- LET THE SUNSHINE IN! – Open those blinds, get outside, be in nature for a bit. Get a few plants, or maybe even plant a garden of your own! The clean oxygen that nature and forage provides is irreplaceable!
- AVOID ALL NEGATIVITY – Listen to me when I tell you, that negativity WILL affect you! Do not be mislead into believing that you can sit on facebook all day reading other peoples negativity and not expect for it to affect you in any way. It will creep into your life and then the next thing you know, YOU’RE the source of negative energy not just in your own life, but also in the lives of others.
The last thing I will say is please endeavor to make having a positive attitude a high level of importance in your life, I promise you’ll see your life change before your eyes!
So there you have it guys, these are my tips for how a positive attitude can guarantee success. Now, I have a little homework for you guys. Implement these things I mentioned for 30 days and see if they don’t make you feel all good and fuzzy inside! Go ahead you can trust me. Oh and also if you have any tips for the readers out there PLEASE leave an encouraging comment below, I definitely want to read it!
Peace