7 Tips for Staring Your Day on a Positive Note

I have always had a fascination with human behavior. Coming from a large family (I am one of ten children) I’ve been able to experience multiple personalities first hand.

When I decided to write an article on thinking positive I immediately thought of my brother Anthony. Of all my siblings, my brother Anthony always seemed to be the happiest. It’s not that the rest of us we’re unhappy, Anthony just displayed a positive energy in everything he did. He has a very outgoing, vivacious, positive, personable and engaging personality.

I remember one morning everyone scrambling to get ready for school when all of a sudden you hear, “Oh my God!” coming from upstairs. It was Anthony yelling from the bathroom. So of course everyone ran to see what was happening.

My mother banged on the door and demanded to know what had happened. Anthony swings open the bathroom door and says, “I don’t believe it, it happened again!”  Everyone started asking, “What happened?” “What’s the matter?”

Anthony looks up with this big grin and says, “I got better looking again!”

If “OMG” was a phrase used back in the day, you would have heard it tenfold. But this is Anthony, day-in and day-out.

One thing I noticed over time by watching Anthony is how people react to him. People gravitate towards him with excitement. And the favor is returned exponentially. His positive presence is a natural way of being.

When I asked my brother if he would mind if I mentioned him in my blog he stated he didn’t mind, and he added this…

“Positivity is my mantra! I also try not to let most things get me down. I only focus on the events that I can control. If it takes too much energy, then it’s not worth it to me (especially at my age … no time for drama in my life). The fact that I surround myself with positive influences also contributes to my outlook on life. I like people that can make me laugh. Everyone needs to laugh, everyday.”

I’m sure there are many individuals with natural positive personalities. But what do you do if you’re not one of the lucky ones. How can you develop a positive attitude?

You start by making a conscious effort to change old behaviors. You start by being more aware of your thoughts. One thing you will read repeatedly throughout my blog is that your thoughts, feelings, emotions and behavior are all related.

Changing your thought causes a domino effect. The more you practice changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts the easier it gets and the happier you will feel.

 

Here are some benefits to thinking positive:

  • Thinking positive changes your mood.
  • Thinking positive keeps you motivated.
  • Thinking positive improves your health by reducing stress. (If you’re experiencing stress head over to my article on managing stress here…)
  • Thinking positive makes it easier for people to approach you.
  • You’ll feel happier.

 

Quick and easy suggestions to try! I know everyone is different so implement the ones that work for you or create some of your own.

  • Preparing the night before for the next day will reduces a lot of stress. Make a brief outline of the tasks for the day. This will reduce the need to rush in the morning.

 

  • Start your day with Morning Prayer, or meditation. Go for a brisk walk or a quick run to organize your thoughts. Each of these options will help you to become centered and focused.

 

  • Focus on the positive things in your life. I know this sounds cliché, but it’s true, thinking positive thoughts will create a positive attitude.

 

  • Avoid negative self-talk, that pessimistic voice inside your head. If you read my article on “Peeling Back the Onion” then you’ll understand how negative thoughts are related to your core beliefs. If you haven’t read the article I encourage you to do so.

 

  • Create a list of positive thoughts. When you find yourself drifting into a negative mantra pull out your list of positive statements. Having a list of positive statements readily available will help to counter negative self-talk much quicker than scrambling for something last minute.

 

  • Reflect on positive things throughout your day. This will help to keep you in a positive frame of mind and reinforce a new behavior.

 

  • Try using humor. According to Reader’s Digest, laughter is the best medicine. Think of something funny that happened recently. Think of a good joke.

 

 

I’ll leave you with this positive quote:

“Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.” ~ Og Mandino

Live well!