I have often considered myself a positive person, to the point of saying that I am optimistic. However, it is difficult to eliminate those negative thoughts when the day is bad or when we have a little problem and we want to eliminate half of the people who are in our way, don't we? Only me? Don't feel bad about this, it's completely normal and part of human beings.
On certain occasions of stress or discomfort, my friends have asked me how I can stay calm or manage high-stress situations with a positive attitude. I love volunteering, I like the idea of giving something back to society without expecting anything in return. In these events there are almost always thousands of things to do, look for, or explain and not everyone has much patience. So it's very easy to get stressed or want to put everything aside and leave, because as many people say"you're working for free, aren't you? About 7 months ago a group of friends and I decided to be the committee of an event called Strike Out Bullying in which we had to raise funds to give scholarships to students who have been victims of different types of abuse. A month before the event we realized we didn't have enough sponsors and failing these kids was not an option. After several meetings, a friend and I decided to stop making bad faces and contact several companies. To make the story short, with a good attitude and positive mind we managed to get more sponsors than we had written in the list. Companies like Starbucks and Uber to support this cause.
It is not that being positive we are going to be"perfect" will actually help us turn negative situations around and in a way make them positive.
Here are some examples of how to turn a negative thought into a positive one:
You have to wake up super early - it turns into - you have the opportunity to drink your tea or coffee more calmly and at night it won't cost you so much to fall asleep.
Traffic is driving me crazy - it turns into - now you have a little time for yourself where you can listen to your favorite podcast or catch up on the news.
I think I'm going to get sick - it turns into - my body is giving me signs that I should take care of myself and rest for a while.
Gain weight - it becomes - a reminder that I should go to the gym and start taking the stairs and not the elevator.
Your medical bill this month is $1,500 - it becomes $1,500 - health is paramount and we can't be productive if we're not healthy, which means you'll be eating more at home this month and it will give you the opportunity to practice your culinary gifts.
These are just examples to give you an idea of what the process of transforming bad thoughts into better ones would be like. There is a saying that says"Govern your mind or your mind will govern you" So the next time you feel that there is nothing to do or that these thoughts are winning you over... You can, you just have to find the beauty of a rainy day.
..and you, do you have any examples of how you've changed your way of thinking?