Help, Negativity is My Default

Today we are going to talk about having a negative/pessimistic mindset and how to flip it to an optimistic/positive mindset. Having this mindset holds people back in numerous ways. There's no possible way to become an optimal performer in your life by cultivating a negative mindset. I understand life has it's challenges/trials and at the same time that doesn't mean you should have a negative outlook on everything. People are often negative because they've had a series of unfortunate events occur in their life or someone else's life that they know.

Pessimism is killing your potential on some great things in your life. I understand life can be hard and annoying when things aren't going your way. The truth is, it requires no work to have a negative mindset when things are bad. People will often attempt to conceal their negativity by saying that they are a "realist". I call B.S because in most situations, keeping it "real" is just an innocent way of harboring a pessimistic mindset. Keeping it "real" is also stopping you from going after some of the things you want in life and performing at your very best.

Optimism is hard when everything is going wrong. In fact, it takes some form of mental training to train your mind to see the good in things. To remain positive when you're failing a class, losing competitions, underperforming at your job, dealing with annoying people is difficult. However, if you're able to master being optimistic at all times, your life will drastically improve. There's a couple of small mindset shifts that need to take place if you want to become more positive and optimistic.

Here are some small shifts that you can do to live a more optimistic lifestyle:

1. Spend less time on social media- Social media can create unrealistic standards for your life and constantly looking everyone's opinions but your own can be very draining. Too many pointless arguments occur on that platform. Social media will have you having thoughts that aren't even your own.
   

2. Limit your time watching the news(This is for my grown folk)- News platforms will only show bad news because like the saying "if it bleeds, it leads" and those leads make them money. These platforms will make money spewing out negativity which make you angry and hating other people.
   

3. Be mindful of the music you're listening to- Don't stone me but music is extremely powerful in playing a role in our emotions. A lot of popular songs these days talk about depression and drugs. Listen to more positive music and watch your mindset change.
   

4. Surround yourself with positive people- This is extremely important, who you hang around can play a huge role in your mindset. Misery loves company and people who aren't a in a good place mentally love bringing others down as well. Positive people love to uplift.
   

5. Control the controllables- Control what you can. There's things you can control in your life and that's things like your attitude, the content you consume, and the work you put in. Then there's things you can't control like other people.
   

6. Make gratitude your attitude- Count your blessings everyday and there's nothing too big or small. The the fact that you're alive reading this is something to be grateful for.
   

7. You're not dead- The fact that you have life right now is something to be positive about. As long as you're not dead, there's nothing you cannot bounce back from.
   

8. Filter the negative- The negative thoughts are going to come every now and then. When those thoughts present themselves in your mind, choose not to believe them.
   

9. Build positive self talk- Learn to say nice things to yourself. Don't be so quick to make your mistakes your identity. You DID something bad but that doesn't mean you ARE something bad.

I hope those tools will help you have a more positive outlook on life. Life is better when you're optimistic. Don't let a few bad experiences ruin your outlook on life. Refer back to this if you need reminders.

Until Next Time,

E. Ibadin