How Do Positive Thinkers Manage To Battle Negativity? Let's Start From The Beginning...
Positive thinker vs negative thinker and why you should go for the positive.
Epictetus, the Ancient Greek philosopher taught that all external events are beyond our control and thus we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately.
In addition, he highlighted that each person is responsible for his own actions which he can examine and control through self-discipline. If we attempt to track the roots of positive thinking and the positive attitude toward life, we could dare attribute them to Epictetus and his teachings.
Taking that under consideration, let’s expand a little further on what actually differentiates a positive thinker (and consequently doer) from a negative thinker and thus doer.
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.”
Positive Vs Negative Thinker
How a positive thinker thinks and acts
A positive thinker doesn’t focus so much on the bad things that happen to him or around him contrary to the negative thinker who chooses to accentuate his mishaps and remains stuck complaining about them and making pessimistic predictions.
The frame of mind of a positive thinker is that of optimism and hope and with an expectation that everything will turn out fine in the end.
His thoughts and therefore actions are restricted mainly by what he can do to produce a desirable outcome and how he can make the most of the adversities he comes across throughout his life.
5 Strategies And A Free Guide To Shifting From A Negative To A Positive Mindset
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How a negative thinker thinks and acts
A negative thinker, on the other hand, does exactly the opposite. He focuses on the bad traits of other people (including the ones of himself) and always anticipates the worse to happen.
In addition, he denies seeing the lessons that hide behind the adversities he comes across in life and is rather unwilling to change routes and adjust when in front of obstacles.
His narrow-minded attitude restricts him to victimhood and a miserly circle he refuses to escape. As a result, people start avoiding him because no one likes negativity after all.
Another great post on the topic:
How Opposite Types Of Mindset Are Created
Well, basically it all comes down to how you were raised and what you have been through.
Positive thinkers tend to have grown up with families and surroundings that made them feel safe and reinforced them to go after what they want relying on their inherent good traits and with the attitude that whatever life brings is welcomed and it’s up to them how to manage things the best way possible.
So, because the positive thinker feels safe at the core, one expects good things to happen and tend to be more creative and have advanced coping skills.
On the contrary, negative thinkers usually have been raised in rather hostile environments, inside a judgmental and unpredictable atmosphere, and have dealt with severe adversities like a loss of a loved one or extreme incidents like accidents or other catastrophes.
Thus, they carry a trauma, a trauma that has not been dealt with and processed, and so their brain is stuck in survival mode. When the brain functions in survival mode it is natural to look out for danger and tend to worry adopting a pessimistic focus.
Can you change from a negative to a positive thinker?
Absolutely yes. But, you have to put some effort into it, a conscious effort on refocusing your mind and back up that refocus with concrete action.
Read On To Discover The 5 Simple Strategies Positive Thinkers Use To Handle Negativity
“Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.”
1. Accept your status
First and foremost, you have to acknowledge the fact that you are thinking negatively and you tend to assume the worse in every case. Realization is the first step since you can’t move anywhere further if you haven’t initially accepted the problem.
2. Consciously refocus your mind
Having done that, you must start to consciously replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. This is where self-discipline comes into the scene, as Epictetus had stated. It will take practice and effort to change your negatively wired brain.
But it can happen. If you are consistent with the practice pretty soon new neurons will wire together in your brain creating a more positive focus neural circuit and you will see the change. And so will others.
Meditation, keeping a gratitude journal, recognizing your good traits and victories, and developing faith in the unknown will help you substantially become a more positive thinker.
3. Ask for help
You can also talk to a therapist if your negative thought pattern coexists with depression or other anxiety disorders. You can also trust a close but hopeful and optimistic friend to share your worries with. And you can always work with a coach to help you discover your negative thoughts, shift your paradigms and be a positive thinker.
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4. Choose your company wisely
Another thing a positive thinker does is paying attention to the people they interact with most. You don’t want miserly people around you or other energy vampires that will only retard your progress. Instead, try to be close to those who are easy-going and optimistic.
5. Focus on the good in people
“A negative mind will never give you a positive life.”
The Pathway To Success: Turning Negative Thoughts into Positive Choices
Choose whom you want to be
As you have found out by now, being a negative thinker is really not fun. Negative thinking not only affects your personality and your life but the people around you as well.
No one wants to hang out or live and work with a pessimistic and miserly person. The toxic energy of negativity “pollutes” the atmosphere with harmful vibes.
Of course, if you believe you can’t change or want to be a negative thinker you can do so undisturbed but, there is a way out and it’s up to you to choose sides.
But, if you ‘re willing to make a change and want to make that shift in your mindset to become a positive thinker I encourage you to do so with all my heart.
And if you want a little extra help to get you started, I have your back.
It’s only a click away, download an easy and free guide “Discover Your Positivity: Finding the Missing Piece of the Happiness Puzzle” and learn about practical tools, tips and ways to start reframing negatives into positives so you can focus on the bright side of things.
