Empower Your Outlook: Tips on How to Be More Positive

Sometimes, it feels like the weight of the world is heavy—very, very heavy—and it’s resting on your back. Thinking about ‘how to be more positive’ feels almost silly and entirely out of reach.

Even so, there are many reasons to embrace a happier mindset, and that’s exactly what you can do to live a more fulfilling, content life.

And, according to Suzie Pileggi Pawelski, MAPP, and James Pawelski, Ph.D. of Psychology Today, “Positive emotions don’t just feel good; they’re good for us. And they are also good for others. When we experience them, a visceral change occurs in our bodies. Our minds and hearts expand. As a result, we see more similarities, rather than differences, in the world and feel closer to others.”

Even more reason to give it a try.

The Benefits of Positivity:

Before we discuss tips on enhancing positive thinking, let’s briefly discuss science and its role in all of this.

I can’t think of anyone who proves this concept over and again more than Dr. Joe Dispenza. Through his vast body of research, he proves that through our inner thoughts and beliefs, we have the power to affect our outer experiences.

He says, “The latest research supports the notion that we have a natural ability to change the brain and body by thought alone, so that it looks biologically like some future event has already happened. Because you can make thought more real than anything else, you can change who you are from brain cell to gene, given the right understanding.”
― Joe Dispenza, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One

So positive thinking is not just about changing our mood one afternoon when we’re feeling lousy; it’s about imprinting our future life experiences!

Practical Tips for Fostering Positivity:

Focus on Mindset

Embracing a positive mindset is key.

According to an article from Insights, Barbara Fredrickson, a psychology professor and Director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says, “A positive mindset is the breeding ground for creativity, expansive and visionary thinking, empathy, cooperation, and connection. Moreover, broadening one’s mindset makes people better equipped to overcome adversity.”

What Professor Frederickson says makes sense to me. If you are positive, you are open to expansive thoughts and greater feelings of connectedness. And if you’re leaning more negatively, you may be more closed.

Practicing Gratitude

Cultivating a positive mindset often begins with the practice of gratitude. By focusing on the aspects of life we are thankful for, we can shift our perspective from one of lack to one of abundance.

This can be as simple as maintaining a daily gratitude journal, listing three to five things you are grateful for daily, or expressing gratitude to others through energy, words, and actions.

I’ve learned that gratitude is who we are at our core. It’s the purest, highest state of our being, and by accessing it and deepening our sense of gratitude, we can rise higher emotionally.

Mindfulness and Awareness

Mindfulness practices are powerful tools for cultivating a positive outlook by anchoring us in the present moment.

This awareness helps us recognize and accept our thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Only by seeing them clearly can we begin to address them. Byron Katie says, “Taking responsibility for your beliefs and judgments gives you the power to change them.”

Establishing Positive Daily Routines

Life can be challenging, and it’s easy to get thrown off course. (Believe me, I find myself there a lot!)

Thankfully, daily routines can provide the framework to get back on track.

Starting the day with inspirational reading, exercise, prayer, or meditation can make a huge difference.

Additionally, a nightly routine that allows you to reflect on the day’s achievements and set intentions for the next day can improve your outlook. This could involve writing in a journal, practicing gentle yoga, or engaging in a mindfulness exercise before bed.

Overcoming Common Challenges

It’s easy to write and think about all of these helpful ideas, but you will undoubtedly encounter challenges.

Challenges may take different forms for me. Sometimes, something very small happens, sending me on a negative spiral, and I find myself overwhelmed by negative thoughts.

At other times, out of nowhere, I feel a sadness or frustration that is hugely disproportionate to what’s happening in my day.

So, what can you do in these situations?

In the first example, avoiding the bunny trails as much as possible is helpful! I recently read an article in which an older couple explained to their adult daughter one of the secrets to their everlasting happiness: not googling medical symptoms!

I found this to be so true.

And it’s not just medical issues. When I read this, the words that came to mind were, “Let it go.” 

For the latter example, I think of Eckhart Tolle.

He says, “Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it – don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge or analyze. Don’t make an identity for yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you. Become aware of the emotional pain and ‘the one who observes,’ the silent watcher. This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence. Then see what happens.”

The key concept in this quote is not allowing the feeling to get into your head and instead just witnessing it like a curious observer. This takes a lot of practice and presence, but I think it’s a great tip for healing and moving back to a happier baseline.

My experience with cultivating positivity:

Something I’ve discovered throughout time while excavating many parts of myself is:
Know that you are good and worthy. At the deepest level, you are an expression of love in this world. When you see this for yourself, it all makes sense.

Knowing this allows you to understand the truth: You are a positive, loving being and expressing and radiating this energy is natural.

Like a gardener, you have to keep pulling out the roots and planting new and hopeful seeds.

Then, you can use the tips above to cultivate positivity. Like a gardener, this is what we can do.