Power of positivity

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” – Oprah Winfrey.

I have previously written a blog on perspective which ties in very closely to this topic. In the blog on perspective I highlighted that we are surrounded by a lot of negative media and a lot of negative talk. So, it is so important that we do not let this shape the way we perceive our reality and our world.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance, to choose one’s own way.” (Viktor Frankl) We have been given the gift of being able to choose our own attitude. How often are we presented with situations and circumstances that we cannot change and how many aspects of our lives are outside our control. Let’s take hold of the ability to control our attitude and not let things outside our control determine it for us.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” (Viktor Frankl) I think in one way or another we are all currently in a situation that to some degree we cannot change. So how is it that we can change ourselves. What attitude can we adopt? What perspective can we choose? What is the focus of our energies? How can we choose positivity?

There is a myriad of resources out there that talk about attitude and positivity; here are two of the Ted talks I watched which helped shape some of my thoughts on this blog: Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) by Alison Ledgerwood and The happy secret to better work by Shawn Achor.

In the Ted talk by Shawn he says that if we study what is merely average, we will remain average. If we think merely average, we will remain merely average. I think it’s important to take some time to think about our thoughts and what it is that we actually think and believe, and what it is that we actually want to think and believe?

“Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living” (Peterson, 2008). Positive psychology is a scientific approach to understanding human thoughts, feelings and behaviour with the focus being on strengths rather than weaknesses. So much of psychology focuses on what is wrong with individuals and how to assist them in reaching “normal” while positive psychology focuses on improving on the already “normal”. Strength is as important as weakness.

Do our minds get stuck in the negatives? Our minds can see the same things in different ways, is the glass half full or half empty? Where do we focus our attention, on what is there, or what is missing?

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one, which has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

Mindfulness is an important aspect of positive psychology. Mindfulness is the moment to moment attention to our thoughts, emotions, sensations and surroundings. We need to find ways to become more grounded in the moment and realise that happiness can be cultivated.

Happiness is a choice and our reality is shaped by the lenses we use to view the world through. Happiness is not measured by our external world but by the way in which our brain processes our external world. It is important that we begin to add an attitude of gratitude as well as privilege to our world lenses.

Gratitude is a big contributor to happiness in life, and research suggests that the more we cultivate gratitude, the happier we will be.

Colossians 4:2 – “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving”.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Often our view is that if we work harder, we will be more successful and therefore happier. What if the truth of happiness and success is actually the reverse of this? We perform better when happy and positive.

Neurologically our brain secretes a neurotransmitter called dopamine that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. When our thoughts are positive dopamine is released in the brain, which can both make us happier as well as activate our learning centres in our brain making it easier to adapt to the world around us and the current situations we face.

As I have spoken about previously, we have the ability to rewire our brains. Some of the ways in which we can consciously rewire our brains is by being constantly mindful of what we are grateful for. Journaling at the end of the day and writing down all the positive aspects of our day and what we enjoyed can help us revisit those feelings and shape a healthier thinking brain.

Positive talk, exercise and meditation are crucial in healthy brain activity. Meditating on the word of God can be crucial in helping us create healthier and more adaptive ways of thinking. Random acts of kindness can also contribute towards more positive thinking and a greater sense of happiness and meaning. We need to learn to scan the world around us for all the positives and opportunities that we often overlook.

This is by no means a slap on sticker than makes everything better, it is merely another step in the direction towards living a happier, healthier life. A healthier attitude and more positive outlook on life are steps towards living it well. 

Romans 15: 5-6 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”