Tips To Being More Positive!

How many of you started the year with the mindset “New Year, New Me”?  I think it’s pretty safe to say that we all did!  How many of you stuck to it so far?  If you’re raising your hand, I’m genuinely proud of you and want you to pat yourself on the back.  You’re definitely ahead of the game; but these tips to being more positive will still be beneficial for you!

The main thing that inspired me to write this blog was reading so many captions and statuses that said things like, “I started 2018 in tears … not how I planned on starting the New Year” or “Every year, I have so much drive and so many goals; but, this year, I was just at a standstill for the New Year and I didn’t feel the drive and determination that I usually do”.  And, I’ll be honest, one of my goals was to start waking up earlier; and I am definitely struggling and more towards the non-successful side of it right now!  I’m continuously striving at it tho and won’t give up!  I’m determined to be a morning person and keep telling myself “I AM a morning person”!

(Shop my look below!  Unfortunately, my top went out of stock before it even got to me; so I linked the similar style black hoodie along with my other fav rainbow tops!  The exact handbag, jeans, and shoes are linked though!)

Back to my point!  Setbacks and obstacles are totally normal; and, honestly, I appreciate these people’s honesty because no one’s life is perfect or completely stress free.  Some may be more stressful than others but that’s all about how we handle it.  As bloggers, we tend to show you all the best of the best that we have because that’s how our business grows, which I chatted about on Insta-stories this week; but we deal with real stuff, as well.  We have ugly days, fat days, slow seasons, failures, losses, gains, etc.  So all in all, everyone gets in a funk every now and then; but I have an exercise to share with you that will help you get out of a little funk, or at least hold yourself accountable to being more positive in your own perspective.

(Shop my look below! Same with this top, out of stock!  Ugh!  It went out of stock super fast so I linked all of my fav “love” sweatshirts; but, good news is, the rest of the outfit is in stock and linked!)

This won’t take long, so let’s get started!  This was an exercise that Dean, my hubby and acting coach, had us to in class recently; and I loved it so much that I wanted to share with you all!  And, to keep it real with you all, I shared my personal answers, as well!  I do this monthly to remind myself of my blessings and how far I have come; so remember this exercise and continue to do it, esp if you find yourself in a funk!

Now, take out a piece of paper!  Not your phone, and don’t do this in your head.  Get out an actual piece of paper or a napkin for all I care lol, and an actual pen!  Thank you :).  BTW, the amount of effort you put into this shows the desire for how much positivity you want in your life because to change you have to be willing and give the effort. Ok, to the point:

1. Write down 3 things that you think about often that you feel are negative?  Be honest with yourself, as even the most positive people still have negative thoughts.  It’s just how long you dwell on them that makes a difference in your life.
   1. To keep it real, here’s mine:
      1. Competition/comparison as an actor
      2. Losing a loved one (this one is only often because my grandparents’ health is digressing)
      3. Finances
2. Write down 5 things you think about that are positive and make you feel joyful.
   1. Mine:
      1. Hubby & Family/Loved ones
      2. My fur babies
      3. Creating (Acting/Blogging)
      4. Chocolate 😉
      5. Accomplishing Goals
      6. Our new motor home and future travels with Dean (bonus)
3. For each of those 3 negative things, write down 2 positive about that topic or thought.
   1.  Mine:
      1. Competition/comparison
         1. Learn from others
         2. Find and embrace more of my uniqueness
      2. Losing loved ones
         1. Reminder not to take time spent with them for granted
         2. Appreciate the time spent and the person any chance I get
      3. Finances
         1. There’s a time and place for everything
         2. There’s something bigger and better coming my way = patience
4. Now, write the following:
   • “I pledge for 7 days that I will only focus on positive things.  If a negative thought pops up, I will turn it into a positive or find the positive in it.”
   • Sign your name, and commit!

Disclaimer: If you fall off the track in those 7 days, you have to start over with a new 7 day pledge!  Be honest with yourself!

You just pledged to live a more positive life by turning your negatives into positives so hold yourself accountable.  This will not only change your perspective, but it will also change the perspective of others around you.  You will start to notice little things changing for the better and those little things will continuously turn into bigger and better things changing for the positive.  I’m not saying that life will be perfect; but it will have an overall happier feel and vibe to it!  Also, it isn’t always overnight so stay consistent!

I hope you all enjoyed this little blink of positivity and productivity in the New Year; and, if you all want more of this, let me know!  I definitely don’t mind mixing in my mental toughness coaching on the blog!  Also, if you want more frequent stuff like this, feel free to subscribe to Dean’s Blog because he is always sharing positivity and self-improvement!

Enjoy your positive thoughts!

Until next time, peace and love!

XOXO,

Michelle

Written by: Michelle West

1/10/18