Having a mind that sees the positive side of things has some good benefits. The benefits can outweigh the positivity when we can’t get a break and stress is pressing us. Most people know that positive thinking in the circumstances we face in life can keep us from being eaten alive by anxiety. In today’s post, we will cover a few ways we could apply positive thinking, and learn to think differently.
Starting now, think of positivity as an important mental tool. When adversity hits, being able to think it through is critical, as most people who struggle with anxiety can shut down. Being able to think positively will not free us from facing adversity. It can help us stay focused when anxiety hits and can even bring us out of depression.
There are actions we can take to seed a positive mindset. While circumstances we face and emotional trauma can make it difficult to change, it can be done. Just keep reading to learn how to seed a positive mind.
One of the most important pieces of information to have is, positivity can be wasted if we are not intentional with it. This life isn’t full of sunshine for anyone, but our actions can be useful if we can direct our thoughts. How can we get that much control over our minds to think positively in some bad situations? Let’s dig in.
Being purposeful
Whatever our situation we can be purposeful and intentional in how we think. Life hands us a lot of problems. But our sufferings could offer opportunities, too? There are a lot of opportunities in adversity. If we choose to see the problem, we will only see the problem. What we can do instead of looking at the problem is be purposeful in looking for solutions, or what we could learn from those circumstances.
I have learned over 40 years of life that problems can be like classrooms if we are willing to look beyond the stress to see the good – especially where there doesn’t seem to be anything good. It’s not simple. It’s not like the situation will change because we’re thinking positively.
But, a purposeful mind who examines every circumstance will learn over time to focus on the things they can change. Learn from what they cannot change. These practices could give some people a mind full of positive thoughts with time and patience.
Be dedicated to maturing
We just want problems to go away most time. But imagine if you unlearned that habit of impatience and learned to observe during stress and anxious circumstances. While some problems are life and death, even then we can be dedicated to learning and maturing due to the situation. We can develop minds that see the brighter side of problems. If we learn to ask what can I learn from this, instead of why me we can gain great benefits over time.
When we are dedicated to maturing we critically think and gain knowledge as we deal with problems. We cannot always control panic attacks or how anxiety makes us feel, but we can gain some control over what we’re thinking. We can reap huge profits if we are as dedicated to maturing because of the problem as we are being taken down a peg or two by it.
Practice
The Bible, rightly tells us that we should “guard our hearts diligently. Everything we do comes from our hearts”; emotions lead to thoughts – thoughts lead to actions. Actions repeated become habits. So if we spend time honing our thoughts when time allows, the practice can pay huge dividends. Here’s a fact of life; everything we see, hear, and read gets into our minds. If we purposely practice choosing the thoughts we interact with, sometimes – we can learn to direct our thoughts more often.
We can then turn and focus on controlling the thoughts we catch up with. One good way of redirecting is to switch from ‘Woe is me’, to ‘What solutions can I find here’. Being able to actively review a situation’s terribleness to find solutions can help us understand how powerful the mind we’re created with is. These practices can make us mental masters, who outright refuse some thoughts. Might even dare to say no to anxiety and panic attacks.
The gist is to practice changing your thoughts to what you want it to be. It is simple and at times difficult. But with practice, everything falls into place and is useful when we face problems.
A self-reflective mind is powerful
Knowing yourself and being able to take an honest look at yourself is essential to mental growth. That is the primary reason I think problems can be good teachers. People who reflect on their lives are critical thinkers, who learn not to settle.
Self-reflection can lead to great discoveries. It is important to remember, that reflecting on your life is not meant to trap you in your past. You don’t belong in your past anymore and pain from your past doesn’t need you. In fact, a healthy dose of reflection can help you see the reason why most traumas should be let go. Self-reflection can help us change our thought process from problems to solutions.
These are a few ways we can seed positive thinking. While life won’t always be positive or even give us an out, changing the way we think can help us change our actions over time. With time a mind seeded with positive thinking can change our whole life in the blink of an eye.
I don’t want to end without advising you to seek the knowledge of God. One of the most important agents of change I’ve discovered is the word of God. Reading the Bible can give us insight into a lot of things we face in life.
Knowing what God says and believing God can change how we think about everything. Those who believe in God, I do mean those who truly believe, get an understanding of life that no one can get from anywhere, from any expert, or any therapy.
Go to God, not for the miracle, but for the salvation found in Jesus,
I hope you enjoyed this positive thinking and I hope it benefits you. If you have any questions at all feel free to ask.
