{"id":7499,"date":"2011-10-06T05:29:44","date_gmt":"2011-10-06T13:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=7499"},"modified":"2013-10-09T08:32:41","modified_gmt":"2013-10-09T16:32:41","slug":"5-ways-to-stay-positive-every-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-stay-positive-every-day\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Stay Positive Every Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/a><\/p>\n

What do bestselling self-help authors Maxwell Maltz, Tony Robbins and Rhonda Byrne have in common?<\/p>\n

Their works, though published decades apart, all promote positive thinking as a fundamental aspect of personal growth.<\/p>\n

It makes sense: optimism keeps you happy, provides the energy to overcome challenges and is attractive to others. This is something countless successful people, from Winston Churchill to Will Smith, have talked about.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re like most of us, staying positive consistently is tough. Even the boost people get from self-improvement books and classes tends to wear off quickly. After that, it\u2019s back to the old, negative thought patterns.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been collecting ways to help people feel good and stay upbeat day in, day out. I\u2019m going to share 5 of them in this post.<\/p>\n

Keep a Journal of Gratitude<\/strong><\/p>\n

I found this exercise in an old book on Zen living; it\u2019s one of my favorites to this day. Just take a little notebook and start writing down the things you\u2019re grateful for. Start with the obvious and work from there.<\/p>\n

Be grateful for having food, water and a roof above your head. If you woke up at 5 A.M. and can\u2019t go back to sleep, be grateful for getting to see the sunrise. If you\u2019re facing a challenge, be grateful for the opportunity to learn from it.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to write every day, but make sure you open your journal at least once a week. It can be very easy to indulge in self-pity, blame and anger; appreciating what you have will help you stay positive.<\/p>\n

Things Get Better<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re struggling, grieving or suffering from heartache, the pain can feel unbearable. Even in everyday life, the weight of a million little things can be heavy.<\/p>\n

But always remember <\/em>the proverb: \u201cThis too shall pass.\u201d Your negative feelings won\u2019t last forever; there\u2019s a light at the end of every tunnel. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but you\u2019ll feel better eventually.<\/p>\n

When you understand and accept the volatile nature of life, it\u2019s a lot easier to stay calm and relaxed \u2013 even in the hardest of times.<\/p>\n

Mental List of Awesomeness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having high self-esteem keeps anxiety at bay, improves personal relationships and encourages optimism. If you don\u2019t appreciate yourself enough \u2013 or are feeling down \u2013 try making a mental list of awesome stuff you\u2019ve done recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWent for a jog instead of watching TV\u201d; \u201ccooked for my girlfriend\u201d; \u201cmade an awesome presentation at work.\u201d Make a written list if you want, and don\u2019t be modest!<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find that, as you go over your awesome actions and choices, you start to feel great about yourself. It\u2019s hard not to when you remind yourself how amazing you are!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s The Worst That Could Happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paolo Coelho was right when he wrote: the fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself. <\/em>It\u2019s easy to become worried over the little things: the human mind can blow things way, way<\/em> out of proportion. To stop that from happening, always ask yourself: what\u2019s the worst that could happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chances are, \u201cthe worst\u201d isn\u2019t that bad. You\u2019ll be fine if you don\u2019t ace tomorrow\u2019s presentation. You can retake tomorrow\u2019s exam in September. That cute girl (or boy) won\u2019t eat you if you screw up this date.<\/p>\n

Sure, it would be better if things went according to plan, but sometimes they don\u2019t. When you\u2019re no longer afraid of any<\/strong> outcome, you can focus on having fun and getting things done. Don\u2019t wind yourself up for no reason!<\/p>\n

Reach Out and Help Someone<\/strong><\/p>\n

We live in a culture that encourages egotism. Even our buzzwords \u2013 self-help, self-promotion, self-esteem \u2013 reflect our obsession with ourselves. But if you want to feel great about yourself, try giving to someone else.<\/p>\n

Donating a few dollars to charity can change someone\u2019s life. Calling your mom for a few minutes will make her week. Buying food for a sick friend will help more than you can imagine.<\/p>\n

It takes very little to help someone out. When you make a big difference with just a few minutes \u2013 or dollars \u2013 you\u2019ll always remember how important and amazing you are. And with an attitude like that, it\u2019s hard to be anything but positive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

George P.H. helps people figure out relationships, live without limitations and\u00a0feel awesome over at\u00a0The Man-Up Blog<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Why You Shouldn’t Care What Others Think About You<\/a><\/p>\n

How To Choose The Right Goals For You<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Their works, though published decades apart, all promote positive thinking as a fundamental aspect of personal growth.<\/p>\n

It makes sense: optimism keeps you happy, provides the energy to overcome challenges and is attractive to others. This is something countless successful people, from Winston Churchill to Will Smith, have talked about. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":7548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[463,850,595,66,387,4629,1372],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways to Stay Positive Every Day | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"a guide on how to stay positive even when things are going wrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-stay-positive-every-day\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 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