How Praise, Gratitude and Doing Good Can Encourage Positive Thinking
Although positive thinking is extremely important, it’s also equally hard to do. Most of us feel that we don’t have that much control over our minds. Thoughts just come and go and there’s not much we can do about it. So if we’re anxious, afraid, pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, sad or unhappy, we just continue to feel that way because we assume that we don’t have any control over our emotions. However, there are many things we can actually do in order to encourage ourselves to think positively.
Speak Positive Things
If you are constantly criticizing people and things, including yourself, you end up dwelling on those things much more than you would if you avoided speaking them. So if you have nothing positive to say, don’t say anything. Or at least try to frame things in a more positive way such as: “This would be better if…”
Gratitude
Many self-help gurus recommend that you encourage a feeling of gratitude for the things you do have. There is an easy way to do this. Remind yourself, either in your head or on a piece of paper, of the various things you are grateful for.
Are you healthy? Good-looking? Do you have a good family? Do you have a job? No matter how small the thing is, affirm that you are grateful for it. It could even be something as small as being grateful for the bus you managed to catch in time this morning.
Improve Your Karma
You don’t have to do something amazing or great to improve your karma. No one expects you to be the next Florence Nightingale. But if you listen patiently to a friend who is upset about something, help your child patiently with homework or give a good tip to a waiter who has done a good job, you’re creating good karma. And doing nice things for people just makes you feel good and positive all day long.