The Real Value of a Positive Mindset

Many situations in life are beyond our immediate control. Some things are unpredictable and unavoidable. However, your mindset is something that you can learn to control 100% of the time.

With practice, your mindset can be whatever you choose it to be. This is a powerful skill to possess. You can overcome nearly any situation with an effective mindset and some self-regulation.

So what do I mean when I say positive mindset or negative mindset and how can you tell where you tend to default? First, before we engage in this short assessment, you should know that judgment of yourself, is NOT what you need. What you need, is the ability to be honest with yourself without judging yourself. You can try to counter your self-judgment by being curious. That may sound like, “Hmmm. I never noticed this about myself.” or “That’s interesting. I wonder why I do that?” Choose that thinking over, “Omg! Why am I like this?!” or “Ugh! I need to change that!”

So, you practice that while we take a look at some clues that can help you determine where your thinking tends to naturally go:

Positive Mindset

• Believes in possibility
• Sees and seeks solutions
• Believes that everything is impossible until someone does it
• Find a way to appreciate any circumstance
• Learns from and celebrate failures, misses
• Believes in taking risks
• Sees the value

Negative Mindset

• Needs proof to believe
• Easily sees and focuses on problems
• Decides what can be done based on what has been done
• Finds a way to complain about many circumstances
• Feels that failure means loss or incompetence
• Directed by fear
• Sees the cost or deficits

While this is obviously not an exhaustive list, notice how many of these you connect with. Make a mental checkmark next to the ones that you may find tough to admit but know are true for you. Avoid judging yourself because you are the way you are for very good reasons. And even though that may be true, if you notice anything you don’t like, it is never too late to shift who you are.

Let’s discuss the impact of a negative mindset. If you identified with at least half of the items on the right side of the above list, you may possess a negative mindset. A negative mindset practically guarantees a lot of challenges in life, when presented with the exact same circumstances. A positive mindset doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing, but it’s a tremendous help!

Your mindset won’t make life treat you more kind. Instead it will shift your perspective on how life is treating you whether good or bad things are happening. Your mindset influences your joy and ultimately your success!

Shifting your mindset is a practice. This means that just like sports teams participate in drills over and over to create the winning habits they want, so will you. Of the items listed below, notice what connects for you. Choose one or two to “try on” this week! Just try them. See what happens. Big changes come in tons of tiny shifts.

Here are some techniques to develop a positive mindset that propels you toward the life you want:

1. Seek Solutions. Looking for a solution is an optimistic perspective. Focusing on the challenge only drags down your mindset and your mood. It also limits your perspective causing you to see fewer choices in your life. Those with a positive mindset expect to find a solution to their problems. Seeking a solution is much more productive than wallowing in a problem.
2. You Are Always at Choice. You get to choose your mindset. Every day. At every moment. We are ALWAYS at choice. You might have a tendency to view the world in a certain way right now. However, you can make the choice to have a new mindset that better serves you. When you do that, you can direct your focus as you choose.
3. Smile and Laugh. Life is short. There’s humor to be found in many negative situations. If all seems lost, a good laugh isn’t going to hurt, but it might help. They say when you are experiencing negative emotions, even smiling “for fake” can be incredibly effective in shifting your mood.
4. You Hear Everything You Say. The images you view in your mind and the words you say to yourself and others influence your thoughts and mindset. Positive words and encouraging mental images lead to a positive mindset. How can you remind yourself of this daily?
5. What Goes In Is What Comes Out. We are bombarded with media constantly. This includes the news, videos, books, and articles just to name a few. Negative input leads to negative output. Choose positive media to put into your brain. Try this: 1) Think positive thoughts that challenge those negative ones. 2) Fill your mind with positive ideas, words, and images. 3) Follow people and pages that feel positive and uplifting.
6. Be grateful. Gratitude is a big part of an effective mindset. You have to be in a positive frame of mind to feel gratitude. Gratitude is a great way to start and to end the day. Pro Tip: When you are feeling frustrated, try making a list of things that you are grateful for.
7. Stay present. Keep your focus on making progress at this very moment. Avoid worrying about the future or dredging up the past. Try this: Right now, take 3 deep breaths very slowly. While you are breathing, thinking about your breathing. Notice how your body feels and what it is doing. Notice a little more on each breath. Look at that! You just practiced mindfulness.
8. Help Someone Else. Sometimes volunteering provides perspective. Putting your attention on someone else is a nice break from your own challenges. Volunteering is also a good way to feel gratitude, too.

Your mindset is one of the things that is fully under your control. All that is required is to make a conscious effort to seize control of your thoughts and some practice. Mental habits can be challenging to break. We become addicted and habituated to certain thought processes. We can be reactive rather than responsive.

You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control your reaction to the things that happen to you. By controlling your mindset, you gain far more control over your future. Not to mention, you will find ways to enjoy and appreciate your life a lot more, too. That alone may be worth it!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: How could a shift in your mindset benefit you?