Say NO to Negativity!
October 3, 2017It’s time to say NO to negativity! With the continuing barrage of horrific world news, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Join me in releasing the toxicity of negativity by filling your life with the healing power of positivity.
Warmly,
Melanie Ott
Inspirational Thoughts
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you start having positive results.” ~ Willie Nelson
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” ~ Albert Einstein
Say NO to Negativity!
While you can’t make everything you encounter each day a uplifting experience, you have a lot more control over limiting negativity than you may think. Be purposeful and take control of what you can to experience greater positivity in your life.
For example, take a moment to consider your environment’s impact on your mood and energy:
- Did you start your day with a doom-and-gloom news report … or with a hopeful prayer, a meditation, or singing along to your favorite playlist?
- Are you sitting in a sterile office or cubicle … or do you have family pictures, motivational slogans, or flowers at your desk?
- Are you wearing clothes you feel awesome in … or just something you threw on?
- When’s the last time you reached out to a friend for a comforting word or comic relief?
Flip the Switch on Negativity
Negativity is entertaining, distracting, and contagious. It’s easy to fall into negative thinking traps: automatically anticipating the worst case, magnifying the negative aspects of a situation while filtering out the positive ones, or allowing your self doubts to undermine and get the best of you.
To avoid being drawn into negativity, learn to recognize it, then apply positivity tools to combat it. When fretting over a doomsday outcome, also consider the best-case result. When a conversation starts a downward spiral, practice redirection — graciously shifting the discussion towards more uplifting topics. And when you anticipate facing a negative person or situation, arm yourself with positive responses and approaches.
Consider your negative head chatter — those swirling thoughts like, “I hope I don’t mess this up,” or, “What if they think my comment is stupid?” The problem isn’t having negative thoughts; the problem is buying in to them. Rather than accepting and allowing negative thoughts to govern your life, take charge to shift them into ones that are more supportive, such as: “I am well-prepared and will be successful,” and, “My ideas and input are valuable.”
A Positivity Action Plan
Positivity is a skill that takes practice and time — but the reward is well worth the effort! Here are a few tips to help you say NO to negativity.
- Do good for others. It’s amazing how making others happy enhances your own positive feelings. It doesn’t take much: holding open a door, a smile to a stranger, or sending a thank-you email to a coworker. A little goes a long way to boosting positivity.
- Challenge your beliefs. First, identify your negative beliefs and dispute them by creating logical, thoughtful arguments against them. Then replace the negative beliefs with new positive ones.
- Practice mindfulness. To enhance positive feelings, let go of the past and stop worrying about the future. Focus on today and what’s in your power now and look for the good in the present moment.
- Reframe “problems” into “challenges.” When difficult circumstances leave you feeling frustrated and defeated, remind yourself that setbacks are a chance to grow and to shine. Remind yourself that hurdles can be overcome … and that you’ll be stronger after you do.
At Leap Forward Coaching our process will help you say NO to negativity — and embrace the power of positivity to cultivate your most joyful, successful, and fulfilled life.