Do you know that one of the most highly rated skills in the eyes of employers is having a positive mental attitude?
If you think about it, this isn’t surprising at all considering how a positive attitude makes everything, including working easier.
On a personal level, having a positive attitude makes you more creative and helps you make better decisions. It improves your relationship and overall chances at success in life
To cap it all, there are studies that show that those with a positive attitude live longer than those without.
Having said that, some people believe having a positive attitude is something that is inborn – you either have it or you don’t, but there’s nothing farther from the truth.
Just like every other skill, having a positive attitude can be cultivated. It is something totally within our control. This is because it isn’t derived from the things that happen to us but rather, the way we choose to interpret them.
So, without further ado, here are some tips to make sure your attitude is always positive.
1. Avoid complaining and complainers
Whining makes you see the world negatively all the time. For a typical complainer, nothing is ever right. Of course, it doesn’t matter that this isn’t the reality, but a perception born out of negativity.
Complainers make the world a much darker place and being around them is especially contagious. That is why you need to run for your life. Absorbing all that negative energy won’t do any good to your attitude.
2. Put a positive frame on events
For everything that happens to you – good or bad, there are several interpretations (frames) available. A lot depends on which one you chose to focus on. The bottom line is to always focus on the good – In yourself, in your life and in others. As you make this a habit, it reflects on your attitude.
3. Be grateful
Count your blessings, as cliché as it sounds, that’s all it really takes to put yourself in a grateful frame of mind. There’s something magical about being grateful that it can lift your spirit almost immediately and make you happy sustainably.
On a daily basis, set time aside to reflect on all the ways you’re blessed. Your attitude will thank you for it.
4. Smile often
They say the face is the window to the soul. If that is the case, why not make it always radiant?
To help you achieve this, point number 3 is very helpful. It’s always easier to carry a smile when you’re aware of your blessings and grateful for them.
Furthermore, when you smile genuinely, the hormones endorphin and serotonin which are known as the feel-good hormones get released into your body. I’d like to think that it’s a lot easier to develop a positive attitude when your body is helping you in the process.
5. Feed your brain with inspirational messages
Apart from the fact that inspirational messages instantly boost your spirit, making a habit of consuming them will ingrain such messages in your brain, thereby, arming you with something you can always draw upon when you feel low.
Inspirational messages can come in many forms. Set aside at least 15 minutes every day to read or listen to them in any form you enjoy.
6. Adjust your expectations
Your expectations can shape the way you respond to things. When they’re high or unrealistic, it’s almost certain you’ll continue to get disappointed. This can make you bitter and totally destroy your attitude over time.
However, when you put it in mind that things are allowed to be shitty, knowing that this is just a part of life, you equip yourself with whatever it takes to deal with unpleasantness when it arises. This in itself is a positive attitude.
