Staying Positive

You probably hear it all the time,"stay positive" or "don't let people bring you down," etc. In reality, it's hard to focus on being positive when all it really is to us is wishful thinking. To stay positive, you have to better your outlook on life. Take it step by step but be more optimistic. Everyone will always stumble into a negative position, or problem. When you do, you should ask yourself, "What is the one thing that is positive/good out of this situation?" Instead of worrying, and thinking on the downside, think about what good can come out of it, and what you can do to fix it—although it can take you time to process your thoughts and feelings it's always good to ask yourself those questions.

The environment you hangout in such as your friend group, where you work, your school, or anywhere for that matter, really has an impact on your outlook. To really be able to stay positive and keep that vibe, you should surround yourself with people that bring you up, and support you for whatever it is you want to do. You should have influences in your life that not only bring you up, but also never drag you down for the choices you make.

Take it slowly. When you're moving too fast, things can tend to mess up and stress starts to build up. When you take things slowly, your mind and your body take things slowly and it becomes way easier for you to process your thoughts and think clearly. You should always be open to taking chances. If a new opportunity opens up for you, then take it! You never know when you can get that chance again, and for some people that one opportunity, can end up being a once in a lifetime experience. Never be afraid. Don't let your fears take over, you really have to ask yourself, "what is the worst thing that can happen?" Once you open that door, and stop letting fear taking over your mind, you'll find it easier to keep that positive outlook and suddenly, you'll be open to new things.

Another way to stay positive is to keep a healthy lifestyle. It is important to keep a healthy lifestyle because you can always stay motivated. A reason to wake up and start your day every morning. This may seem like a really basic tip, but it is important. Learning to take criticism is hard for a lot of people, heck it's hard for me. But I have learned to take the criticism in a healthier way. Criticism can hold people back from what they want to do in life. We see criticism as people saying negative things at us like it's nothing, and we just have to sit there and take it. But the key is to just handling it in a healthier way. When you handle criticism well, then the fear of being hurt or attacked in a negative way can automatically go away, and instead that criticism can help you be a better person for yourself.

Now to me the key to staying positive is starting my day on a positive note, and moving peacefully throughout the day. You want to wake up in the morning and think to yourself, "I'm going to ace this test" or "I'm going to nail this interview"—you can have a list of things to do and complete it in that day. You don't want to wake up thinking you're going to go fail a test or you're not going to get a job because the more negative outlook you have on your life, it won't get any better. Always stay optimistic. Once you have that mindset you can automatically start to think positively, and you can pass it on to people you talk to, whether it's your friends or your family, because you never know, they might need it!