Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8
With the daily occurrences of events in life, it can be easy to make us all a little bit negative without even realising. The disappointments, failures, frustrations, stress and even events on the news are enough to make us all somewhat negative.
Life can be overwhelming, we experience loss, pain and sometimes we come across circumstances that we feel are beyond our control. But in all these, it will be very good for us if we are able to have a positive attitude towards everything.
Having a positive mindset doesn’t mean pretending that all these bad things don’t happen. They do happen and we all know that. But being positive means seeing the good in all things.
Our thoughts influence our actions and our reactions. That is why it is important that we feed our mind with positive thoughts.
The Bible encourages us to practice positive thinking in Philippians 4:8. When you meditate on good things, it reflects in your actions and so you are able to accomplish great things.
Why you should have a positive mindset
Thinking positive thoughts lifts your mood, which in turn has a positive effect on your health. It reduces the risk of developing certain stress-related disorders like anxiety and depression.
Having a positive mindset also prevents the risk of having medical conditions like hypertension.
Your life is as good as your mindset. You can’t have a positive life when you only think negative thoughts.
Everything you do happens in your mind before you physically act on it. Even things you think just happened without any thought, was as a result of something you thought of subconsciously.
So it is important that you feed your mind with positive thinking all the time. That way your actions will be pure and noble.
How to develop a positive mindset
1. Start your day on a positive note
A joyful heart is good medicine,
Proverbs 17:22
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Do you wake up in the morning grumpy or you wake up with a cheerful heart? Your mood when you wake up can heavily impact your mood for the whole day.
It is therefore important that you wake up ready to face the day with joy and enthusiasm. When you wake up in the morning, try singing praises onto the Lord, try dancing around as you get ready for work or school.
When you start your day right, you will notice that your cheerful mood will even be infectious to the people around you and it will make you feel even better.
2. Practice saying positive things
Be positive. Say positive things. The things you say can influence the way you think. So always be mindful of the words you say, whether you are saying it to yourself or to others.
Make it a habit to say positive things about yourself and to yourself. The things you say to yourself has more impact on your life than the things people say to you.
So start saying some positive affirmations to yourself all the time and eventually you will start seeing some changes in your life.
These affirmations are reminders of your worth, saying them all the time can help you develop a positive attitude towards life.
Some positive affirmations you can say to yourself everyday
- I can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13)
- I am not afraid for God has not given me the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)
- I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
- I am loved by God
- I am blessed
- I am filled with power (Micah 3:8)
- God has great plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11)
- God will not leave me or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6)
3. Focus on the good
See the good in everything. No matter what happens, try to look at a positive side. Use the bad things that happen to you as an opportunity to do something else that is good for you.
Let your failures and your mistakes be lessons for you. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember that you are only human and you are bound to make mistakes.
When you make mistakes, don’t put yourself down or give up. Instead see it as an opportunity to try again differently.
4. Surround yourself with positivity
Be around positive people. Surround yourself with people and things that make you feel good about yourself. Dont be around people who only talk about negative things or people who make you feel bad about yourself.
The mood of those around you can affect your mood, the same way your mood can affect those around you.
5. Give thanks
In everything give thanks;
1 Thessalonians 5:18
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Practice gratitude in everything you do. No matter the circumstances, give thanks. Even in bad times, give thanks to God. Being thankful means, you find something worth thanking God for.
So that even when circumstances are bad and you still give thanks, it means you are looking at a positive side of the bad things. It means you are finding something good even in the bad times to be thankful for.
And that is a positive attitude to have towards life. You can keep a gratitude journal, and at the end of the day, write down everything you are grateful for in the day.
6. Laugh more
It’s as simple as that, just laugh. Open yourself up to humor. You can listen to jokes or watch something funny on tv, even these memes on the internet can make you laugh.
It’s easy to laugh when everything is alright but even in difficult times, try to laugh. Even if it is only for a few seconds, that can make you feel a lot better than you think.
7. Let out your emotions
Having a positive mindset and a positive attitude doesn’t mean that you should bottle up your negative emotions. You are definitely going to feel some negative emotions sometimes, and when you do, let them out.
You don’t have to keep them all in and pretend like you aren’t feeling them. Instead, you can channel them into positive things. This can be music, or art or even exercises.
How to be positive in bad times
All the above-mentioned things can easily be done on a good day. But how can you be positive in bad times? When times are hard and everything is going wrong, how can you have a positive attitude?
It is a lot more challenging to be positive in bad times but that doesn’t mean it is impossible.
When you are faced with difficult times, remember that you are not alone. Remember that God is by your side and He shall be your strength and your comforter.
