Growing positive thoughts could sometimes be challenging, especially during hard times.
How you react during difficult times isn’t dependent on how much you have grown physically but on how your mind has expanded.
One of the best ways to know if you have a mature mind is your level of positive thinking.
So, do you say, “my life is a mess” instead of “my life is in order; it’s just a little challenge I can handle.”
How do you gradually stop thinking negatively and start growing positive thoughts?
Here are five practices you can add to your daily routine to grow positive thoughts;
1. Meditation
Practicing meditation makes you understand that you have to be patient and kind to yourself during the growth process.
When your mind wanders off during meditation, you don’t judge yourself over the thought you found yourself lost in. Instead, you gently return to the present.
Being kind, gentle, and patient is what the act of meditation teaches you. Having these three virtues will help you see the positivity in life, which will affect your thoughts.
An additional benefit of this practice is that it brings about awareness. Awareness in the sense that it relaxes your mind and makes you aware of your thoughts and environment.
2. Be thankful
Studies have shown that being thankful (gratitude) fosters resilience even in hard times.
Take time to think of people, things, or experiences you are grateful for. This could range from life, family, friends, past mistakes, assets, or past relationships.
Being grateful shows you how far you have come. It reminds you of your progress and how much more you will be able to achieve if you stay positive.
Also, when practicing gratitude, don’t set your standard too high. You can be grateful for something as little as a compliment, and you can see the beauty of life in every little thing by doing so.
3. Practice positive affirmations
Affirmations are supportive statements that you tell yourself, which shift your mindset towards achieving a goal.
Beginning your day with positive affirmations helps you direct your focus towards those things you already have in you but are yet to fully manifest.
Starting your day with an affirmative statement like ‘today is going to be a great day’ will help you live in the consciousness of a great day throughout the day. This will influence your thoughts because you keep repeating this same affirmation throughout the day.
You can practice some daily positive affirmations like:
- “I am light, and my light shines on everyone around me.”
- “I am an embodiment of solutions, and I can never be hidden.”
- “I radiant on a daily.”
- “I am love, and I show love to everyone around me.”
4. Listen to an uplifting podcast
Have you ever found yourself pondering on a song lyrics you listened to three days ago, especially when the lyrics are so relatable?
This is the same effect you have when you listen to an uplifting podcast that resonates well with you and speaks positivity.
You will find out that some words from the podcast will be so embedded in your thoughts that they will grow to become positive thoughts with time.
Take note of the word “uplifting.” Not all podcasts are uplifting. Take your time to search for the best podcast that resonates well with you and see your thoughts gradually transform into positive thoughts.
5. Join a community of positive thinkers
It is often said that a gloomy face can affect the mood of the entire people in a room.
The same applies to you when surrounded by people who think positively.
Being in a community that shares positive ideas and practices will undoubtedly motivate and uplift you to see the brighter side of life.
Besides, people in that community must have once battled with negative thoughts. Thus, you could learn from their experiences how they were able to cultivate positive thoughts.