Recognizing the Positives and Making Meaning of the Negatives
Friday is the perfect time to reset and refocus on positive things in your life. It's easy to get into a habit of negativity and, before you know it, live in a culture of negativity. Part of prioritizing your mental health is being able to enjoy the positives in life and making meaning of the negatives. I'm not oblivious to the fact that some people have more things to celebrate than others, or that some people deal with more difficulty than others but the one thing that each of those people have in common is their ability to focus on the things that help them opposed to focusing on the things that are a determent to them. We can't simply ignore the negatives because we won't learn anything from them and they typically won't just go away but we can make meaning of them, adjust the circumstances that brought them into our lives when we're able, and focus on the good things that we have going for us. "Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." - Dalai Lama.
Here are some tips for cultivating a positive mindset:
Take in positive information - Surround yourself with positive influences, such as uplifting news, inspiring quotes, or uplifting music. Avoid consuming negative or stressful media, as it can contribute to negative thinking. An unknown author has said, "Positivity is a choice. You can choose to be positive or negative. It's up to you. Life will be filled with both challenges and victories, but how you choose to react to them will determine your happiness and success." It doesn't always feel like a choice but the more positive information we consume and surround ourselves with the more the negative information feels foreign and like something we'd rather not spend our time on.
Adjust your social media content - Consider unfollowing accounts that consistently post negative or triggering content and follow accounts that inspire and uplift you. I've recently created The Lockman Lounge and with it I've created new social media accounts to support the brand. I have been absolutely AMAZED at the difference in the content between the accounts associated with the brands and my personal accounts. Since this brand is focused on positivity, helping men prioritize their mental health, and encouraging people to enjoy their lives I see tons of great things on social media when I'm logged into those accounts. They aren't filled with arguments, condescension, political debates, or a slew of terrible things that are happening in the world. I'll see a glimpse of those things here and there but the majority of the content that I see across all social media brands is positive. I see people helping others who are in need. I see kids beating cancer and their families celebrating their victories. I see other accounts who are encouraging men to embrace emotions, find help when they need it, and providing resources to do so. I have ended up spending time scrolling through my socials on The Lockman Lounge pages way more than my personal pages and it's absolutely made me think that I need to do an overhaul on my social media intake. There is so much positive going on for the negative to get all of the attention.
Visualize your success - I realize that this can feel artificial or meaningless to some. I personally wasn't a believer in visualizing success until I started visualizing my success and seeing results from it. Every athlete who competes at a high level visualizes their success. What will it look like to win a championship? What will it feel like for the promoter to wrap the belt around your waste? What will it sound like for the crowd to cheer for you? High level competitors think about these things regularly. Successful people write their goals down and visualize themselves enjoying the achievement of those goals. They might think about how it will look, feel, sound on their new boat. They might think about what it will look, feel, sound like to have 5 million monthly visitors come to their website or interact with their social media accounts. They might think about the impact that a new business idea of theirs will have on their community but in all cases they visualize it. Try to see it in your mind, experience the emotion of reaching your goal, and then put the plans in motion to make it a reality.
Seek support from friends and family - Surround yourself with supportive and positive friends and family members who encourage and inspire you. Avoid negative influences or toxic relationships that bring you down and be at peace with pruning those people out of your lives. It isn't just social media that can have a negative impact on how we view the world. Our own circles can bring us down into a world of negative thought and it's easy to get trapped there. I have known a lot of people who adjusted their circles by eliminating negative influences and I have NEVER heard one of those people say, "I think I want the negativity back in my life." Spend time with the people who love you and genuinely care about you. Part of self-care is spending time with people who care for you. If you sincerely can't think of who those positive people are then reach out to us. We can talk about where you are and work together to find some communities that are positive to get you plugged into.
Practice gratitude - Take time each day to reflect on the things you are thankful for. This can help to shift your focus from negative thoughts to positive ones. I'd encourage you all to start a list of things that your thankful for. Seriously...write them down. What you'll find is that you have a lot of things in your life that you are incredibly thankful for that you aren't always mindful of. Zig Ziglar said, "Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for." Gracious people tend to prosper. Be thankful for what you have, thank those who help you get to where you are, and extend a helping hand to help others along their journey.
Positivity Can Impact Your Life Right Now!
Very few things in life can make an immediate impact on your life. If you want to get in shape it takes time! If you want to lose weight it takes time, effort, and energy. If you want to build a business, it takes time and intellect. Very few things can make an immediate impact on your life BUT choosing positivity can. Choose positivity friends. Thanks for reading.
John
About the Author:
John Lockman is passionate about promoting men's mental health. Having lost a family member to suicide at an early age, he is committed to raising awareness about the disproportionate number of men affected by this devastating issue. Through his own personal experiences and his website, www.thelockmanlounge.com, John hopes to help men think differently about how to prioritize their well-being and become more comfortable acknowledging and processing their feelings in a healthy way.
In addition to his passion for mental health advocacy, John also has almost two decades of experience in the business world. Most recently, he oversaw roughly 100 million dollars of annual revenue and was responsible for managing a team of 75 employees. In this role, John had a significant impact on customer service, profitability, employee retention, and marketplace growth. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, John is a seasoned professional with valuable insights to share.
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