Positive Thinking - 5 Ways to do This
Did you know that the saying “When one door closes, another one opens” is in the novel by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote? You might be wondering, what’s this all about? Keep reading and you’ll discover why, and we’ll tell you about the best keys to maintaining a positive mental attitude.
Maybe the saying that opened this article has been too widely used, so that its meaning and strength may be a bit blurred. However, it doesn’t seem to have lost an ounce of meaning. It’s a phrase that, in an environment as tragic/comic as Cervantes’ work, it shows there is still an open door towards hope.
A positive mental attitude allows us to differentiate, as Cervantes managed to do in his novel, which has gone down in history as one of the greatest literary works of humanity. It implies that one should always leave a small crack of hope open between so much realism and pessimism.
Keys to having a positive mental attitude
It’s precisely that last situation, the small crack that opens towards hope, that can be a point of light that will help us stop sabotaging and pitying ourselves over lost opportunities. It will make us go out and seek new ones and gain the most advantage from them.
Because being positive doesn’t mean that you have to be happy and joyful at all times. You cannot be happy all of the time, but you also cannot be unhappy all of the time. That’s why it’s important to not give up, to keep hoping. You must see the glass as half full and not focus on the one black spot on a white sheet of paper.
But, in order to adopt this attitude, it’s important that you know how to do it. That’s why we’re offering you these key points. If you have the right mentality, and a certain skill in managing your thoughts and attention, it won’t be hard to adopt a positive attitude. One that will allow you to see the world from a less pessimistic point of view.
Don’t confuse pessimism with realism
The psychologist Arturo Torres offers us a set of keys to instal a positive mental attitude into our lives. The first key, according to what we mentioned above, has a lot to do with realism. In no case does this have to add a tone of pessimism.
“Discard sadness and melancholy, life is kind, and of a few days. We only have the here and now, so enjoy it”.
-Federico García Lorca-
When it seems that everything is crumbling around us, reality seems to be a lot more sinister and negative. However, if we allow unease to flood each of our thoughts, everything that surrounds us will acquire that tone, in our eyes. No matter how much this might not be true. In this sense, negatively deforming and disfiguring is a trap that we set for ourselves.
Seek concrete objectives
Realism is not synonymous with pessimism, but it also does not imply hope or impossible dreams. The truth is that we have the power to build a path full of concrete objectives that can be feasible. Thus, reaching one of these goals will be a reason for joy and happiness. This will be our fuel to help us move with strength and will towards the next one. That is to say, by maintaining this mentality, we’ll be gaining a very powerful source of information.
Surround yourself with positive people
Obviously, your environment is key. If the people around you have a positive attitude, it will be a lot easier for you to also have an optimistic and hopefully mindset. That’s how your surroundings stimulate and motivate you. Otherwise, obviously, the result will be the complete opposite.
Seek long-term projects
It’s good for you to establish feasible goals, but their achievement should lead you somewhere. And that’s where long-term projects come into play. A set of simple, united goals should give rise to one that is much bigger. It should be the purpose of the steps you take.
Think about what you want to build and make it a reality. Place logic and a backdrop to your here and now. Try to make what you do help you move forward towards bigger objectives. In many transcendent cases, this involves personal development. A well-founded present is a great pillar for future happiness and well-being.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
-Dalai Lama-
Use empathy, not blackmail
Don’t do favors just so you can ask them to be paid back later. Behaving this way actually is just a form of blackmail. However, if you offer help for the simple pleasure of doing so, out of pure empathy, your attitude towards the world will change and will become more positive.
Take note of these 5 keys, provided by Arturo Torres and shared today by us, in order to have a positive mental attitude. It’s not about being the happiest person in the world. It’s simply about trying to be the happiest version of yourself you can be. By giving the best that you have to offer, the objective will arrive much sooner than expected.
