College is a transitional time in our lives full of highs and lows.
I remember graduating from high school in 2014 with no idea of what I was going to do with my life or how I was going to do it.
I chose to share with you the topic of positivity and a positive mindset because I was once a not-so-positive person myself. I always felt like I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, with absolutely no direction at all.
After transferring schools four times, almost dropping out twice, and changing my major more times than I can count, I learned a little something that helped me see the glass half-full.
This crucial and life changing revelation in my life, was the choice to adopt a positive mindset.
I started this journey of self-help by reading a book by Carol S. Dweck called “Mindset – The New Psychology of Success.”
Through this reading I adopted new tricks for escaping negativity, and started to explore how to take control of my life rather than letting the days simply pass me by.
Being positive is a skill that only you can attain for yourself. In other words, when I began to look for approval from within my own self rather than outsourcing for this type of acceptance, a sense of peace and positivity spread over me.
Encouraging yourself to see the glass as “half-full” allows you to enjoy life more fully.
Screaming at the driver in the car next to you because you are outraged that they cut you off does nothing but make you feel like you are about to explode. The truth is, your car windows are probably up and they can’t even hear you anyways.
Not only that, but who knows what type of day that other driver was having. Maybe being late to work one more time would cost them their job. If you give people the benefit of the doubt, it creates a shield around your own being that begins to block negativity from entering your life entirely.
American author and businessman Timothy Ferris said, “You are the average of the five people you most associate with.”
If the people we spend the most time with are influencing our behaviors so strongly, isn’t it important to consider how we are affecting them?
There is a distinct community value in being positive. Many of you will probably agree that “What goes around comes around…”
So why not pay it forward with acts of kindness like holding the door for someone a few feet behind you, just because you can?
Once I realized the benefits of being positive not just for myself, but for the world around me, I began to feel as if the fogged lenses I once saw out of (negativity) were stripped from my personality in order to make me a happier human being overall.
Sure, I still have days when being positive doesn’t come easily.
That being said, at the end of the day practicing the power of positivity and a changed mindset will help you get you through anything.
HCXOXO,
Caroline B.