If this was two years ago and I told Eric I was writing a post about staying positive he probably would have laughed and questioned what ideas I even had in mind. You see, he’s a glass half full kind of guy that always thinks about the bigger picture. I would be the one to think the world was going to end or a situation was the worst thing, ever. Somehow he always knows the right thing to say and is so calm about things. It’s something in a way I’ve kind of envied him for. Why am I the one over here sweating the small stuff and not enjoying the moment when he can just smile and relax.
What I’ve come to learn is that being positive is also a mindset. I noticed that my older son mirrors a lot of my personality. Ok, we’re practically one in the same. And when I saw him do certain things and thought, wow, he could have handled that so differently, I realized I was looking at a reflection of me. It made me realize that if I handle myself differently not only will it affect them in a more positive manner, but we’ll all be better off.
A year ago to date, I wrote a post about being happy in the now. I caught myself thinking and working towards the future and not always enjoying where we were at in the moment. When I got to thinking more about happiness and being positive, the more I realized they go hand-in-hand. I think a part of allowing yourself to be happy is being positive.
When I went and did some googling and Pinterest inspiration searching about being positive, I was actually shocked at some of the things that came back. Articles about ways to beat the instagram algorithm, how to feel satisfied with instagram, and ways to find gratitude from growing your Pinterest reach. Are we truly letting silly apps control our lives and our mindset? Now don’t get me wrong, they’re a great place to connect with others, find inspiration, and also serve as a source of income, but you need to be able to not let certain things about them bother you, and at what cost. There were also articles about meditation and practicing yoga. Those are also great things, but not always practical for me with a house of three little boys and a dog that likes to come over and lay under me if I attempt to do downward facing dog (true stories).
It got me thinking more about the simplicity of being positive and that it doesn’t have to be as difficult as I once thought it was. Here are five practical ways that have helped me to stay positive.
1. Prayer:
I try to be very respectful of everyone’s views and beliefs, but for me, my relationship with Jesus comes first. We’ve probably all heard to some degree that prayer is a powerful thing, which it is. When you truly surrender and put it to practice amazing things begin to happen. We’ve gone through a lot with baby C so far and some days all I can turn to is sending a text to friends letting them know I need prayer, and remembering His promises to us. We have this verse framed above baby C’s crib, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. And my tried and true reminder, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.” Matthew 6: 34
2. Letting Go Of Negative Relationships:
What I’ve come to learn is there are people placed in your life during certain periods for different experiences and can all teach us something. The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve come to value relationships even more. Are you surrounding yourself with people that believe in you or lift you up? Are their people that are constantly gossiping and bringing others down? It’s hard to stay positive around those type of environments. I’m not saying you have to completely cut people off (that’s totally up to you), but when you surround yourself with others that speak life into you, support you, and are there for you when you need them, it makes a huge difference.
3. Positive Affirmations:
At first I wasn’t so sold on this one. It seemed silly to me to say things like, I am loved, I am a good person, etc. Welll, when the boys had to switch to a new school and I found them feeling unsure about themselves I decided to try it with them. And you know what? It’s helped a ton. Every morning on our way to school we say things together like, I am brave. I am strong. I am a good listener. I am a good friend. I am a helper. I am loved, and I am loved by Jesus. I even forgot one morning and when I picked them up, they reminded me. All I heard was, mommy! We didn’t say our prayers. I was unsure at first what they were getting at, but when they explained to me what they meant, I realized what they were referencing. I actually thought it was adorable that they call these their prayers. I asked them if they were still brave? Were they still strong that day, and a good helper? They said, yes. I explained to them that even if we forget to say them for a day they are still inside of us and we can always act on them.
4. Be Fully Present:
I think this is one that a lot of us can relate with. It’s not like I’m reinventing the wheel here, we’ve all heard it, take social media breaks, put your phone down, get out and enjoy nature, etc. The reason I’m bringing this one up is because I’ve talked with a lot of other bloggers/influencers who have let it negatively affect their life or their mental health. Sometimes I forget that things can be easier said than done for some people. It’s not to say you aren’t strong, or that you have mental health issues. We are all programmed differently and certain things can have an impact on others differently. I am speaking from a mother and a spouses perspective. A and little nugget were trying to get my attention one day and I was so wrapped up in someone’s caption that I must have said yes to them but didn’t actually hear the questions. Next thing I know they got a stool and were standing up on my counter trying to reach a glass bowl down for a science project they wanted to do. I jumped and said, what are you guys doing?! They said, mommy, you told us we could, we just asked you. Yeahhhh, I sure felt like an ant at that point and wanted to crawl under a rock. I apologized for not being a good listener and told them I didn’t want that to happen again. I think we need to be realistic because our phones are very much a part of all of us, but if you can limit the interaction on there for both your kids and your spouse, I’m pretty sure things will be more positive.
5. Cultivate a Positive Environment:
Many of you know that we recently moved and have had a lot going on over here. For the most part the major renovations are almost done and it’s more about getting things organized and furnishing certain areas. I noticed that the boys were acting out and constantly at each other. They couldn’t keep themselves occupied without Eric or I around, the dog was getting into the kids toys and chewing them up, it seemed like a lot of chaos all at once. Instead of trying to build Rome in a day, we started focusing on the important areas. We got their playroom set and created a space of familiarity for them. We challenge them to clean up after themselves and to keep things tidy so they feel happy when they walk in the room the next time.
Do you consider yourself a positive person? What are some of the things you practice to keep a positive attitude?
