How to Cultivate Positive Thoughts in Everyday​ Life

Everyday life can be so hectic at times that a person can forget the significance that positive thoughts can have on their well being.

Often times, happiness and success may seem like two of the most elusive things to most people. Most people keep working towards a sort of life they want for themselves and their families, but they soon find out that they need something apart from sheer perseverance and hard work to achieve their goals.

Fortunately, that one thing is simple enough to cultivate, provided that you are committed enough. It’s called positive thinking. This is the practice of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones until your mind gets used to seeing the positive side of things in every situation.

It sounds fairly simple I know, but it can be quite difficult for most people at first. However, mastering this particular habit can open up new possibilities for just about anyone, both literally and figuratively. Not only do positive thoughts allow you to feel happier and more content (as opposed to waiting until you’ve achieved a certain objective), it also allows you to benefit from the Law of Attraction.

Many people believe the law of attraction operates on the principle that once you have your mind set on something, such as a deeply-rooted desire or goal, then the universe or God will somehow conspire along with you to make sure that you get it. However, that isn’t quite the way it actually works.

Thinking positively and holding onto positive thoughts will attract circumstances and opportunities towards you but unless you take action, those opportunities will just become missed opportunities. You need to take action! You need to work towards your goal or desire!

Thinking positively isn’t some kind of magical recipe or spell that just makes your desires manifest before your eyes. What it does do, is it brings people and opportunities into your life that can help you achieve your desire. It is up to you then to take those opportunities and follow through with them.

Cultivating Positive Thoughts

If you are willing to put forth effort and take action, then you can start by introducing the following habits into your daily routine:

1:  Practice positive affirmations, preferably in front of a mirror. Upon waking, look into a mirror and repeat statements that affirm your worth as a person. Positive thoughts like “I am worthy of love and respect,” and “I deserve to be content and happy” are all good statements to begin with. Enunciate each word clearly as you look at your reflection in the mirror internalizing the meaning of each statement. Repeat each statement 40 times.

You can say “I deserve to be rich” or “I love and approve of myself” or whatever it is you want to change. It may feel a little awkward at first but if you do this, every day for at least 40 days, your mind will become more convinced of such thoughts and you will begin to look at opportunities a whole lot differently.

These statements or affirmations work best when repeated 40 times for at least 40 days.

In almost all religious and ancient texts the number 40 was associated with great change and was a powerful number.

You have probably heard or read somewhere that repeating or doing something for 30 days is the time required for making a permanent change. This is the common belief today and that is wrong. It is 40.

2:  Challenge yourself by doing something a little bit different every day! The main reason why most people are afraid to try new things is because they fear failing or being bad at it. Increase your confidence by going out and actually doing something you’ve never done before. You might feel a bit scared initially, but once you’ve gotten past it and realized that it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought, you will feel a whole lot braver and more confident.

A few examples of new and challenging tasks include trying out a new recipe for dinner, chatting up a stranger on the bus or train on the way home, or even calling up that one person you’ve always meant to reconnect with.

Start doing things differently.

3:  Choose your words carefully! The Power of positive thoughts is rooted firmly in equally positive words, so think of those that make you feel strong, happy, and content. You may also choose to use such words in describing yourself as well as others, or in narrating how your day went.

For instance, when asked to describe yourself, steer clear of negative adjectives like “ordinary” or “average”. Instead, zero in on the traits that you like about yourself. Are you sincere? Sympathetic? Devoted? Determined? Once you’ve selected your best traits, use powerful words to describe them. The difference you will feel afterwards is quite significant.

4:  Don’t dwell on mistakes, be they big or small! Everyone is bound to mess up every now and then. Whether you forgot to leave the chicken out to defrost this afternoon or you completely blew getting into the college of your choice many years ago, learn to let go and to move on.

Instead, acknowledge the mistake and take some noteworthy learnings from it, but leave it in the past where it belongs. Beating yourself up over it won’t change a thing. Let it go and move on with your life.

5:  Look for and see the opportunities in every problem! There’s a saying that problems are actually opportunities dressed up in work clothes. All you need to do is refocus your perspective, and it becomes easier for positive thoughts to pour out of you.

For example, losing your job is undoubtedly a loss and may seem like a stressful time in your life, but it also opens up the opportunity to start that business you’ve always dreamed about or to head back to school to study a course that you’ve always been interested in. On a smaller scale, being stuck in traffic might be inconvenient, but it also affords you a bit of time to decompress.

All these things may seem as stressful occurrences, but when you hold on to a positive mindset that dwells on positive thoughts, these things aren’t at all that stressful.

It’s important, of course, to acknowledge grief, frustration, disappointment, and loss, but so is seeing a new way forward.

6:  Keep a gratitude journal! Write down at least seven things that you are grateful for each day.

These seven things can be as seemingly common as waking up to a new day, having breath in your lungs, food on the table, having a roof over your head, and being able to walk to landing your dream job. These grateful, positive thoughts are sure to uplift your spirits on rough days and make you feel even more blessed on extraordinary ones.

7:  Visualize! Rather than focusing on what others have that you don’t, think about the kind of person you want to be and the sort of life you want to have. Imagine the sort of job or business that you want and see it take shape and flourish in your mind’s eye. Picture what kind of house you wish to live in, and the people living in it with you.

These visualization exercises will help direct your thoughts and efforts in a more positive and productive direction.

8:  Improve your posture! Your thoughts often influence the way you sit, stand, smile, and talk. Slouching or keeping your head down does not communicate confidence or purpose. Hold your head up higher and align your spine when you sit or stand. You will instantly feel a lot more alert and confident.

9:  Avoid negative company! Positive thoughts as well as negative ones can be rather contagious. Limit your contact with people who seem to do nothing except point out the bad things about people, places, and things. Seek out those who would open your eyes to possibilities and who would inspire you to see beyond a person’s outer appearance.

Better yet, look for a mentor whose life and mindset you happen to admire. If you spend enough time in his or her company, his or her positive thoughts and attitudes are bound to rub off on you. Avoid negative people like the plague because they are just as dangerous.

Positive thoughts are like medicine. They will help calm and relax your mind. It is in this calmness that the mind is at peace and that miraculous opportunities present themselves. Keep your mind in this state as much as possible and watch as your life begins to change.