By: D. A. Slinkard
I believe the hardest thing for most people to do is to have a positive mindset. I believe the easiest thing for most people to have is a negative mindset. It is so much easier to think negatively than it is to think positively, and this is why so many people are living a life less than their heart’s desire. The question becomes – how does a person obtain this positive mindset? Is it easy? How much work is it going to require? These are all questions that many people have tried to answer, but many have failed in their pursuit of finding the positive mindset.
I have people ask me how I can be as positive as what I am, and it all comes down to the approach I take on a daily basis. We need to understand that no matter what you or I are going through, there is someone out there who would give anything to switch their problems for ours. I believe life is 10 percent of what happens to us, and 90 percent of how we respond to those circumstances. We need to face the reality that every person on the planet is going to have something bad happen to them – but just because something bad happens, it does not signify the end of the world.
As Annie sang, “The sun will come out tomorrow – you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there will be sun.” Sometimes we need to take a moment, take a deep breath, and realize that our circumstances could be so much worse than they are. Our problem is our mindset of thinking negatively does not allow us to focus on the positive attributes in our life; society teaches us that we need to focus on what we do not have. However, if you take the time and show some appreciation for what you do have, and limit your focus on what you do not have, you will notice a shift in your attitude.
Part of our societal problem when it comes to changing who we are is that we are too impatient when the changes do not occur as fast as we would like them to. We need to realize that change is going to take time and changing to a more positive mindset is going to require changing part of our daily habits and routines. Our habits and routines do not change overnight but are going to require a day-to-day approach. This approach needs to become who we are as individuals and when we are able to change who we are, this is when we can move further into the positive mindset.
I like to focus on things that bring me happiness especially when my flesh is wanting to be negative. I have found when I focus on those things which bring me joy – whether it be my wife, my girls, my Bible, thinking about Jesus Christ who paid my sin debt – when I start thinking on these things, my mindset begins to shift from the negative and move toward the positive. Now, you need to think about the things in your life that bring you joy and write down this list. The next time you notice your mood begins to swing to the negative side, stop what you are doing and begin contemplating on this list you have written down.
We are in control of our actions, we are in control of our thoughts, and we are in control of what we say. We cannot control what others do, but we can control what and how we respond to others. This further reiterates the point of life being 10 percent of what happens versus 90 percent of how we respond to what happens. We are already past the halfway point in January, and the question is — Will 2024 be different for you than what 2023 was or will this year be just another repeat of what last year was for you?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, but now is the time to make the changes that will impact our lives and this year the most. What would our
society be like if we all had more positive expectations from ourselves and others? We need to be the change we want to see in the world. Our society is impacted by our mindset, and this shows me the importance of being positive in a negative world.
By: D. A. Slinkard
D.A. Slinkard would love your feedback. You can contact him at da.slinkard@gmail.com
April 19, 2024
