Is Negativity Holding You Back?

Negativity always finds a way to creep up on us from time to time. It's when negativity builds up too much or shows up too often that creates an obstacle. A negative attitude can hold you back from truly living your life. However, you don't need to feel stuck because you can bring positive thoughts back into your life!

How Negativity Can Hold You Back

Negativity can hold you back in a number of ways. Have you heard the saying: "If you think you can't, you're right"? It's true! Negative thoughts like this really do sabotage your efforts. The good news is that you can gain control over how you think. When you're expressing complaints and negativity all the time, it not only affects you, but it also affects the people around you.

Negativity, itself, can be the reason why you create roadblocks that don't really exist. So it's time to choose the positive (and, yes, it is a choice!).

Manifesting A Positive Attitude

When you adopt a positive attitude, you open yourself up to the wonderful world of possibilities. Believe it or not, positive thinking is very powerful. It's the driving force that steers your life into the direction of your dreams. Remember, your thoughts affect how you feel (emotions), and how you feel affects what you do. So if you can change your thoughts, you can change your outcome.

How To Develop A Positive Attitude

1. Visualize. When the negative thoughts come crawling into your mind, transform them with positive images. Visualize something that you find pleasing, peaceful, or exciting. Remember what your ultimate goals are and imagine what it feels like to achieve them. Feel that sense of accomplishment. Let yourself experience the emotions you associate with living the life of your dreams.

2. Write it down. Keeping a journal has many positive effects. It helps you vent your frustrations, organize your life, and reflect on your innermost thoughts and feelings. However, instead of focusing on the negative, use your journal to chronicle the things that have gone well in your life lately. Write about the things that you are grateful for. Gratitude is a very powerful emotion that helps you stay in a positive mind-set. We all have something to be grateful for.

3. Relax. Negative feelings are bound to arise when you're in a stressful state. It's important to take time out of each day for yourself. This means that you need to adopt a relaxation method that works for you. Perhaps you can take a bath, go for a walk, attend a yoga class, or meditate.

4. Live for the moment. Live your life for the moment and let go of everything else going on in your life. Negative feelings can easily overwhelm you if you're consumed by past failures or the fear of the future. When you concentrate on the present, your life becomes more peaceful and positive.

In the end, go easy on yourself. You don't need to be your own worst critic. Remember, believing in yourself is a choice.