Be Positively Positive
I very truly believe that the world always needs more positivity and you get what you put out into it.
That sounds pretty broad and heavy so let me break it down a bit.
The world does not lack positivity. The world does not lack good things. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be putting it out there.
Just because something good isn’t needed 100% that doesn’t mean it’s still not good and worthwhile.
I used to be a very negative person. I thought the world was doomed and so were we all so I didn’t care what I said or thought or felt. And why should I have? I didn’t see the need to be happy or positive or uplifting so I wasn’t.
Then I met my husband.
This guy is like a golden retriever in human form. Somehow always able to make you smile and only sees the good in people and can make the best out of any situation.
And I absolutely hated it.
For a while I really disliked him for it. I thought that because his world views and mine were opposite we could never get along. But positivity is stronger than negativity and eventually I began to see things the way he did.
Not every situation is going to be great. Not every person you meet is going to be great. Not every interaction or job is going to be great. But that doesn’t mean you should roll in the bad stuff and coat your life in it. Even if something feels terrible and like it can’t get any worse, there is always hope. Hope that it’ll get better, that you’ll eventually get out of the tunnel and that is something good to hold onto.
Now, does this mean I’m a perfect human being? Absolutely not! And this won’t make you perfect either. And it’s hard. It’s really hard.
But why not try?
For me it started with my job. Finding a way to look forward to going to work was always tough for me so I tried to start by focussing on things about my job I liked. I didn’t disregard things I didn’t like, I just placed more focus on the things I did.
For example, I was good friends with a coworker at the time. We worked together most days and she was fun to talk to and we got along well. So every time I had to go to work I thought about getting to chat with her. And soon I started working on changing the phrase “have to” to “get to”. Instead of saying “I have to go to work” I would instead say “I get to spend time with my friend.”
As I started doing this more I began to take note of other parts of my job I enjoyed.
Good customer interaction today
I got to assist with _____ today
Hey, salary increase!
And as these things began unfolding, I put them in my little “good things” bag to think about whenever I felt like I “had” to go to work. I would pull one, or two, or five of these items out and tell myself I “get” to do this today.
It worked.
I started to enjoy my job. Being a bank teller is not glamorous by any means but if you enjoy your work day it can begin to feel that way for you, and that’s the most important part.
I carried this with me to my other jobs and found it easier each time to find things about my jobs that I liked or enjoyed or started to look forward to.
I did cash counting at a few restaurants for a while. The job itself was monotonous, and I was often in a room alone for 5-6 hours a day. But I got free food and each of the restaurants I worked at was on the beach so I would take my breaks and go for a walk in the sand. It got me through the day and gave me something to look forward to when I forced myself to wake up at 5 in the morning to get to work on time.
But that job also led me to something with work I actually enjoyed. Sure being by the beach and eating free food is great, but when the job had me alone doing monotonous work every day I got tired of it and the bad began to outweigh the good. I was coping.
There’s a difference between being able to see the good parts of something and enjoy those and using those things as a cover for the bad parts.
Don’t fall into that trap.
Just work to make the most of any situation you’re in, ground yourself in hope of a brighter future if you must, and think about whatever you’re doing in terms of “I get to”.
I promise you’ll be happier and more fulfilled in life.
