Contributed by Katherine Egan, Executive Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Fordham IT
Shifting to a Positive Mindset
Did you know you have around 70,000 thoughts per day? Research also shows that for the average person, 80 percent of daily thoughts are negative, and 95 percent of them are repetitive. I’m not going to do the math here, but you can see that we have a LOT of negativity flowing through our minds on a daily basis.
The good news? You don’t have to continue down this path of negativity. You can choose to cultivate a positive mindset. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
Letting Go
Negative Internal Chatter: Criticizing yourself day after day takes a toll. When you catch yourself in negative self-talk, say “cancel cancel cancel,” immediately followed by a positive comment. This will condition you over time to speak more positively and shift your internal language patterns.
Limiting Beliefs: Replace existing, possibly old, beliefs that don’t serve you anymore and rework them into goals that give you positive support. For example, if you continually say “I can’t do this,” reframe it to “I can learn anything I put my mind to.” When you continue to reframe limiting beliefs, you eventually shift away from self-sabotaging behavior.
Comparing Yourself To Others: It’s easy to want what others have, but comparing yourself to others is like discarding everything that’s good and right in your life. Instead of comparing yourself to someone else and feeling you’re lacking something, use that as a benchmark and strive for it.
Resisting Change: Do you want different results? Then do something different. Make one small change and live with that for a week or two. Then make another small change. Over time, these incremental changes will lead to new healthier habits.
The Need to Always be Right: Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?
Making Space
Gratitude: Even when you think you don’t have everything you want, focus on what you do have. Keep a gratitude journal and each day write down five things for which you are grateful.
Walking with Energy and Purpose: Make a conscious effort to strut! Even when you’re feeling down and discouraged, stand tall and smile! Posture affects your mood; make it work in your favor.
Surrounding Yourself with Like-Minded, Uplifting People: People who are vibrating on the same positive frequency will keep you grounded, inspired, and connected to your greater life’s purpose. They will help you believe in yourself, too.
Reflection: Take time to reflect, meditate, or simply release all thoughts and emotions. Create stillness in a quiet space and get back to a neutral state of mind and body.
Doing Good for Someone Else: Focus your energy on lifting up someone else and notice how your spirits elevate as well.
Choosing Happiness
Continual negative internal chatter can create a domino effect of destructive energy, which has a tremendous effect on how you live your life and how others perceive you. Imagine if 80 percent of your daily thoughts were positive! Positive thoughts boost your mood and spirit. And they tend to generate even more positivity and happiness. Choose happiness.
