I wish things were as easy as they sound. However, we all know it takes work to think positively. I know it’s sad that we tend to verge on the side of negative, but in the secular world things can be unfair, unjust, mean, cruel, unreasonable, and so on. We are taught to guard our hearts, but unfortunately we tend to that by not getting our hopes up or by thinking negatively.
The key to getting past negativity is to stop depending on your own feelings. Yes, we are allowed to feel scared, anxious, nervous; however, we can’t let those feelings overcome our thoughts and come out of our mouths. We can’t run around telling everyone how scared we are of failing, how nervous we are about something, or how we think we might not achieve what we want in life. The buck stops here, with you! Stop thinking and speaking negatively and start preparing for your best by speaking positively.
I know a lot of you are probably thinking that you’re a little too reasonable and live in “reality” to be positive all the time. That there will be bad times. That not everything can be “good.” But here’s the thing: you can make anything positive if you think about it differently. Say you lost your job. Yes, that would be a very trying situation to deal with, not knowing when you’ll get a new job; it would probably be damaging to your self-esteem as well.
However, you can find solace in the fact that God doesn’t bring us to anything we can’t overcome, and that everything happens for a (divine) reason. Furthermore, just think: this could be your chance to try something you’ve always wanted to do! Or it could be leading you to a better opportunity (because you were too afraid to quit)! There are positives in every situation. God remains constant, but he has the ability to change anything: circumstances, situations, even people.
“I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” – Rabindranath Tagore
I know that death is something we all don’t see as a situation that can be good. When we lose someone we love, we wonder “why?” We grieve. We get mad, then upset. We wonder how we’ll ever get through it. But I assure you, you will get through it. And the positive is that you are going to be a better, stronger and more faithful servant to God after have gone through something like that. God obviously thinks you’re strong enough to pull through — and not just pull through, but to pass with flying colors — during a truly difficult time. He also wants to teach you something. If anything he wants you to learn how fulfilling faith can be, because it’s during difficult times that we tend to become deeply rooted to our faith.
The thing is, these situations can cause times where we want to talk and say things that aren’t postive, that aren’t going to help us progress. I encourage you to refrain from speaking any negative thoughts you might have about yourself or a situation and choose to see the best in yourself. Yes, it’s easy to rely on your own understanding, on your own thoughts and emotions. Release yourself from these things and start seeing yourself how God sees you.
Trust the LORD with all your heart, and
do not rely on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
You are his child after all. Just like any parent would be offended and upset when their child is ridiculed or talked badly of, God doesn’t like it when you criticize his very own creation.
I think negativity sometimes stems from the fact that we’re afraid of failure. We don’t want to be too excited about something in the event that we don’t get the job, win the game; we don’t want to end up being heartbroken when things we want don’t become ours. But God wants you to believe in yourself. He wants you to know you can accomplish your dreams; He believes in you! You have to believe in yourself too. And you have to make a conscious effort to avoid all doubt.
This doesn’t just mean thinking positively and talking positively about yourself. It also means having faith that God has a divine plan for you.
Think about it: how can we progress when we’re holding ourselves back with negativity? Nobody ever trusted a boss that said, “I cannot lead this company.” People in leadership roles have the mentality that they can and will successfully lead others; they have probably expressed this verbally as well. They have strong self confidence and are self-aware. Even if everyone else thought they could run the company, and they did not personally think so, there is a small chance of that person actually excelling.
Lastly, I want to say that we need to feel this way about ourselves our entire life. Not just when we’re young. No matter our age, we have a purpose, even if we feel we’ve reached all of our goals. Not just when we get a great job, when we feel we look good; not when other people tell us we’re doing well, we’re wonderful, we’re beautiful (or handsome). No, we are meant to feel this way all of the time because God is behind us. If you don’t feel this way personally and depend on others to lift you up, what are you going to do when they’re not around?
You have a purpose. Just remember that.
“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” – Oscar Wilde
Kirbie Johnson 