The Power of Positive

By April Fischer

Every day we wake up we make the conscious choice to have either a good or a bad day. You may think that you have no say in how your day goes, but your mind and attitude holds more power than you think.

Think of it this way: if you wake up before a long day of work dreading it and feeling anxious about your tasks, that mindset will stick with you through everything you do. If you wake up viewing your work as a challenge that will be fun and exciting, your day is likely to take a different turn.

Even if we are not prepared for what lies ahead of us, anxiety and pessimism rarely, if ever, benefits us. At best, anxiety can prompt us to get tasks done. At worst, it will cause us to overlook the important things in life and not perform to our potential.

But when the world seems to be working against you, positivity is hard to find. Here are a few suggestions and tips that will help you through those tougher days:

• Make a “To Do” list and reward yourself when you have completed a task. When you have your tasks written down, you don’t have to stress over forgetting something. Each time you complete something big, reward yourself by taking a short break or having a sweet snack.

• Realize that you can only control so much. You have the power to work your hardest and do your best, but ultimately it isn’t your fault if something goes terribly wrong at the office or at home. As long as you know what your role is, you shouldn’t be worrying about anything else.

• Make the assumption that everyone you meet is good. If you go out into the day with the attitude that the people around you are there to help you, you will feel their positive energy in return. Remember that everyone wants to be liked.

• Dress for success. When you look your best, you feel your best. Strive to put your best foot forward each day.

• Accept that we all have bad days. Not every day will be perfect, no matter how positive you are. Life is full of unexpected events that will set us back or anger us. The important thing to remember is that you should do what you can, learn from the experience and then move on. Tomorrow is a new day and there is no sense in fretting over yesterday’s failures.

• Forgive yourself. Just as we all have bad days, we all make mistakes. Maybe you didn’t complete a task exactly the way your boss wanted. At the end of the day, all you can do is correct any mistakes and explain your perspective. Forgive yourself and learn that you don’t have to be perfect to be successful and happy.

• Constantly think about the good things. If the weather outside is sunny and beautiful, notice it. If you have fun plans with a friend over the weekend, use that as your motivation. There are positive things all around us and the more effort you put into seeing them, the easier it will become.

In the end, you make the choice to be positive. Life is a gift that many people can’t fully experience. From now on, make a conscious effort to not just exist, but to live positive.

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About the Author:
April Fischer is currently attending Arizona State University. She is majoring in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and hopes to do PR for athletes after she graduates. She is currently a communications & PR intern for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and is an active member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. April also has written for a local teen magazine, AZTeen, and has articles published in ASU’s student newspaper, The State Press.