Excerpts from my recent speech at Toastmaster's about being Positive.
I know am starting with a cliche but let me how many of you see the glass as half full and how many of you think that its half empty?
I have always belonged to the second the group. The ones who see glass half empty. I have been a follower of Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer who believed in nihilism and pessimism.
My philosophy has always been to expect the worst. That ways if worst come up I would not be sad for it expected it. If not, I would be cool. But still, I am not happy. It does not work that way. In my efforts to safeguard myself from sorrow I have lost all happiness.
Therefore I come back to my topic, which is about being positive and taking control of your life. And how do we do that? Let’s see:
1. Stop negative influences:
One thing that I have realized is that:
----We get and attract what we think most about -----
That is, if I think that word is unfair. I will always get to see an unfair world. Unfairness would attract me for that’s what I subconsciously want to see and believe.
If I think about getting a promotion all the time, I am more like to get it. If I worry about not getting a promotion, I am more like not to get it.
Therefore we should weed out the negative thoughts and influences and cultivate positivity. It would work wonders. Just like you replace your daily dose of black tea with green tea, replace you negative thoughts with positive ones.
2. Smile:
Chinese saying: A shopkeeper who does not smile should close down his shop.
Smile, like happiness is contagious. When you smile you share positively. If you get a smile in return, you know you have done something good.
I know there are times when we feel low and do not feel like smiling and talking. But they say Even a forced smile can lift one's mood.
Think smiling as a reward, not a risk. The only thing we risk when smiling is giving ourselves a little more happiness.
3. Recharge your batteries:
What do you think is the basic ingredient of staying happy and positive? Thinking on higher plane? Finding a purpose in life?
I am afraid its not so. I am a mother and I have seen a behavior pattern in kids. When my kids are well fed, well slept they are happy but they get cranky when they are hungry or sleepy. Strangely enough, it’s the same with us. We may not want to accept it but we overstretch ourselves in a bid to overachieve.
To stay happy and positive, you should have enough rest and should have timely meals. If you skip meals and don’t rest, your body would give you a tough time and you would feel depressed.
So take time out to recharge your batteries, eat well, sleep well and take breaks. Go on a vacation and recharge your batteries.
4. Surround yourself with friends:
There’s a saying: Living with the people you like is sheer joy and living with people you don’t like is a punishment.
So let’s choose joy over punishment.
5. Meditate:
When I say meditate, I donot necessarily mean yoga.
I mean that you should take time out for yourself, find a place quite place and think about nothing. Give rest to your hyperactive brain. Just count your breaths or start counting the stars at night and do nothing, think nothing for 5 to 10 minutes. And see what it does to you.
6. Get Motivated and Inspired.
Staying positive is a choice. Choose to be positive rather than negative. Choose optimism over pessimism. But at times going can be tough, how do you then maintain positivity?
You need motivation to get going. Listen to motivational talks. Keep positive notes in your wallet. Meet people and get inspired.
7. Love yourself
You can only understand others if you understand yourself. You can only love others if you love yourself. Appreciate yourself. Be comfortable with yourself. Do not try to be someone you are not. For that involves lot of effort and unhappiness.
I know am starting with a cliche but let me how many of you see the glass as half full and how many of you think that its half empty?
I have always belonged to the second the group. The ones who see glass half empty. I have been a follower of Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer who believed in nihilism and pessimism.
My philosophy has always been to expect the worst. That ways if worst come up I would not be sad for it expected it. If not, I would be cool. But still, I am not happy. It does not work that way. In my efforts to safeguard myself from sorrow I have lost all happiness.
Therefore I come back to my topic, which is about being positive and taking control of your life. And how do we do that? Let’s see:
1. Stop negative influences:
One thing that I have realized is that:
----We get and attract what we think most about -----
That is, if I think that word is unfair. I will always get to see an unfair world. Unfairness would attract me for that’s what I subconsciously want to see and believe.
If I think about getting a promotion all the time, I am more like to get it. If I worry about not getting a promotion, I am more like not to get it.
Therefore we should weed out the negative thoughts and influences and cultivate positivity. It would work wonders. Just like you replace your daily dose of black tea with green tea, replace you negative thoughts with positive ones.
2. Smile:
Chinese saying: A shopkeeper who does not smile should close down his shop.
Smile, like happiness is contagious. When you smile you share positively. If you get a smile in return, you know you have done something good.
I know there are times when we feel low and do not feel like smiling and talking. But they say Even a forced smile can lift one's mood.
Think smiling as a reward, not a risk. The only thing we risk when smiling is giving ourselves a little more happiness.
3. Recharge your batteries:
What do you think is the basic ingredient of staying happy and positive? Thinking on higher plane? Finding a purpose in life?
I am afraid its not so. I am a mother and I have seen a behavior pattern in kids. When my kids are well fed, well slept they are happy but they get cranky when they are hungry or sleepy. Strangely enough, it’s the same with us. We may not want to accept it but we overstretch ourselves in a bid to overachieve.
To stay happy and positive, you should have enough rest and should have timely meals. If you skip meals and don’t rest, your body would give you a tough time and you would feel depressed.
So take time out to recharge your batteries, eat well, sleep well and take breaks. Go on a vacation and recharge your batteries.
4. Surround yourself with friends:
There’s a saying: Living with the people you like is sheer joy and living with people you don’t like is a punishment.
So let’s choose joy over punishment.
5. Meditate:
When I say meditate, I donot necessarily mean yoga.
I mean that you should take time out for yourself, find a place quite place and think about nothing. Give rest to your hyperactive brain. Just count your breaths or start counting the stars at night and do nothing, think nothing for 5 to 10 minutes. And see what it does to you.
6. Get Motivated and Inspired.
Staying positive is a choice. Choose to be positive rather than negative. Choose optimism over pessimism. But at times going can be tough, how do you then maintain positivity?
You need motivation to get going. Listen to motivational talks. Keep positive notes in your wallet. Meet people and get inspired.
7. Love yourself
You can only understand others if you understand yourself. You can only love others if you love yourself. Appreciate yourself. Be comfortable with yourself. Do not try to be someone you are not. For that involves lot of effort and unhappiness.
x
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