Have you ever been positively positive?  I’ve found that having a positive mindset is crucial if I want to be happy and at peace. I realize I’m stating the obvious but perhaps we could all use a little reminder of how important it is to be positive.

4 Steps to Having a Positive Mindset

It’s really easy to let the trials or disappointments that come our way get us down and cause us to start looking at things negatively. The trouble is, that kind of thinking gets in the way of you and I being all that God wants us to be. It’s extremely hard to be a light in a dark world when our thoughts and words are full of doom and gloom. If we are to be a reflection of Christ there is no room for negativity. I have to admit thinking negatively is something I have battled with from time to time.

Here are a few steps that I use to combat those type of thoughts:

To have a positive mindset you must look for the positive

I have found that if I look for something positive I’ll find it. On the flip side, if I look for the negative I’ll find it. We find what we want to find. No matter the situation or scenario each of us can control our viewpoint simply by what we are looking for. For example, if I am faced with a new circumstance at work my view (positive or negative) will dictate how I perceive that circumstance. So if I approach this new circumstance looking for something good, I’ll find something good in it and visa versa.

The same thing applies to how we view people, strangers or loved ones. It is extremely important to look for good stuff in people. Love is the biggest thing that helps here. When you love someone you are much more likely to look for and therefore find things that you like about them.

When God looks at us He does so in love and sees good things. He sees the best in us.

If we can view people as God views them we’ll find characteristics and attributes they possess that are appealing.

Can you imagine how cool it would be if we were truly happy to see everyone that comes our way.

The Lord doesn’t look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 18:7b NIV

To have a positive mindset you must be thankful

Thankful people are happy people. One of the ways I like to combat negative thoughts is to start thanking God for all the good things He has done for me. I will literally go through a checklist of sorts in my head and thank Him. I usually start with Jesus and what He did for me on the cross.

From there I start thanking God for the awesome people He has put in my life. The list always starts with my wife and our beautiful boys and then goes to the wonderful families that God placed Madaline and myself in. Next, I usually thank Him for all the ways He has provided for us.

 It doesn’t take long when I’m being thankful to push out those negative thoughts and start focusing on the good things in my life.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”  Hebrew 12:28-29.(NIV)

To Have a positive Mindset you have to remember it could be worse

There are times when we have to start with baby steps. If you are having trouble changing your outlook by finding enough things to be thankful for, you might have to approach it from the “it could be worse” angle. It is pretty easy for those with a negative mindset to imagine how worse things could be. These are the times when we turn up our thankfulness up a notch and also pray for those who are struggling in ways that we have not had to face.

But if you think about it, the absolute worse thing that could happen for Christians is really not as bad as you might think.

The worse case scenario II can come up with is death! As a Jesus follower death is followed by heaven. So if that’s the worse case scenario, it’s all good.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21.

to have a positive mindset you must change the way you think

If you’re always looking at things negatively you’ve got to change the way you’re thinking.

In John 10:10,  Jesus said “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”.

An abundant life is a life that is full of joy, peace and positiveness. As Christians we should bring hope wherever we go. It’s hard to do that if we are being negative. So smile. God loves you. Things are looking up. He has a plan for you and it’s gonna be awesome.

I’m positive.

David