Anchoring Your Positive Points

Be your best self by anchoring your positive points

By: Sharonda Thomas

When was the last time you actually felt good about who you are and where your life is headed? How much time do you spend just focusing on yourself and what makes you feel good?

If just reading the last paragraph makes you feel selfish (and not in a good way) or you are drawing a blank, you might want to read on and discover a quick and easy way to integrate this into your daily grind. 

Anchoring your positive points is a way to give yourself consistent positive self-support (the good kind of selfishness) and ensure your pitcher is full before you rush off to pour everyone a glass of assistance. You probably have more positive points than you realize bubbling just beneath the surface of your consciousness, eager to be realized. You can start right now by giving yourself credit for taking the time to read this article today. 

Basking in your best

Studies have proven that even subtle tweaks to our focus and stories can shift our attitude, improve our self-confidence, and redirect our futures. We can guide our focus to our positive points by changing how we think and talk about ourselves, and who we become. When we find the positive contained within our past and present, we design our lives from an uplifting perspective, and we can build upon a stable, robust foundation. 

The Mayo Clinic lists multiple health benefits to positive thinking, including increased life span, lower rates of depression, distress, and pain, reduced risks of death from certain conditions, as well as less self-criticism and more self-acceptance, which helps you give yourself positive self-support and bask in your best!

The Mayo Clinic Staff States: 

"Positive thinking doesn't mean that you ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information or expectations due to preconceived ideas of what may happen.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking."

Focusing more powerfully on the positive

Maybe you've tried positive thinking or gratitude journals in the past, only to have them fall by the wayside or yield minimal to no results. You don't have to change your thinking overnight. Gradual changes made over time consistently can yield far better results. Because of the many changes women can face in midlife, keeping up with regular practice in addition to the fluctuations in mood, energy levels, and responsibilities can be difficult.  

It may seem more stressful to add another thing to the list of things to do during these challenging self-concept-affecting phases. However, taking the time to become more optimistic about the things that are important to you, especially yourself, can reduce stress, improve your self-concept and increase your coping skills.

 

"You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. 

Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute, life changes or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Think of a positive thought to manage your stress instead of a negative one.

Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you're thankful for in your life." says the Mayo Clinic Staff

Positive self-reflection and space

Give yourself positive points for the times you've practiced positive thinking in the past or for now if you're willing to give it a go for the first time. Incorporate finding more of your positive points into your life by choosing to give yourself 30 mins a day or a week if you feel really strapped for time. If you have plenty of time and enjoy the activity you may want to delegate more. 

• Spend 15 minutes beginning and 15 mins ending each day or week focused on your positive points. What did you do well today? What made you feel especially good about yourself? How can you be more optimistic tomorrow? 

• Note in a journal how it makes you feel to think about yourself in favorable terms, regardless of what else may be going on in your life. This can also be a resource to return to when you need a positive boost.

• Use a guided meditation to help you flow into a more receptive and positive mindset before spending time noting the positive points in your journal. 

Psychology research states it takes 21 days to change or create a new habit and 90 days to make it a part of your lifestyle. After 90 days identifying your positive points will be as much of a part of your life as brushing your teeth. 

You can document as many points that occur during your day as you choose; there is no right or wrong way to journal. Studies have shown right before bed, or even the following morning, as a part of a daily routine will yield the best results.

If you'd like to sample a course specifically designed for this purpose the Clarifying Magnetizing Your Positive Points method includes a short meditation and journal for this very purpose and can help you get started on your journey of greater positive self-discovery.