Life is a series of ups and downs. There will always be those moments when you will feel like you're on top of the world and those moments when you feel like you're on rock bottom.
Let us, however, try our best to not stay down. In short, let's try to keep the down moments as short as possible. The way to do this is to apply the power of positivity. The extreme power of positivity can do so much more than you know. It can transform you, the people around you, your surroundings, and even your future.
Taking from my own experiences, how do I apply the power of positivity in my life?
1. Smile
There is so much power in smiling. It releases stress, makes you look younger and happier, among other benefits. The most beautiful accessory you can wear is a smile. It does not cost much but its impact is profound. Have you ever felt down, see someone’s smile and instantly felt lifted up? As much as I can, I keep smiling because I believe that someone might need the extra boost.
2. Laugh
More than smiling, there is laughter. When I may feel stress, worry or even in the midst of crying because of sadness or loneliness, I laugh at myself so I can release the negativity. How to do this? For example, I cried my heart out, look in the mirror and see my red nose and puffy eyes, I laugh at myself and think what good it did; I just made myself look uglier. Hahaha! Sounds crazy but it works! Although crying helped, I don’t want to keep on crying longer than 5 minutes at a time.
Laughter is the best medicine too. When I feel sick, I try to watch comedy and laugh my heart out. It makes me feel so much better.
Be careful, however, that laughter does not mean to laugh at somebody else’s expense or to laugh in mockery. A hearty belly laugh from extreme joy is what we should aim to do.
3. Sing and dance like no one’s watching
I try my best to never get angry or sad or any negative emotion. When I am at the verge of negativity, I sing. If you are shy, you can sing in your head at first. I like singing upbeat and happy songs. For example, my best pick me up songs are Shirley Temple’s songs “Be Optimistic” and “You Gotta S-M-I-L-E to be H-A-double P-Y,” The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things” or Annie’s “Tomorrow.” Obviously for me, children’s songs are easy to sing and can brighten any bad day.
If you can add dance to your song, that’s much better. Instead of breaking down from negativity, I try to break down and bust a move. You can even use your imagination, think that you are in a musical and imagine every person you meet is singing or dancing. It takes a lot of imagination but it is so much fun.
4. Think like a kid
Adult life can take a toll on everyone. If we can go back to thinking how kids think and feel, our life can be much simpler. There is always that kid in us that feels happy by eating a bar of chocolate or an ice cream cone. As I have said, I sing children’s songs and even watch animated cartoons to reminisce the fun childhood memories. I also like playing with children, my nieces and nephews for example, to get the positive vibes from them.
Use your imagination. There is so much fun we can do with it. When I feel like my life is getting full of drama, I actually imagine I have an audience who wants comedy and I give them comedy. Speaking of that kid in us, I actually imagine that there is a kid in me who cries when I cry and feels hurt when I am negative. I try to appease that kid by staying happy and laughing my heart out.
5. Be grateful
I belong to a spiritual organization and our most important virtue is gratitude. We were taught that anything but gratitude is negative. But what about love and all those other virtues, you ask? Love without gratitude is not so good and all the others that do not come from a feeling of gratitude do entail some negativity.
Appreciate everything, even those things that don’t seem to go well. Usually, these are given to test you and to make you stronger. Think of all the things you can be grateful for. For example, the fact that you are breathing, alive and well, is something to be grateful for. When I feel down, I look up and see the beautiful sky and I feel grateful for that. You can make a daily journal of gratitude or just say thank you for every opportunity that arises.
I am contented and give value to the things I have. I also find joy in the simplest things. These are the things I am grateful for each and every day. When you feel like you have nothing to be grateful for, know that there is this kid in Syria/Ethiopia or that person with disability who would trade his life with yours. There is always something to be grateful for.
6. Be optimistic
Always look forward to a bright future. I always think that life will surprise me any moment with something good that is about to happen. I feel excited with each new day thinking that this day is going to be the best day of my life. If at the end of the day, it feels like it wasn’t the best, tomorrow is another beautiful day to look forward to.
7. Always choose positivity
There are people who feel that their life is a mess or things always don’t go well. To be honest, it is no one else’s fault but one’s self. In every moment, there is a choice whether to go positive or negative, including the way we think. The faster we can get to choosing positive, the better our life can be. If you let the situations surrounding you control the way you feel, you will feel trapped in an endless loop of negative emotions and situations. We cannot control what happens around us or how others think, feel or do but we can control our attitude and perceptions toward them or towards anything for that matter. I imagine there is a switch in me where I can light up and always take the positive choice. This is the power of positivity and it is so easy to flip the switch with practice.
These are just some ways I apply the power of positivity in my life and I hope you can apply them in yours as well. If you forget, just remember there is an endless supply of positivity and things to be grateful for. Always choose to be happy no matter what.
