How to Get Rid of Your Negative Mindset

In a world filled with evil and hate, it is not always easy to have a positive mindset. Every time we turn on the news, someone is killed, a car has crashed, or the leader of our country is bashing minority groups. We get on our phones, and more negative content is there. We log into Facebook and look at fight videos or reading your cousin's status about how they want to fight someone. If we feed ourselves negativity, then it will manifest in us. I also notice that negativity seems to be unconscious sometimes. We see, hear, think, and speak negatively, so that is what we turn into. But how can that be changed? Much internal work has to be done in order for this to change, but it is very possible. I have came up with 5 ways that help to eliminate a negative mindset while exerting positiveness and motivation.

1. Practice Self-Love

I always say that the two best gifts you can give yourself are forgiveness and self-love, but it is so true! Feeling good about yourself is a great feeling, and it can help to get rid of negative thoughts. When you start to love yourself wholesomely, you will find that you will think and speak more positively and it will become natural. One key way to do this is to talk to and about yourself in a positive way. For example, if you did not get the job you really wanted, you can say, "I may not have gotten that position, but I know there is something better out there for me. I will just keep trying," instead of insulting yourself. People with low self-esteem tend to have extremely negative mindsets because they do not love themselves. If you do not love yourself, you cannot love anyone else, and you cannot love your life. It just isn't possible. If you want to have a positive mindset and a better outlook on life, it has to start from the inside-out, trust me.

2. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

With the prevalence of social media platforms, it can be extremely easy to glorify other people's perceived lives and frown upon your own. The easiest ways to stop comparing yourself to others are to shorten your social media usage and count your own blessings. Don't feel inadequate because someone you know just got a new car or a promotion on their job, everyone works on their own clock.Your time is coming too! Instead of being upset over someone else's blessings, celebrate with them and count your own. Being truly happy for people and cheering them on is a wonderful feeling, so don't let a few insecurities create negative thoughts!

3. Do Things that Make YOU Proud of Yourself

We all know that feeling of accomplishment when we complete a task that we thought was impossible to finish, its awesome, right? So why not feel like that more often? To have a more positive mindset, it is imperative that we do things that are positive. For me personally, coming to college and getting good grades was my only expectation of myself, and I must humbly say, that I have exceeded those expectations. I have had several opportunities to travel domestically and internationally, I have published in research journals, I am actively involved on my college campus, and there is so much more! I never thought that I could do ANY of those things, but I did. Doing these amazing things not only helped me to get rid of a negative mindset, but it caused me to crave more. The more goals I accomplished, the bigger goals I had. Now I'm HUNGRY to go even higher. If you want a positive mindset, do things that are positive, and you will feel so much better. You do not have to go over the top either, it can as simple as volunteering at a homeless shelter. No matter how big or small your deed is, if it is positive, then you will reap from it!

4. Let GO of Negative Friendships and Relationships

You are who you hang around. If you have friends that do bad things such as gossip, partake in random hookups, and drugs, then its only a matter of time before YOU will start to do those things. Steve Harvey once said:

"If you hang around 7 broke people, you will become the 8th."

Watch your friends! Our circle is imperative to our life outcomes. If you associate with positive people, then you will become positive. If you associate with negative people, then you will become negative. Energies just naturally tend to feed off each other. If you want to have a positive mindset, then be around with people who are positive, at all means! If you have to cut off certain people to do this, then so be it. You should only want to be around people who are positive, happy, motivated, and who want to see you do better. Never settle for less.

5. Bring GOD into Your Life

Getting closer to God was one of the best decisions I've ever made! The presence of the Lord is so incredible and calming, and it will help you to become more positive. The more I began to pray, the more I started seeing changes in my life, thus manifesting a positive mindset. God will never leave or forsake you. If you live your life with Him in the center of it, you can't help but to have a positive mindset! Even when things get hard for me, I always talk to God and get something positive from it. Just because you may be going through rough times, does NOT mean you have to be negative. Learn to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The more positively you think about your struggles, the easier they are to overcome, and eventually they won't even feel like struggles! Actively bringing God into your life will change your negative, ingrained perspectives on life and you will start becoming more positive!

 With negativity being manifested in the world around us, it can seem like finding something positive is impossible. But its NOT! Yes, the world may be evil and negative, but you don't have to be. You can overcome that. Try to find joy in the small things, change your thoughts and you will change your life. Having a positive mindset is one of the best treats you can give yourself. You will accomplish more, you will be happier, and your positive energy will be projected onto others. I challenge you to practice these 5 steps and watch your life FLOURISH!