I’ll never forget what I overheard an old coworker say about me. She was talking about my writing, commenting on a piece I had shared about finding the good, even in loss. “She’s like a positive robot,” she said, disgust on her lips. And I remember shrinking back, questioning myself and wondering whether my positive perspective was too much.

Later that afternoon I wrote about the experience. I wrote about how, even when faced with opposition, you have to stay true to who you are. The piece was a reminder to anyone who had been judged or asked to change, but really it was for me—a reminder of who I am and that’s nothing to be ashamed about.

I’ve always lived with a glass-half-full mentality. I try, even in my darkest moments, to focus on what I have and where I’m going, rather than what I’ve lost or been. It isn’t easy, and I’m definitely not claiming to be perfect. But I’ve learned that a positive perspective really does change everything.

And if you’re doubting like my coworker was, here’s exactly how:

1. It frees you from the past.

When you have a positive perspective, you’re not looking backward. You’re not focusing on all the mistakes of your past, or on where you’ve been. Instead, you’re looking forward with a hopeful mindset. You’re choosing to see the potential of what could be rather than dwelling on what didn’t work out.

2. It helps you seek options and opportunities.

When you’re negative, all your attention is focused on the things that broke, ended, or failed. A positive perspective helps you turn away from these closed doors. As your mindset shifts, the positivity encourages you to seek out new options. You’re suddenly more open and willing to continue, to try new things, and to trust that all will work out in the end.

3. It reveals your strength.

Being positive means that you are secure within yourself enough to trust that the universe has a bigger plan. You accept that the only things you can change are your own attitude and decisions, and you put faith in the fact that life ebbs and flows.

This ability to let go, trust and see the good reveals your inherent strength.

4. It guides you forward.

A positive perspective leads to peace and productivity. With this mindset, you are no longer rooted. Instead, you’re always moving, always finding your footing, always overcoming the next obstacle in your way.

5. It shifts the trajectory of your life.

When you choose to let light into your life, everything changes. This doesn’t mean that you brush off the bad things that happen or pretend they don’t exist. You still honor and allow yourself to feel the pain, yes, but you don’t dwell in it.

Choosing to see the good means you let these uplifting thoughts change your direction. You choose to no longer let yourself be defined by what happens to you, but by your own heart and mind instead.
 

Featured Image Credit: Andrea Vehige

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