5 Seconds Summary:
- Positive prompts helps shape our mindset to become more positive in life.
- Journaling might help in the process of becoming more positive person.
The other day I’m watching a movie and there is this scene where the main character keeps on complaining about her life.
“Why do bad things keep happening to me? It’s frustrating.”
“No positive thing ever happening to me”
Of course, it led me to think that most of the problem is beyond her control. So, the best thing that she could do is just to let it pass, or maybe try to view it from a different perspective.
Maybe a positive perspective might help. It can lessen her frustration
Of course, I am not the scriptwriter of this totally non-fiction drama, but I feel like that
sometimes, if we reframe our thoughts and think positively, things are actually not that bad as we keep on replaying it inside our heads.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like you must be positive all the time, it doesn’t work like that.
I just feel like if we have a problem or issue or bad things happening in our lives and we acknowledge and accept it, then proceed by looking at different & more positive perspectives, we’ll feel much lighter and able to move on.
Because most of the problem in our life is not something that we can control. But what we can control is how we perceive and react to that problem.
Do you agree with me?
This brings me to my next point.
No, silly. Don’t be ridiculous.
But rather than dwelling in self-pity we shift our mindset and incline towards being optimists and pessimist.
What a load of cr*p.
You might think to yourself. But hear me out
Positive thinking, it’s not believing everything will be fine and wonderful and there’s a unicorn at the end of the rainbow. No. and No. even though it will be nice if there is a unicorn
Life is designed to make us feel miserable with the challenges thrown at us each time. So, we are the ones who need to decide on how to perceive and react to it.
By focusing more on the positive and taking proper action accordingly, we might be able to straighten up our thinking.
If you are still not convinced, science also shows that positive thinking helps your mental well-being and physical health. Positive people are happier and have lesser stress and sleep better.
And no one wants to be around people who wallow in self-pity and are negative all the time. It sucks out our energy, big time.
Okay, so what should I do? I am not generally a positive person.
Don’t worry my friend, most of us (including me) is not really a positive person
But we can be with some practice.
How to practice positive thinking?
I understand, it is difficult to be positive. Especially when things are tough.
You don’t have to immediately respond with positivity when things are really bad. Give yourself some time to accept it.
As we are humans with emotion and needs. It’s okay.
But one thing that might help in a situation like this is journaling.
I know, you have heard me all the time about journaling. But yes, journaling really helps. Especially in a tough time.
Positive thinking requires practice and it’s difficult, I agree. But it’s not entirely impossible.
You can try using positive prompts to really help you with the process.
“Writing in a journal…offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.” — Robin Sharma
What are positive prompts? Or Positive Journal Prompts?
Positive prompts are basically a positive reminder that things will eventually get better.
And this will give you hope.
Here is list of positive prompts to help you get started on your journey to becoming more positive.
I break it into a different category so you can pick whichever resonant well with your situation
Category A: When the worst happens to you, and you are not sure what to do with it.
- what happens objectively?
- On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the worst and 1 being the mild one, how should I rate my situation?
- what did I make it mean?
- how would I comfort a friend I loved if this thing happened to them?
- What is the lesson I can learn from this situation?
- How is this the best thing that has happened to me?
- Compared to the last bad thing happening to you, is this worst or it’s the same?
- In a few days or months does it still matter? If yes, what should I do about it
- What is the possible thing I can do to improve the situation?
- What is the difficult lesson I have learned in the past that positively impact my life? What do I feel about it now? How did it change my perspective?
Category B: The positive prompts to Frame Your mindset.
- What motivates me?
- What something I did in the past motivates other people?
- What is the quote that leaves me feeling positive?
- What movie gives me a positive effect?
- What are the positive lessons I have learned in my life?
- What is my favorite positive affirmation?
- Who is the most positive influence in my life?
- What is my best quality?
- What positive changes have I made in my life?
- What positive things I can do today?
- What positive things have I done in the past that makes an impact on other people’s life?
- Am I complaining about life too much? What can I do about it?
- What is the positive goal I have?
- What positive traits do I have?
- What small positive things I can practice today?
- How can shifting to positive thinking help with my relationship
- who is the positive influencer I follow in my social media?
- what type of positive mindset do I want to adopt?
- What positive changes I’m going to make
- Does positive thinking help me achieve my goal? How?
- Am I being positive today?
- Does social media affect the way I think? Positively or negatively?
- What did I do every day / my habit that cause more positivity?
- What can help me be more positive?
- What is the effect of positivity in another aspect of my life such as self-esteem or confidence?
Category C: Remove the negative thinking and engage in different perspective about life
- Fun things I can do on daily basis or on the weekend to make me happier
- Write down 3 of my favourite books and why I loved them?
- What can I do to make someone else happy today?
- Write down a reverse bucket list of negative things I want to stop doing?
- Write a bucket list of places I want to visit this year?
- The wisest advice I ever received is..
- The best compliment I have ever received is.. why I think it’s the best?
- Now, I need to give the same powerful compliment to others
- What is a random act of kindness I can do today?
- What is the self-care activity I want to do today to get my mind off things?
- When is the time I literally rolling on the floor laughing? What happened at that time?
- Write down simple pleasure that I can work into on daily or weekly basis
- What I want to do more in life that makes me happy? How to add it into my routine
- What should I do when I have negative thoughts?
- What makes me feel better for my mental wellbeing?
The positive prompts I have shared are a combination of acknowledging the problem or issues, how to reframe it positively, and prompts to shift the focus to something more positive.
You see, being positive doesn’t happen overnight.
Up till this point, I’m still leaving snarky comments (inside my head, of course) if people ask me to think positively. It’s hard to roll eyes when you heard that comment.
But I know I am a work in progress. And journaling my thoughts using the positive prompts might help the process.
So, share with us your thoughts and what positive prompts you use in your daily journaling.
