How to Keep a Positive Mindset for an Amazing Life

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self reflection woman beach

When I began my journey into becoming a Health Coach, I was my own worst critic. Negative self-talk was easy for me. Once I began to see that these negative mantras were old beliefs that I perceived to be true, I knew I had work to do on myself if I wanted to see changes in my present life.

Overall, I am an optimistic, motivated individual but, I did not always have a positive mindset.

Yes, I am driven, maybe even a bit hyperactive. I do well at keeping myself busy all the time. But I felt something was missing from my life when I looked at myself in the mirror. On the outside, I looked all put together, but inside that was not the case. Self-reflection has been enlightening for me and continues to support my belief we can all be happy.

Do you find that your self -talk is negative? Would you like to have a more positive mindset on a daily basis? Is there something holding you back from being who you want to be but, you can’t figure out where to begin?

From an early age, our beliefs shape the way we think, act, talk and live our lives today. Beliefs are powerful statements that we create, and are a strong driving force behind our gains and losses. Are your beliefs keeping you from living the most enjoyable life you could imagine?  Let’s begin to explore the first steps toward developing a positive mind-set for you. 

START WITH ONE IDEA AT A TIME

I used to read about people that performed meditation, self-care, journaling and other ways of taking time for themselves each day. They even said it changed their life, brought them to a new path of self-discovery.  I thought, “How can I even begin to fit that into my day? How is a piece of loofah going to help me find myself?” So, I began by brushing my teeth and using a tongue cleaner first thing every morning. That is how you do it. One thing at a time.

Next, I started drinking warm to hot lemon water every morning for my gut, and skin health. Now, this has become my normal routine. I used to be sporadic about meditation and I really wanted to be more intentional. Through a meditation app, I joined a group for 365 days of meditation last year. It was amazing how that really supported me to find even 5 minutes to meditate every day. Taking the time for me made me became more present in my work and home life. Being successful at sticking to self-care made me feel an overall sense of accomplishment and pride. I really am able to add some small things into my day. I start my day with a positive mindset and I feel I can take on any challenge that awaits me. 

What if you chose to begin each day with self-care and reflection- do you find it easy or difficult?

Is something holding you back from self-love? Try getting clear by breaking areas down in our life such as: career, relationships, physical exercise, and spirituality. Try this exercise. Rate how happy and fulfilled you feel in all of these areas, using a scale of 1-10 (10 being extremely happy). Next, choose only one area to begin exploring, digging in, and learning more about yourself.

When you think about this one area of your life, is your mind filled with can’t and won’t and other manifestations of self-doubt and fear? We live in a world of distractions that lead us away from seeing our true self.  Take the first step to pull away from old negative beliefs by writing positive affirmations about yourself in one of these areas. Remember your past negative beliefs will still pop up now and then. They can serve as an advisor, pointing out areas that need healing or extra kindness. Mom, baby, inspiration, outdoors

Take a look at the areas you rated happiness in career, relationships, spirituality and physical exercise. To create positive change start with an affirmation sealing your focus and clarity on reaching a goal.

Support your positive mindset with an affirmation that guides you forward toward being happier. You can use an affirmation as a mantra, and repeating it to yourself is an amazing practice. Here are a few examples from Louise Hay. “I draw love and acceptance into my life and I accept it now.” “My income is constantly increasing.”  “My mind and body are in perfect balance. I am a harmonious being.” Make up your own mantra depending on what areas you may feel stuck in. Write down your affirmation and put it somewhere you will read it daily as a reminder of that you are already amazing. 

WHAT IF AFFIRMATIONS ARE NOT YOUR THING?

It’s good to have many tools to chose from when creating a sculpture. Goal setting is a great way to get momentum toward reaching a personal or professional goal. When setting a goal, the desired outcome should be clear and focused. Goal setting is the beginning of creating positive lifestyle changes. If your goal is to get more exercise, you may decide to start taking a walk during your lunch break three times a week. When you first make time for your walk it may seem like another chore. You will soon begin to reap the benefits of that walk, taking a break, fresh air, and exercise.

Taking time and care of ourselves has many hidden benefits and you will begin to notice the positive mindset becoming you.  

“WHEN YOU DO THINGS FROM YOUR SOUL YOU FEEL A RIVER MOVING IN YOU, A JOY.”   Rumi

Start each day as a new day, full of possibilities, surprises, smiles, generosity and share those positive statements with everyone you meet. 

What tips have you tried to create a positive mindset?

 

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lisatidman
I am Lisa Tidman, and I have been living in Vermont for 20 plus years raising a family, trying to stay warm in the winters, and getting outdoors in the summers. I was the oldest in a family of 8 and quickly learned how to take care of my siblings and the neighborhood kids. I grew up dancing and went to College for Dance where I developed a great appreciation for the arts. I became a single mom at the age of 23 and take pride that I put myself through college, became a Physical Therapy Assistant, and earned a Bachelors in PE, which required many years of struggling, doing odd jobs to get by, watching every penny, and trying to take the best care of my son. Today, I live with my blended family of 3 boys. My husband of 17 years has a son, Graham, who is a year younger than my oldest, Aaron. We decided to have a child together, and Michael was born in 2001. Now I have a teenager again, and yikes! What was I thinking? I have added Yoga Teacher Training and Health Coaching to my work and thrive on the passion of movement and healthy living. I enjoy learning new things, dancing, motivating others in health, cooking, meditation, yoga, being outdoors in nature, and traveling.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for sharing your insight and breaking down a lifetime of good habits into a smaller, manageable action plan. Warm lemon water to kick start the morning, a daily walk, meditation, positive self talk and a gratitude journal are pieces of a larger puzzle of caring for ourselves. Learning to be as kind to ourselves as we are to others takes practice and time. Sometimes we falter. Your guidance about creating a plan is so helpful in providing a framework to live a rich, fulfilling life. Thanks for your gentle, useful guidance Lisa!

    • Hi Jen thanks for your reply to my post. I appreciate you taking the time to read this post and I am glad this has provided confirmation to things you are probably already doing in your daily life. Keep it up.

  2. Great post Lisa. When I commute to the work, I listen to classical music and name at least three things I’m appreciative of; remind myself of the intentions I’ve set for the year and pick one to try to focus on for the day in some way; and then I go through a mantra I’ve created for myself that begins with “May I” and works through a list of things for myself, my son, and then other people in my life.

    • Thanks for reading my post A.Y. I like the idea of listening to classical music and incorporating gratitude and your mantra. Way to start your day. You are already doing some amazing things for yourself and your family. Thanks again for your reply.

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