What Does it Mean to be Positive and How to Do it?

Being positive is not the same as being happy. Whether they are two attitudes very much intertwined, at the end of the day, they convey different things. So, being positive doesn’t necessarily mean that you are happy and vice versa; yes, you can be both, which is ideal, but you will often find yourself feeling one or the other at specific moments.

Image by Avi Chomotovski from Pixabay

Happiness is one of the greatest feelings in the world (perhaps the greatest I might say) and it generally comes as a very intimate and personal process. But the thing is, you are not going to feel happy all the time and that is part of our human nature. We seek and long for happiness as something we want or would like to feel all the time, but in reality, it’s a transitory state, like any emotion, and that’s the true beauty of it.

Positivity, on the other hand, is continuous and it can last forever because it’s not a mood or emotion that goes away, but rather a mindset, an attitude, and skill that conveys a potentially endless process. You can’t be happy all the time, but you can choose to be positive, and by being positive, then you’ll often feel happier.

What does it mean to be positive?

Being positive is a matter of choice, not of circumstances. You can be having a bad day or you can be experiencing some very tough moments, but you can always set your mind to do something about it and to try to see the brighter side; it’s a choice that only you can make. Of course, it’s easier said than done. There are indeed moments where we don’t have the energy at all to act upon something or we are just feeling down and that’s completely fine, but if you work on your mind and practice more positive thinking, then, while you may not necessarily feel better right ahead, it will make it more bearable and you’ll slowly start to understand, see and feel things with a different outcome.

With that being said, let me restate that being positive is not being happy all the time, it’s rather a mindset you choose with conviction and that depends solely on you, not on things or on people. Positivity is being optimistic, is looking for solutions rather than focusing on the problems, it’s the ability to choose good feelings, emotions, attitudes, and mindsets.

Positivity requires moderation, balance, patience, and practice because it is not something you are born with. It isn’t something transitory that you feel one day and the next it’s gone either. You can’t master happiness, but you can master positivity, you can build it slowly and once it’s done, it’s actually quite difficult to tear it down as it already there, rooted inside your brain. At the end of the day, practicing positivity is worth it because you’ll be able to make the most of whatever comes your way, always, no matter how though it might be. Being positive adds value and meaning to life and it can be done step by step, you control it 100%, rather than just wondering or waiting for things to be better because you already know that sooner or later, they can be and they are going to be and so, you work for it and you set your mind in that direction.

According to Barbara Frederickson from the University of North Carolina, positivity opens a world of possibilities and options and broadens your mind; on the contrary, feeling or having negative thoughts narrow your mind and make you shut off from the outside world. Positive thoughts enhance the ability to build a mindset that will be useful for the rest of your life.

While negative thinking makes you believe that nothing can’t be done in certain situations, and so, any skill or attitude seems worthless, positive thinking gives you the possibility of seeing the bigger picture and helps you face challenges better. And with that, you can pretty much do anything you set your mind to.

How to be and stay positive?

As mentioned before, being positive is a practice you built on a day-to-day basis, it can’t be rushed or acquired immediately, like learning a new language. Positivity manifests itself in different forms for everyone, and much like happiness, it’s a very personal process.

• Positivity can be built by pursuing skills that associate with your hobbies or passions because they motivate you and you’ll feel keener on doing them. If you like Japanese and you practice a bit every day, with patience, then you’ll have acquired a good level of persistence as you are facing something unknown but still have the determination to learn it. You’ll also improve your memory and the chance of knowing a new culture by understanding its language. And so, by pursuing your passions and what you like the most, you would have acquired some skills than can be put into practice in the future to face other situations (many times without even noticing). Remember that positive is essentially a skill build upon practice, just like any other ability.
• Another way of staying positive is by turning negative emotions or thinking, into positive ones; that doesn’t mean that you should never think or feel negative, it rather means that by every negative thought or emotion, you can think of something positive. Too many negative thoughts create stress, sadness, or frustration while balancing it with positive ones can generate relaxation and happiness. With time, you’ll realize that you can actually have a solid list of positive things that will help you build a positive mindset and attitude. So, being aware of negative thoughts or feelings is important because it gives you a point of contrast to open your mind to positivity. It doesn’t necessarily mean you will be happy then, but you’ll be calmer and more willing to take some action. As always, easier said than done, but it’s possible!

So, being positive is not being happy all the time, but it does often lead to it. Prioritizing positivity is life-changing and will give you lasting results to face life by providing skills, attitudes, and a new mindset that would be difficult to eclipse in the future no matter what happens; you’ll feel more prepared and more determined to face anything coming your way. Positive people tend to live life to the fullest because they have built and trained that skill within themselves. And in turn, they are often happy too!