How you talk to yourself plays a large role on how you view and interact with the world around you.
Every situation can be seen from both a positive perspective and a negative perspective. The difference is in the individual. The age old question of whether the glass if half full or half empty is the perfect example of how perspective can lead you towards positive or negative thoughts without actually changing the situation.
People who see life through the negative will often have a negative inner voice. What does that mean? We all speak to ourselves from time to time. These are the unspoken conversations we have with ourselves. We are all equipped with an inner voice. This is the voice of reason, the voice of consequence, and the voice of confidence.
Our outlook on life influences this voice. If your outlook is negative, then chances are that your inner voice will be a voice of “I can’t” as opposed to a voice of “I can.”
Positive thinking has a power to it. Some studies have even shown that positive thinking and optimism have both physical and physiological health benefits whereas pessimism and negativity can have the opposite affect on your health and well-being.
If the glass is usually half empty for you, do not despair. Positivity can be taught and learned.
Positive thinking and positive self-talk does not mean keeping your eyes closed to life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking and positive self-talk are about how the individual approaches the situation both in thought and action.
In order to approach any of life’s situations in a positive way, we must first begin with positive self-talk. Positive self-talk refers to that inner voice inside of us and the unspoken thoughts we have with ourselves. Often the thoughts are automatic and can come from a place of logic, experience, uncertainty or a lack of information on our end. By making the conscious decision to format these thoughts into more optimistic and positive sentences, we can then change not only the thought process but also the way that we approach the situation and even the end outcome.
Again, this brings us back to the question of whether the glass is half full or half empty. The glass itself doesn’t change. The volume inside the glass hasn’t changed. It is the thought process and the self-talk of the observer that can change the final outcome.
Some of the long term benefits of positive thinking are better overall heart health, a decreased risk of developing depression, decreased anxiety, better mental and emotional health and better coping skills when dealing with high stress situations. Those who practice positive thinking have also reported a better overall quality of life.
Positive thinking will not be perfected over night. It is a learning process. But with practice and patience positive thinking can become second nature, allowing you reap all the benefits of positive thinking.
