How to Expect the Best
Do you ever find yourself getting stuck in negative thought patterns and expecting the worst possible result in each situation? It’s a general mind-set that proves hard to modify when you finally decide you’ve had enough. Unfortunately, negative thoughts are inclined to breed and reproduce on their own – even when you are not intentionally trying to think negatively.
Altering a negative attitude into a positive one just takes a bit of endurance and determination until the positive thoughts begin to take over.
Below you’ll find three simple steps to start forming positive expectations on a day by day basis:
1) Develop self-awareness to distinguish negative expectations
One difficulty with negative thoughts is that they often form below your conscious level of awareness, and you get so used to them being in your head that you barely notice any longer. To overcome negativity, you’ll have to develop a stronger level of self-awareness. One way to start is by doing self-checks a number of times a day. Pay attention first to how you feel. If you’re feeling optimistic and creative, most likely you’ve been thinking positive thoughts.
If you observe that you’re feeling irritable, pessimistic or anxious, you’re probably focusing more on negative thoughts. When that happens:
2) Challenge and alter the negative thoughts
It’s fairly easy to challenge and change negative thoughts with a little resolve and focus. For example, if you find yourself feeling uncertain about your capability to finish your work on time, you might engage in a bit of self-talk like this: “Okay, so I’m feeling a bit anxious right now, but really everything is okay. I’m strong, I’m smart and I’m capable of finishing my work on time. I’ll do my best and all will work out well.” Even though nothing has changed in your external circumstances, this kind of self-talk can get you thinking and feeling more positive.
3) Work on developing a general positive expectation habit daily
Each day when you wake up, affirm assertively, “Today is going to be a great day! Everything will go my way and I’ll enjoy lots of rewarding opportunities and fun!”
When you come across obstacles or problems, see them as opportunities to learn, grow and strengthen yourself. Perception is 99% of the game! If you merely work on shifting the way you view the experiences of your life, you can easily overcome your negative thought habits.
The more you focus on changing your perspective to highlight the positive, you’ll empower yourself to generate better conditions in your life. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying improved and more frequent opportunities and attracting other likeminded, successful people to connect with.