Being Positive is Essential to Survival

We know that smiling takes less muscles and effort than frowning. In fact 15 muscles less! The same with our demeanor, it takes more effort to choose negativity over positivity. So why do many people choose sadness over joy? For many people it's a matter of prolonging how they feel in the moment to continually reflect on that feeling for longer than necessary. It's hard to let go. We believe that holding on to what we know will bring us comfort.  However holding on to negativity actually brings more discomfort.  But guess what?  In a desperate effort to find comfort, we hold on to that new feeling of negativity in an effort to find more comfort. It's cyclical so you can probably see where this is going. Conversely, letting go makes you stronger. Letting go is harder. Letting go is uncertain. Letting go takes work.

Ever notice when you smile at others, they smile back or either feel uncomfortable not reciprocating that effort?  Life is a massive boomerang effect... What you throw out there will come back.  As humans we cannot help but absorb or share the positive or negative energy around us. It takes work to repel negativity because it’s a lot easier to and way more available unfortunately.

Here are a couple things that will help you create, reciprocate and emit positive light and feelings:

1. Smile. Show your teeth.  There is something warm, trusting and relieving when people smile at us. That same joy you experience, others experience when they see it on you. 
2. Make physical contact.  Don’t be a creeper, but appropriate contact is comforting.  It allows us to connect with others and feel human together.
3. Meditate on positivity, forget about worries. When we worry we think about the things that often are out of our control.  Focus on the things you can change and meditate on an action plan to make that happen.
4. Empower others.  When we uplift others we are uplifted in return.  What can you do to make someone else feel special, amazing, loved, welcomed or even considered?  Do something for someone else and I’m certain you’ll feel great.  This includes donating and volunteering.
5. Take care of your body.  Go exercise and eat well.  When your body feels great, your spirit feels great.
6. Be a good friend. Surround yourself with positive people and then don’t take from them.  Make sure that you have quality friendships on even ground.  Stay out of toxic environments and don’t create them with complaining. It’s good to vent to your friends, but if you find yourself doing it all the time, maybe it’s time to rethink some things.

There are countless other ways to bring more positivity into your life- spending time outside, spend money wisely, getting sleep, reading etc.  I would say most importantly, wake up every day with a mission to do something positive for someone else and for yourself.  Being a parent kind of forces you to do the former, but the latter is just as important.