Positive thinking is not just a New Age concept. In fact, throughout the history of mankind, our perseverance and ability to adapt to new situations despite the circumstances are how we’ve survived. If we dwelled on the unfortunate happenings in our lives, we would remain stagnant and avoid coming up with solutions.
Positive thinking also offers some impressive health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, thinking positively reduces stress, increases your life span, lowers your risk of depression, improves your immune system, and boosts your coping skills during stressful events.
Many people in the worst situations imaginable have enlisted positive thinking to climb their way out of a dark place. When you have nothing else, you always have your mind, which you can use to either create or destroy you. Below, we will share some stories of people who have overcome great obstacles using the power of positive thought.
Here are 10 stories about people who changed their life with positive thinking:
1. Better outlook
“My outlook on life has improved and I don’t look for fights every second of every day. It has helped my anxiety too.” – u/CanadianCoder77
2. Enjoy the present but keep striving for better
“Positive thinking doesn’t have to be all pie in the sky, unattainable fairytales. It can be as simple as finding 1 or more positive things that happened in the day as well as acknowledging 1 or more things that you could have handled better. Instead of the false hope of telling yourself that you can be perfect and will get everything you want in life, tell yourself that everyday you can try to work at being better and enjoy the things you are able to attain at your current position in life.” – u/GraphicRoach
3. Find happiness in the small things
“You appreciate the little things in your life more and gain more motivation (or at least that’s what I’ve found).” – u/skippingrope
4. Higher confidence
“It’s helped improve my self-esteem and helped me overcome my social anxiety.” -u/unknown
5. Boosted drive and motivation
“Not positive thinking so much as just realizing that as an able-bodied and able minded person, I can reasonably expect myself to be able to accomplish what most people can; if I don’t know how I can still learn, etc. Most people don’t realize what they’re capable of, and I certainly accomplished more by eliminating the mentality of “I can’t do that” and at worst adapted “I can’t do that yet.”
6. Realizing your strengths
“First and foremost, I stopping trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I realized that I wasn’t a loser when I discovered the game that suited my aptitude. My self-confidence came basically by winning.” – u/SamuelColeridgeValet
7. Accept your life
“For me accepting who I am enabled a far more positive attitude and outlook on life. I know I’m never going to set the world on fire. I know I’m likely to be doing the same job I’m doing now in 10 years time. But….I’m OK with this and I feel life is good.” – u/who_knows_me
8. You’re in control
“Know that most everything isn’t a big deal unless you make it one.” – U/Bear_trap_something
9. Gratitude
“I’m still working on it, but on days where I actually manage to shift my perspective, I just feel better— happier, more energetic, less depressed. Each morning, I try to list 5 good things that happened the day before in an effort to set the tone for the day.” – u/torchwood1842
10. You want to spread the positivity
“If I notice something nice about someone I try to say it. It’s hard sometimes, being shy, but it might make their day and that’s at least one positive thing I do all day.” – u/Raivica
Has positive thinking changed your life? Share with us in the comments!
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