Americans are becoming overwhelmingly pessimistic. Only 6 percent think the world is getting better, and a staggering two-thirds think the country is moving in the wrong direction. This negativity is taking a toll. The American Psychological Association’s most recent Stress in America survey indicated that over a third of adults experienced increased stress over the previous year, while the National Center for Health Statistics showed suicide rates at a 30-year high.
Many lean on New Year’s resolutions in an attempt to promote positive life changes, but reports indicate that upward of 25 percent of people who made resolutions had already failed at keeping them within seven days.
However, three timeless truths can help people take their focus off their problems and lead more productive lives.
1. Think it. It is widely believed that one’s mind has a powerful influence on the physical body — a belief that traces back to the fourth century and the theories of Hippocrates. Today, scientific data back up the notion, and thinking a productive life into being is applicable to anyone. Here’s how it works: To unlock inner greatness at work, home, in social circles and other aspects of your life, you must maintain a transformational, positivity-oriented mindset that is open to change and adaptation. Your mind has the greatest propensity to either enrich your personal growth or limit it.
2. Speak it. Identify the lies and undermining thoughts that play over and over inside your head and replace them with positive truths about yourself. Speak those truths aloud. This practice of making audible affirmations has a powerful positive effect that has been documented. Research from Carnegie Mellon University, for instance, substantiated that self-affirmation “can protect against the damaging effects of stress on problem-solving performance” and that it “boosts stressed individuals’ problem-solving abilities.” It is a simple act of giving language to the desirable certainties in your life to manifest more.
3. Live it. The most powerful weapon we have to transform our minds and our lives is to live in ways that serve a cause and effect. This is very much the principle at work with the scientifically validated law of attraction. Want to lose 100 pounds in six months? Go to the gym today. Want a raise at work? Invite your boss to lunch this week and get to know him or her on a personal level and share your aspirations. Take some form of action every day toward your goals, no matter how large or small.
All it takes is one positive thought to get the ball rolling in the right direction and counter the pessimism. Apply these tactics for living life in a way that promotes positive progression and you will surely be well on your way to enhanced personal and professional success.
Jeffery Chapman is a motivational speaker and author of “Timeless Truths: Three Keys to Unlock Your Inner Greatness.”