What're some good tips on how to stay positive?

Question

I've been really negative and cynical recently, and It's just not fun.

Answer 1

Do like I do; I have Multiple Sclerosis! When I found out I freaked out for a week (my wife a bit longer), but then I realized something - What good will it do to cry and frown about something I can do nothing to change? 4 years later, I am a 38 year old retiree, I have gone back to school to try to get an MBA so I can get a desk job that won't cause me to stress out too much for my disease. Everyday when I wake up, I still feel the pain in my body (the needles being stuckinto my skin feeling is the worst). I have to take a shot EVERY other day just to 'maintain' this disease because there is no cure yet.
What makes me continue on? I will tell you, it's kinda simple but it seems to work - I praise God that I am NOT in a wheelchair, that I have a wife that supports me, that I have a roof over my head, and that I am still ALIVE!
If this is not for you, try this, SMILE! Look at life as a road, a road you have to travel down. If you are frowning and worried about everything, things you cannot change, that road will seem to get longer and harder to travel on. However, IF you smile, smile when there seems to be no reason to smile, the road stops 'seeming' to be as long and hard. I am not saying the road gets shorter, I am saying a smile makes the road seem easier to handle.
Remember this also, IF whatever you are down about is something that you cannot change, then being upset is a waste of your energy. You can do nothing about it, so why fret over it? Now, IF it is something that you could have changed but chose NOT to change, then whatever it is was something you knew would happen, so again, smile, for it is what you planned for. See how easy things are now? There is no reason for you not to smile and be happy, or at least be LESS un-happy.
One more thing, I used to have another wife, she was to be my life-ong mate and we would raise a family together. That is until I found her with another man, by the way, a man that was NOT the father of the child she told me was mine (he wasn't, by the way)! I left her when she could not (actually, would not) say she would try to change. In fact she told me she would see who she wanted when she wanted, so I left.
That was perhaps, the BEST thing that ever happened to me, without her, I never would have met my current wife. My firwst wife would not have been as supportive of me with this disease. Did this whole thing upset me when it happened? of course it did, I can't even remember things in color during the year after we broke up. But, the good news is, I GOT BETTER! My whole outlook on life is, 'If I could survive my FIRST wife, I can survive ANYTHING!'. Not that your trouble is the same, but think about what I am saying, whatever it is, it WILL PASS! You will look back and think, 'Wow, THAT upset me?' and you will laugh!

I don't expect this will be your best answer, but I believe it is the best answer and will work for you. And, it doesn't require a doctor!!

Answer 2

If you're feeling really dark you start writing poetry. When I was writing poetry I devised a last ditch mantra to keep myself from doing anything with permanent consequences:

"while I die I am dead".

If you reason through it you realize that being negative is a kind of suicide. The more negative you are the less reason you have to do away with yourself. Having less reason to do away with yourself, you begin to be positive. And being positive, you find your own personal methods for returning on your investment of small amounts of happiness. The net result is that life improves.

Answer 3

Stop dwelling on all the bad stuff! Good things (not just s**t) happens too! Think about that instead.

Thinking about the bad stuff forces you to re-live the unplesant days all over again, and robs time from your life (Since you are wasting time by feeling sorry for yourself.).

I don't know your religion, but Christians are taught to praise God for everything, and to count our blessings (Doing so takes your focus off the unpleasant stuff, and forces you to think about what is RIGHT with your life for a change.). It also helps to be a fatalist (I.E.: everything that happens, even the unpleasant stuff, happens for a very good reason, because God fated it to come to pass). That way, you stop worrying about things that you cannot control.

Answer 4

Try to keep as busy as you can......with anything, as long as it's clean and legal.....When negatives, or especially negative thoughts come up, teach your mind to replace them with positive thoughts.......avoid being around people who are negative and critical......try to get out to do anything, anything you can think of that would be fun, even if by yourself.......don't spend a lot of time alone, even if it's just a walk to a park.....and, work on reconditioning the mind to act in positive ways, by your own thoughts, and examples to others........:-)

Answer 5

This is going to sound funny, but exercise will change your mood faster than drugs, self hypnosis, or anything else. When you exercise - brisk walking, swimming, playing basketball, etc., the endorphins in your brain increase and you have a greater sense of well being. If you notice, when you are feeling down or depressed, you will have a tendency to sit and watch mindless TV or play mindless games. Try it, even if you don't feel like doing it.

Answer 6

Understand that things can always be worse. Can you walk, see, touch taste and feel? Some people can't. Are you starved? Life isn't fair, but I'm sure you're not getting the short end of the stick on everything. Think about the people and things that you have in your life that you can be proud of.

Answer 7

find someone else who is negative. In algebra two negatives make a positive.

Answer 8

can't help you. i'm a pessimist and i'm depressed and cynical most of the time. but you mostly can help improve that by helping others and tring to be nice to others. (of course i should follow my own advise, but i enjoy what i do)

Answer 9

Help other ppl out.Be there for someone special and stay away from negative ppl.They bring you down

Answer 10

when you wake up in the morning, decide to be positive and happy. Listen to feel good music and above all SMILE!