To thrive in life, particularly in challenging situations, you need more than just a sunny disposition. You need a toolbox of skills that promote positivity from the inside out. These help you build the skills to flourish.
Title Photo by Julia Filirovska
An Unexpected Lesson
Maria M. is the Customer Care manager at a tech company. Maria considered herself a positive person. She was generally upbeat, greeted everyone with a smile, and tried to see the glass as half full. But recently her company went through a restructuring, resulting in job uncertainty and increased workloads. Maria found her positivity tested like never before. She struggled to maintain her usual optimistic outlook and began to feel overwhelmed.
But Maria remembered a workshop she’d once attended about building positivity as a skill — a skill one could cultivate and strengthen, just like any other ability. She decided to take a proactive approach to her well-being and started incorporating small, daily practices aimed at nurturing her positivity. Over time, she found that these practices not only helped her navigate the turbulent waters at work but also made her more resilient and happier overall.
Maria’s experience illustrates a key point: positivity is not an innate trait that you either have or you don’t. It is a set of skills that can be developed and refined. And that’s what Excelerated Positivity™ is aimed at — taking deliberate action to build the skills that enable you to flourish, regardless of your circumstances.
What Are the Skills That Help You Flourish?
To thrive in life, particularly in challenging situations, you need more than just a sunny disposition. You need a toolbox of skills that promote positivity from the inside out. So, what are these essential skills?
Gratitude: The ability to recognize and appreciate the good things in life, even in tough times.
Mindfulness: The practice of staying present and fully engaged with the moment, rather than getting lost in thoughts of the past or worries about the future.
Optimism: The skill of expecting positive outcomes and focusing on solutions rather than problems.
Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going despite difficulties.
Self-Compassion: Treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a good friend.
Acts of Kindness: Deliberate efforts to bring joy or support to others, which in turn enrich your own life.
As you consider these skills, which one appeals to you the most? Have you ever consciously practiced any of these, and if so, what was the outcome?
What Will You Gain?
Building the skills of positivity isn’t just about feeling good in the moment. The benefits extend far beyond that, impacting various areas of your life.
- Improved Mental Health: Regularly practicing gratitude, mindfulness, and self-compassion can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increase overall mental well-being.
- Better Relationships: Acts of kindness, optimism, and self-compassion can enhance your relationships with others, making them more supportive and fulfilling.
- Increased Resilience: Developing resilience and optimism enables you to handle stress more effectively and bounce back more quickly from life’s inevitable challenges.
- Enhanced Physical Health: Studies have shown that people who practice positivity skills tend to have lower blood pressure, better immune function, and longer lifespans.
- Greater Life Satisfaction: Ultimately, these skills lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment and contentment, helping you flourish in all areas of your life.
What specific benefits of positivity do you find most compelling? How might your life improve if you were to develop these skills further?
How Do I Practice the Skills to Help Me Flourish?
Building positivity is an active process that requires intention and consistency. Here are some practical ways to incorporate these skills into your daily routine:
- Gratitude Journaling: Start or end your day by writing down three things you’re grateful for. This practice helps shift your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in your life. Try writing not only what you are grateful for but also why.
- Mindfulness Meditation: Dedicate a few minutes each day to mindfulness meditation. Focus on your breath, the sensations in your body, or the sounds around you. This helps ground you in the present moment.
- Positive Reframing: When faced with a challenge, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” or “How can this situation benefit me in the long run?” This encourages a more optimistic outlook.
- Self-Compassion Breaks: When you are overly self-critical, pause and ask, “What would I say to a friend in this situation?” Then, say those kind words to yourself.
- Acts of Kindness: Commit to performing at least one small act of kindness each day. It could be as simple as giving a genuine compliment, helping a colleague with a task, or donating to a charity.
- Resilience Exercises: Practice resilience by setting small, achievable goals that challenge you, and then celebrate your progress. This builds confidence and perseverance.
How do you view the process of building positivity? Do you see it as a daily commitment or something that comes and goes with your mood? What would happen if you treated it as a non-negotiable part of your routine?
What Skill(s) Will Help You the Most or Do You Want to Develop First?
Now that you’ve explored the essential skills for building positivity, it’s time to decide which ones will have the most significant impact on your life right now. Reflect on where you currently stand in your journey towards flourishing. Do you need to cultivate more resilience in the face of stress? Perhaps your relationships would benefit from more acts of kindness? Or maybe, you need to practice more self-compassion and stop being so hard on yourself?
Start with the skill that resonates most strongly with your current needs.
Which skill do you feel most drawn to? Why do you think this particular skill will make the biggest difference in your life right now?
How Will You Practice?
Once you’ve identified the skill(s) you want to develop, the next step is to make a plan. Incorporating these practices into your life doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as:
- Schedule a daily gratitude journal session: Set aside five minutes each morning or evening.
- Join a mindfulness group or download a meditation app: Commit to practicing for at least 10 minutes a day.
- Set reminders on your phone to take self-compassion breaks: Use these reminders to check in with yourself and offer kindness.
- Write down one positive thing that happened each day: Use this as a way to reinforce optimism.
- Set a weekly goal to perform an act of kindness: Track your progress and reflect on how it makes you feel.
What obstacles might you face in building these skills, and how can you overcome them? Do you need to address any specific barriers like time constraints, negative thinking patterns, or self-doubt first?
Keeping Score
Accountability is crucial for making lasting changes. To ensure that you’re progressing, consider these methods for keeping track of your practice:
- Daily Logs: Use a journal or an app to log your daily practices, such as gratitude, acts of kindness, or mindfulness sessions.
- Weekly Reflections: Set aside time each week to reflect on your progress. What’s working well? Where could you improve? This helps you stay on track and make necessary adjustments.
- Accountability Partner: Share your goals with a friend or loved one who can check in with you regularly. This adds an extra layer of motivation and support.
- Positive Feedback Loops: Reward yourself for sticking to your practices. Small rewards can reinforce your commitment and make the process more enjoyable.
How will you track your progress? Which method would work best for you — daily logs, weekly reflections, or perhaps partnering with someone for accountability?
Take Action to Flourish
Excelerated Positivity™ is more than just feeling good; it’s building the skills that allow you to thrive, even when life throws challenges your way. By cultivating gratitude, mindfulness, optimism, resilience, self-compassion, and acts of kindness, you’re not just adding to your happiness; you’re laying the groundwork for a flourishing life.
But remember, the power of Excelerated Positivity™ lies in action. Reading about these skills is a start, but the real transformation happens when you put them into practice.
So, what’s your next step? Which skill will you commit to developing first? Take a moment to write down your plan, and then start today. The journey to flourishing begins with a single, intentional step. Don’t wait — start building your positivity skills now and experience the difference they can make in your life. It’s another step on the path to embracing your Excelerated Life™!
Once you’ve started on your plan, please share your experience in the comments. We’d love to hear how Excelerated Positivity™ is helping you flourish!
Excelerated Positivity™ — building the skills that help you flourish — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website. https://openai.com/