The Little Things: How Bulking Up the Positives Can Help Combat the Negatives
What things are we grateful for that are cause for celebration?
That promotion you just received?
A new love in your life?
Buying your first house?
These are considered milestones in one’s life, and certainly deserve celebration and gratitude.
But what about the little things?
That hot cup of coffee each morning?
An easy drive to work?
The comfort of your house or apartment after a long day?
Sure, we can all easily acknowledge that these are things for which we can be grateful, but do we really take the time to reflect on those affirmations? There seems to be a cultural norm of celebrating milestones, and striving to be the best, have the best, look the best. Not until we reach “the best” do we think we can really celebrate.
This mentality, however, ends up limiting us to what we think we should celebrate, which ultimately limits our happiness. Why can’t I celebrate how nice it feels to shower before bed? Is it because our culture takes these little things for granted? Possibly, which is why it takes an effort for most of us to actively celebrate the little things – we’re simply not used to it.
More often than not, positive thought does not grip us in the way that negative thought does. Positive thoughts do not usually spiral us into more positivity until we burst with joy and start dancing around like we’re in a Broadway musical. But negative thoughts are powerful and can spiral us into some dark places.
So how do we combat that spiral? How do we avoid holding onto the negative thoughts so tightly that they consume our lives?
We bulk up on the positive.
We take an active role in our lives, acknowledging the positive affirmations all around us. When you fill your brain with positivity all day long, there is much less room in there for negative thoughts. Sure, they still creep up on us, but when we have so much positivity in reserve it becomes easier to combat the negative and find ourselves back in a positive place.
Luckily for most of us, there are things for which we can be grateful in every direction we look. The ease of technology, the comfort of our clothes, the safe and secure structures in which we live and work. Trivial? Absolutely not. Our culture may tell us otherwise, but what is the harm in celebrating the little things? Positivity can only bring about more positivity, and it really does equip us to combat negative thoughts swiftly and with relative ease when they arise.