Positivity Trumps Negativity

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

~Herm Albright

I love this quote because even though I get so annoyed at exceptionally happy and positive people (especially in the early a.m.), I strive to be just like them.

Through some research I'm doing I've found out that our thoughts have a direct impact on our emotions, attitudes and behaviors. When we repeat positive thoughts and maintain a positive attitude it helps our brain create new neural pathways. It's like wiring our brain for success.

Mintpedia.com

It is medically proven that positivity is a cause in many ways to better physical health. Positive people have lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, lower levels of stress hormones, and stronger immune systems. Positivity lowers the probability of hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.

Positive people sleep better and report experiencing less pain than negative people. And since positive people are healthier, they can live up to 10 years longer than negative people.

I am not talking about the Pollyanna positivity where everything is up and happy all the time.

I am talking about how we react to the situations we find ourselves in. How we handle stress and how we handle difficult people.

"Real optimism is aware of problems but recognizes the solutions, knows about the difficulties but believes they can be overcome, sees the negatives but accentuates the positives, is exposed to the worst but expects the best, has reason to complain but chooses to smile."

~ William Arthur Ward

According to Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory, positive emotions serve to broaden our mind's focus and to help us build valuable resources over time.

Another psychological resource that positivity brings is resilience. Resilience refers to one's ability to bounce back from difficult situations and to adapt to the changing demands of stressful events.

Dr. Beth Cabera shares that positive people are more resilient because they have more effective coping skills. They are proactive and problem focused when facing difficulties. They are more likely to use humor when dealing with stressful events and to find positive meaning in their negative circumstances. People who experience more frequent positive emotions face hardships with hope rather than despair, reacting to what is happening at the moment rather than spending energy worrying about the future. Positive emotions can put the brakes on the potential downward spiral created by negative thinking.

So, with all the health benefits and psychological benefits I really believe positivity trumps negativity.

"You can't think your way into acting positively, but you can act your way into thinking positively."

 Nido Qubein