Boost your confidence and motivation with positive psychology and gratitude?

Building a positive mindset using 'positive psychology' saved my life! I know that sounds a bit dramatic. But you see, I was depressed during my 20s, and a series of self-help books changed my life from black and white to glorious technicolour. Once I knew how to catch and reframe my negative thought patterns I wanted to share it with the world. ...15 years later I did. I became a therapist and an emotional intelligence coach. So I truly believe that humans have an innate desire to flourish and grow. Just as nature relentlessly pushes forward, whatever the weather, so do humans. The number one skill in life? learn how to adopt a positive attitude, and rebuild a positive mindset whenever life knocks you back.

Positive psychology doesn't necessarily mean disregard negativity, or be okay with it, or don't think about it, or avoid it, hate it. It is about processing the negative thoughts or situation and find positivity and good in it. Every negative thought and situation has a positive side to it. For instance, when we meet negative people it doesn't mean we dislike them, it tells us we should not be like them. It makes us aware of ourselves. We should ask ourself. Am I annoying and negative like this person? If the answer is "yes" then we need to work on yourselves. We don't want to annoy other people the same way. So, we have to thank them for meeting us and we keep distance from them rather than confronting them.

Positive psychology helps us to focus more on what's going well and what we are good at, rather than what we can't do. It helps us better understand our strengths, build more resilience and have an overall more positive mindset. It gives us a 'positive affect'. The book 'Flourish' by Dr Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, is a great introduction. Positive psychology is a really useful tool for coaches to use in their practice.

Positive psychology plays a huge role in my personal and professional life. I strongly believe what we focus on grows. So if we focus on what is good in your life despite the hardship, we grow exactly that. This does not mean dismissing or not acknowledging that sometimes things can just be hard, or that there are days when you just feel down or sad, but rather it gives you the strength to bounce back and keep on going. A key question you can ask yourself daily is this: What is good today? This way you shift your focus to all the things that are going wrong to what is going right instead and it is a question that also activates feelings of gratitude.

Absolutely. It's pretty hard to remain feeling bad when you are focused on the positive things and people around you. This is why I always have pictures of family pets and babies nearby - in most circumstances it's hard to look at a smiling baby and not feel that spark of joy.

Having a positive mindset really does affect your life in a good way. When you are in your toughest moments, your positive attitude might provide ways to mitigate any problems. In my late 20s, I started incorporating this into my life. It's not always easy, but it's not impossible.

Embrace the power of positive psychology and gratitude to ignite your confidence and motivation. Cultivate a mindset focused on your strengths, achievements, and potential. Recognize that challenges are opportunities for growth. Celebrate each step forward, no matter how small, and acknowledge the effort you invest. Remember, confidence blossoms when you acknowledge your worth and capabilities. Motivation thrives when fueled by positivity and an appreciative heart. Embrace the energy of gratitude, and watch as it transforms your perspective, fortifies your confidence, and propels you towards your aspirations.

It’s also called focusing on “solutions” rather than “problems”. One is results oriented, the other a bottomless pit. Acknowledging a problem (and its STRUCTURE) is different than focusing on it. Why most therapy doesn’t work is because therapists try to fit human beings into hypothetical theories (or classifications) which the therapist believes in—INSTEAD of focusing on the unique individual in front of them and HOW they UNIQUELY build their problem with a distinct assortment of limiting beliefs, negative emotions, inner conflicts, flawed strategies, unfulfilled values, etc. A customized approach to the individual (which can’t be systematized) is what works. This requires a curious therapist who trusts the answer is within the individual.

How you think makes al the difference. It creates your life, so be as mindful as possible about what you're thinking moment to moment so that you cna train yourself to not only monitor your thoughts, but adjust them too. By doing this regularly you can, bit by bit, train your thoughts to be more positive. So catch your less positive thoughts and change them to a more positive one in that moment and before you know it you will be masterfully thinking more positively. Its a good place to start. And as you become better at it, you'll start to what a huge difference it makes in your mood, relationships, outlook, energy and life in general.

Feelings are a choice - I choose joy. I also choose to live a life free from bitterness, loneliness, fear, regret and unforgiveness. We cannot change what once was, however, we are in charge of our next steps and breath. If we are food insecure, we find food; if we are homeless, we find shelter; if we are jobless, we find work. Circumstances do not define us - actions do. Take a deep breath and head on out with confidence in all that you do.

Practicing gratitude is life and mind changing! Here’s how I started: 1. Each night before I fall asleep, I say thank you to the universe for my day. Whether good or bad, I was able to walk this planet. 2. When I brush my teeth in the morning, I thank the universe for all that I have. Sometimes it’s not much, but it is more than what some people have and for that I will always be grateful. 3. When something goes wrong, I thank the universe for the lesson. 4. When things go right, I thank the universe for blessing me with good fortune.

Gratitude means be grateful for what you have and ask for more. Gratitude actually expands what you already have even if you don't ask for more. I have experienced that. Gratitude means ask for the whole private jet while you are enjoying your ride in economy class in the plane. You are so gratitude and joyful in your seat as if you have the greatest moment of your life. Because you love your economy seat and the ride so much that's why you want to buy the whole plane. Gratitude improves your current life, emotion, mental, and physical health and attracts more of it in the future.

Gratitude is the art of embracing life's blessings with a thankful heart, fostering positivity and resilience. It's a mindful embrace of the present that enriches your well-being and relationships. Start small and then see the changes.

Gratitude is extremely important for one more reason: By being grateful, we show our mind what’s good for us. And, as our mind’s first task is to keep us safe by making us avoid potential threats, it will do everything to pull you in a direction of what’s good & favourable for you. It all happens at subconscious level, without you being aware of this at all! So, by experiencing an emotion of gratitude, you train your mind to pick exactly those situations that might bring you more of what’s favorable. Example: I’m grateful for having great health. I’m grateful for having love in my life. I’m grateful for having money to buy food. By focusing on the positive, you will bring more of it into your life. Your subconscious will do the work!

Gratitude is a high-vibe emotion, meaning that if you are feeling grateful you cannot feel anger, frustration, or sadness at the same time. It also keeps you grounded and in the present moment, taking in all there is to love about this one life you get to live.

Practice gratitude daily by reflecting on the blessings and opportunities life offers. Direct your attention to the positive aspects of your journey. Embrace setbacks as lessons that pave the way for future success. By fostering a positive outlook, you unlock the doors to resilience and determination.

Developing a gratitude habit can be feel hard to start. Of you're unsure where to start, why not spend time once a week and note at least three things you are grateful for, or went well that week. You can then increase this as you find it becomes easier. Noticing what we are grateful for has huge benefits on our wellbeing and ability to reach our goals. It can start to retrain our brains to notice more positive things, and we start to see opportunities when they arise.

It’s also how change works. It’s not about “I don’t want _____”. It’s always about what you REPLACE that with (e.g., gratitude). Teaching individuals the practical mechanics of HOW to direct their attention/inner focus is the main thing that’s missing in standard education (usually because those in charge have no idea themselves and are just “following orders”). FOCUS is one of your main superpowers, along with CHOICE and IMAGINATION. The act/practice of being thankful and the state(s) that elicits can also create some space consciousness between one’s old stimulus response patterns—where they may realize they have choices other than automated, robotic (ego) unconscious behavior.

The key to this is to really FEEL what gratitude feels like. Replicate that in your body...fill yourself up with that feeling as often as you can. You have the power to change how you feel at any given time and choosing gratitude is a perfect choice. There is always something to be grateful for, and if you regularly think about what you're grateful for you'll see a lot more stuff to be grateful for show up! It's the Law of Attraction. Try it and see for yourself.

Gratitude is being appreciative of what you have, and there is great power to it, as it not only helps us focus on the positive but also enhances our overall well-being and relationships.

Adopting positive psychology ideas doesn't mean being happy all the time ... positive psychology gets bad press doesn't it? It means trying to counteract the human default setting of 'anxiety.' A positive outlook is not our default position. You see, evolution has wisely made us more concerned about 'what is going to go wrong' than 'what is going to go right'. Why? Because every organism needs to survive, and we need to live to fight another day and pass on our genes. If you've ever experienced anxiety, this is the body's natural response to stress. It happens automatically when we feel threatened. The best 1st line of defence is building resilience by keeping your mood level up! Plus gratitude practices add to your positive mindset.

The use of the word, "adopting" suggests the notion of opting to take ownership of something that does not naturally belong to us. Positivity is innate within all of us, as is negativity. We have the power, and right, to choose positivity in each moment. Positivity is not something that you have to obtain. Just choose it.

Positive psychology and gratitude can make you feel more confident and motivated. They help you see what you're good at and what you've achieved, which makes you feel better about yourself. When you're thankful for things, it makes you feel happier and more determined to reach your goals. Being grateful for even small successes keeps you feeling positive and encourages you to keep going.

I've witnessed how positive psychology and gratitude can be transformative. They instill profound self-assurance by unveiling hidden strengths and nurturing a growth mindset. Simultaneously, these practices stoke the fires of motivation through an enduring sense of optimism and appreciation, propelling you to conquer obstacles with renewed vigor.

In very simple terms, positive psychology and gratitude show that “hey, this ain’t that bad, I actually enjoy life” which in itself creates a sense of “I want more of this”. This is what creates a joy and love for life you cannot get enough of and it makes you feel good about yourself too.

Taking a positive psychology approach to a gratitude habit can help build our courage and confidence. Alongside a regular gratitude habit, we can also have a regular habit where we focus on our strengths and successes. Asking and answering the question "what did I do well this week?" gets us focusing on our own accomplishments. And the more often we acknowledge our accomplishments, the more we will believe in ourselves. Our self belief - alongside having the courage to step outside of our comfort zones - builds our self confidence. And the more confident we feel, the more motivated we will be to achieve our life goals, both personal and professional.

Confidence comes from knowing who you truly are and motivation comes from clarity about what you want...so yes gratitude and positive psychology play their part. What I would stay clear of though is OPO...Other People's Opinions. Relying on that or seeking OPO isn't great for our confidence. Instead, make it your mission to TRUST yourself more. Cultivating self-trust creates huge confidence...so by trusting your instincts/gut feeling and opinions (because you KNOW yourself and love what you know) is the key to feeling good no matter what's happening in your life.

A true fact is that anyone can learn just as much from looking at what has gone well, rather than purely what didn't. If you do 40 tasks in a day, 39 go right and one goes wrong, don't spend all your time analysing the one that went wrong. You can also focus on how the 39 things went right. How did you plan for these? What did you do? What strengths or skills do you utilise? What helped make things work? Who else contributed?

Practicing gratitude and positive reflection is like starting any new habit or routine. 1. Start small: try noting at least three good things once a week, and build from there 2. Choose a way that works for you, writing or drawing or voicenotes can work. You can do this sitting down, lying down or walking. Try things out and see what you enjoy. 3. Try sharing some of your gratitudes with trusted friends or family.

Don't reinvent the wheel when trying to build a gratitude practice. Read the book, "The Magic" by Rhonda Byrne. See how your life changes in just 28 days.

One thing I have found helpful is practicing self-love and honouring oneself. Speaking using growth mindset vocabulary especially when faced with challenges boosts confidence and drive to keep going. In a family setting encouraging one another goes a long way to build resilience and happiness. An example can be introducing a ritual of no gadgets during meals. During family dinner the conversation could be around "what did you fail at today", instead of "how was your day?". Phrasing the conversation this way helps members to brainstorm solutions on how a challenge could be overcome. This promotes communication and builds self esteem and confidence. Skills learnt during meals ensures family bonds are stronger and trust is reinforced.

Gratitude is deeply engrained in my daily practice in building a strong positive as well as abundant mindset. And it is not hard to at all, simply write down 3-5 things you are grateful for every morning or evening. If you want to take it one step further, also express gratitude for what you don’t have yet, as it will allow you to become a magnetic match for it. I personally also always challenge myself not to write the same thing twice, so every day I find something new I am grateful for. For fostering positivity, I love using daily affirmations or intentions I paired with specific action steps. Only thinking good thoughts may not be enough to shift your mindset, it is the proof you collect in your daily actions that makes it so powerful.

Think of it this way, if you have a general positive and grateful attitude about life, you have more mental energy to focus on more of those positive aspects. Whereas if you are always caught up in worries, stress, and fear there is little energy left to do more of what makes you feel better. In fact, your brain will tend to want to do more of what is as easy as possible, and if it's well-trained in negativity that's the route it may go down. Practicing gratitude and implementing elements of positive psychology daily in small steps, will help you retrain your brain and shift your focus which then affects the rest of your life in terms of less stress, better sleep, and more joy.

In the workplace, gratitude and its active companion appreciation can improve job satisfaction, confidence, and our sense of wellbeing. It connects team members, improves relationships with customers and vendors, and offers an opportunity to repair trust in places where it has been damaged. One caveat: it has to be authentic. Fake gratitude is toxic, and our workplaces have enough of that!