How to be happy is one of the age old pursuits of many including myself. There have been many self-help books, seminars and workshops out there on this topic. But is there really a guide to the pursuit of happiness? I personally believe that the first step to being a person is through self-empowerment. So what is empowerment? Empowerment is the belief that you have the ability to control the course of your life. We do not leave things to fate but believe that we are the masters of our own destiny. And by empowering yourself, you would not only improve your self-esteem and but also increase your confidence. A person seeking empowerment is able to take control of their life by making positive choices and setting goals. And the first step towards this would be positive thinking.
Ever heard of the phrase “Self-fulfilling prophesy”? A self-fulfilling prophecy is belief that eventually comes true because we keep acting like it is true. This may work to or against your advantage. For example, you have started a business, however, sales during the initial period are not up to expectations and this is when you start to harbour negative thoughts such as you are not going to make it. Chances are that your business will eventually fail and thus, reinforcing the negative thoughts and belief that you are a failure and not capable of succeeding. However, this is not due to any mystical higher powers at work but merely your own mind set. Instead of trying your best or looking at what needs to be improved with the business, you were too caught up with the thoughts of failing that you start neglect your business. Perhaps you were feeling so hopeless about the situation that you failed to see the various opportunities for your business to shine.
If you had thought positively about your business, you would have felt more confident about it and hence, put in more effort on how to increase the revenue. Positive thinking encourages creativity. When you are feeling positive, you would tend to be more open to new ideas and opportunities. Whereas one who is negative would see a problem as a dead end. By harnessing the power of positive thinking, we are able to use self-fulfilling prophesy to our advantage.
And because we are feeling positive about our life despite whatever situation we are being thrown in, that in turn lower stress levels. We find ourselves being able to cope with stress inducing events. The mind is a powerful tool and positive thoughts are essential in succeeding in life. It does not have to be limited to your career but this rule can be applied to every other aspect such as your love life, family life and social life. Being optimistic also result in a longer lifespan, as people with a positive outlook on life are also more likely to lead a healthier lifestyle.
So, what kind of person do you think you are? When you see a glass of water, is it half-filled or half empty to you?