I wish I could say I’ve been a forward-thinking, positive person throughout my entire life, but it’s not true. There have been far too many times in which I’ve let doubt drive me—even though I truly believe that things tend to work themselves out in the end. It usually happens right before a major transition when I think too much about all of the “what if’s” and don’t let myself just have faith that everything will be okay.
On the other hand, I have always been positive for the people in my life. I tend to seek out relationships with other people who do look on the bright side. I think these relationships help me return to a place of positivity if I am starting to let fear and doubt color my thinking.
Lately I have really started to pay attention to intention. Why do people do the things they do? What is their motivation for their actions? Paying more attention to this has shown me that positivity is not always reciprocated as much as I think it is.
There are some people in your life who you think are positive, bright, shining forces, but then you realize that you are actually the one providing them with positivity. When the time comes to take the positivity torch, they do not always complete the pass.
If negativity does creep into my thoughts, I usually need a day or two of feeling sorry for myself and then I can typically pull out of it and return to my regularly scheduled (fairly) positive thinking. There are occasions, though, when I need a little bit of help from the people in my life.
Most of those people always go above and beyond and I am extremely lucky and grateful to have them. Even if they say things I’m not necessarily ready to hear, their words stay with me and I digest them when I’m in a better headspace. Lately, though, I’ve noticed that certain people have a tendency to disappear in situations like that. We might talk multiple times a week if things are normal—more if they are going through any kind of crisis. But the second I need the reciprocation, it goes radio silent.
And you know what? That’s okay. Because it made me realize something—we all need to be our own positive.
There will be plenty of times when it is easier to be negative, but positivity really does help to improve the way we handle things and it provides the spark to keep moving towards the best versions of ourselves.
Be your own positive and it will attract even more positivity to you.
