5 Quotes to Create a Positive Mindset During Negative Times

5 Quotes to Create a Positive Mindset During Negative Times
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Let's say it's been one of those days...

You know what I'm talking about.

One of those days where you've been happily living your life when out of nowhere you trip and stumble. You run out of your favorite moisturizer. Numbers go wrong. People are cranky. Your ex contacts you and hurls abuse. Someone insults you. Your bank account is mysteriously low. Someone close to you gets sick.

The world seems to be spiraling into your own personal apocalypse. The smallest of inconveniences morph into landmines.

You can't catch a break.

In those moments it may feel as if you have no power to control the direction of your day, however -- you do.

Sure, you may not have control of circumstances (in truth, you never do), but you do have the captain's wheel when it comes to controlling what you think (in truth, you always do).

And what you think will reflect how you live your life and how you are perceived.

So when you're battered in the arena of your life, feeling weary and you feel like you're giving up, here are 5 quotes to replay in your mind that can replenish your energy and give you a boost toward feeling positive and energized once again.

1)When The World Shrinks to The Size of Your Worry

When you're feeling the world is too much against you, you tend to contract your world to your own personal situation.

The world shrinks to the size of your emotions and needs.

It's natural.

To reverse negativity, start by looking outside yourself and see how you can be of service to another person

As the legendary reviver of the Chrysler corporation, Lee Iacocca has said,

"The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being."

And he's right.

When we act in service of others, we naturally feel more useful, appreciated and valuable. Helping others helps you pull yourself up onto positive feelings.

2)When You Are In Whirlwind of Pressure

With today's technological advances and instant messaging apps, things can quickly become so fast-paced as to be out of control.

The feeling of overwhelm can amplify minor stress into trembling anxiety.

But you always have the present moment to make a change. To opt out. To reset yourself.

Motivational speaker Les Brown says,

"In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact."

Reassuring, right?

Whether it's taking 30 seconds to take deep, calming "reset" breaths to have a positive impact on yourself, or taking a minute to call, text, Facebook or otherwise reach out to someone to remind them how much you like or love them -- you can shift your internal state in snap.

Your internal state is your private dominion -- and you have utter sovereignty over it. So rule it wisely.

3)When Over-Worrying Eats You Up

When things go badly, we tend to create even more anxiety by expecting things to get worse. As the Buddhists say, "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."

It's a fear thing. A survival thing. Your brain's natural response when its fear systems are triggered is to be on guard and defensive.

But you are not your primal instincts. You have choice.

And the first of those choices should be to put a hard stop to creating problems for yourself that aren't even real!

Mark Twain, the brilliant social observer, said it best:

"I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened."

See any resemblance with yourself in that quote?

Sure it can be challenging not to generate worrisome stories to fan the flames of your stressful situation, however, remember... you don't have to.

You can reverse it.

Let go of them and focus on solutions rather than fantasies of disaster. The truth is, your frontal cortex can only handle one of them -- solutions or worry -- at a time.

In those moments just remind yourself worrying will do you no good. Only action will.

4)When Negativity Clogs Your Creativity

Have you ever noticed how when you're in a negative mindset, a downward spiral seems to emerge? When you're brain is caught up in negative thoughts, your performance will falter, your mental spark may dull and you'll get sloppy. You'll miss opportunities and generally mess up.

However, when you're in a positive mindset life, you tend to be sharper. You tend to spot and grab opportunities. You feel energized, attractive, and sure of yourself.

Why is that? As master sales coach Zig Ziglar often reminded his students...

"Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will."

5) When Negative Thoughts Take You "Off Course"

Robert H. Schuller, has been one of the leading spiritual thinkers and writers of the last 20 years says...

"The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking."

And he is 100 percent right. In fact, its sort of an update of another inspiring writer, a guy named William Shakespeare, in a little play called Hamlet...

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Your mind determines the direction of your life.

You and you alone are the captain of your life and you decide in what direction to steer your ship (your mind) no matter the slings and arrows that the world may hurl your way.

Discipline your mind to focus on positive solutions and focus your actions on achieving your top priorities in life rather than the distractions.

And you will be well on your way to transforming your entire existence into a positive journey that will take you where you want to go.

So that you may become the person you most wish to be.

Best Selling Author, Emmy-Nominated Producer, Screenwriter and Entrepreneur, Adam Gilad leads a community of over 80,000 men and women on their quest to create love and a bold, inspired life. Having served as a Stanford Humanities Center Graduate Research Fellow and host of National Lampoon Radio, Adam blends a bracing mix of research, humor and global wisdom traditions to help men and women break through the habits blocking their ability to open into love and freedom.

He's a regular contributor to Vixen Daily in the Personal Development and Inspiration section.

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