Challenge: Be Positive, Be Thankful Charity: Operation Restoration Total £ accrued: £3 Positive Thought: “The secret to having it all, is knowing you already do. Be ever grateful.” – Paul Chucks
The Third Challenge: Being Positive & Thankful
In a culture of self-indulgence, self-obsession & consumerism, we are taught that the world revolves around us and that the most important person is “me”. Being a little selfish feels good so it’s easy to get sucked in to the inward focused, self-serving mindset. The problem with being so focused on self is that it’s very easy to develop a negative mindset when the world isn’t serving your interests (and it wont). And the problem with this type of a culture is that it creates a sense of entitlement and as a result of this we have a strong “Complaint Culture”.
What is this “Complaint Culture” you are talking about? A culture where we are rewarded for complaining! If you order something, and there is a single string out of place, if you complain you will get a new one straight away. If you go somewhere and you don’t like the attitude of the staff, complain and the company will pay (many people who know me will tell you I am notorious for this)! We seem to live in a world where the easiest way to find common ground with someone is to complain or bitch about something (or someone, or the weather). And you know what, sometimes it’s fun to hate the world and moan about it and sometimes it’s even necessary to complain and to share negative experiences, but when it becomes your default then there’s a problem. Hence this month’s challenge!
Choosing to see the glass as half full & not half empty!
So what does being positive & thankful mean to me?
For me, it’s about asking the question “If I had everything I ever wanted would I be happy?” And I think for many of us, if we really think about it, the answer would be no. Because happiness is not made out of stuff, and it isn’t always situational (I would argue to say it never has to be situational). Positivity is a lifestyle choice, as is thankfulness. It is choosing to see the world through rose tinted glasses.
So for me this month will be about:
Looking for the good in every circumstance
Finding something to be thankful for, even when I feel sad
Choosing to be positive in all situations
Not complaining, thanking instead
Building up, not criticising
One posititive/thankful thought a day
There is so much beauty in this world; there is a lot to be thankful for.
How do I plan to do this?
I will be looking to post a positive thought a day on Instagram (@marydaisyg) and to inspire me each day I have a Pinterest board of inspiring quotes. I will also set aside time each day to reflect on the positives and things I am thankful for.
The challenge will be to convert my negative situations into positive ones and find the “silver lining” in each cloud. To avoid complaining about anything (even if I rightfully should) and instead look for opportunities to thank. If I don’t, it will be £1 for each negative situation that I do not successfully turn into a positive and £1 for each complaint. My charity of the month is Operation Restoration!