Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 146

Ten Tips to Help You Focus on the Good and Positive Things in Life

All we ever hear about these days is bad news. Approximately 95% of news media is negative and 90% of all news is centered around sensationalism. On top of that, almost daily we hear about some new climate related disaster, how our world food supply is in jeopardy, and how our entire planet is now contaminated. 

Unfortunately, all of this bad news has an affect on our mental health. Rates of anxiety and depression are increasing and so are the feelings of hopelessness. 

And because of that I am going to devote some time to giving you ways to stay positive. 

So, stayed tuned for E146, which is called Ten Tips to Help You Focus on the Good and Positive Things in Life. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E146 which is called Ten Tips to Help You Focus on the Good and Positive Things in Life

As I said before, so much of the news we hear today is negative. In fact, 95% of all news media is centered on something negative. And unfortunately, that has a direct affect on our mental health and our general outlook on life. And that is why I am going to devote some time to giving you 10 tips on how to stay positive. 

Numerous studies have linked the consumption of bad news to increased distress, anxiety, and depression. But this is not surprising when all we hear about day after day are things that make us worry about our future. These things include economic turmoil, racial injustice, the pandemic, the global effects of climate change, and one crisis after another. 

And our mental health problems are further exacerbated by our surge in technology, social media, and a 24 hours news cycle that constantly exposes us to traumatic events. The world has always been a stressful place. But now because we can experience traumatic events that have occurred thousands of miles away, we start to get the feeling that there is no safe place to go and the world is going to fall apart at any given moment. 

And some experts even say that many of us suffer from disaster fatigue. This happens when we hear so much about disasters that we become less concerned, more apathetic, and develop a diminished sense of urgency to do anything about a crisis.  

And according to the World Health Organization the global prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased by a massive 25%. And a lot of that has do with the world we live in and how we respond to it. After all, we live in a world where violence, injustice and despair seem to be everywhere. And because of that it becomes easier to expect bad outcomes rather than good ones. While none of us are exempt from life’s difficulties, we can choose to focus on the good rather than the bad. 

I have often said that living a sustainable life has more to do with your attitude than where and how you live. But this is also true with so many other things in life. Your attitude has a profound impact on how you communicate and collaborate with others, how you contribute to the culture of your work place, and even how you perform your daily tasks and take care of your responsibilities. Ultimately, your attitude directly influences your success and your happiness. In other words, all things being equal, the person with the best attitude wins. 

But because attitude is so important for many of the things we do, even living sustainably, in this episode I want to give you several ways to focus on the good and positive things in life and stop automatically expecting a bad outcome. It does take a tremendous amount of effort to remain positive in today’s world. But it is possible to focus on the good and remain hopeful not matter what is happening around you.  

Why is this important?

It is interesting to note that having a positive outlook goes much further than the smile on your face. Recent research suggests that people who focus on the good tend to adapt better to stressful situations and cope better with life’s challenges. Additionally, focusing on the positive aspects of life also boosts your immune system. And those same studies show just the opposite happens with those that focus on the bad, to the extent that pessimistic people actually have a shorter lifespan. 

So, let’s get right down to how to focus on the good things in life. 

1) Practice gratitude

Regularly practicing gratitude is a great way to condition your mind to focus on the good things in life regardless of external circumstances. When you intentionally find things to be grateful for you are automatically taking a personal inventory of all the good things around you. But if you are going through tough times, being grateful may be as simple as cherishing a good cup of coffee. 

If you want to incorporate this into your life, then set some time aside everyday to write down 3 good things that happened to you. It is easier if you do this at the same time everyday. 

2) Recognize your own good qualities

Besides seeing all the good things in the world, it is also essential to acknowledge your own good qualities. First and foremost, stop being your own best critic and focusing on all of your flaws and mistakes. It is hard to have a great attitude when you have a poor relationship with yourself.  If you truly want to focus on all the good things in life then start with yourself. Start by identifying your own positive traits and commend yourself for your good deeds and acts of kindness no matter how small.  

3) See the good in others

Despite all the bad things we hear about everyday, you have to realize there is no shortage of good people in the world. When you truly believe that most people are good, you unconsciously start to gather evidence to support that conclusion and reinforce that belief. 

There is no shortage of good people in this world. When you choose to believe that most people want to do good, your mind starts to gather evidence to reinforce this belief.

This will help you to overcome your confirmation bias.This is a psychological term for our propensity to seek out and accept only the information that supports an existing belief or idea. In short, we gather evidence to support our position and reject, ignore, and not even process information with opposing views. 

What tends to happen when you seek the good in others, it actually broadens your perspective to better understand those who may not share your same views and values. Consequently, you tend to have more positive interactions, form new bonds with other people, and enhance the quality of your present relationships. 

4) Surround yourself with positive people 

As social and empathetic beings, the people we spend the most time with tend to rub off on us. They have the power to influence our moods, our opinions, and even our outlook on life. You’ve probably noticed before how your mood shifts when you’re around a friend down on their luck or a family member who loves to complain about everything.

It is true that no one can be positive all the time and everyone has bad days. But spending time with people who constantly dwell on negativity can be infectious and draining. But the same is true with happiness and good vibes which are also infectious. If you surround yourself with happy people you are more likely to be happy yourself.  

On a personal note, I avoid negative people like the plague. I have even been known to completely refuse to work in certain hospital environments because it is so toxic. I actually have a very strict rule with myself that if the people around me are not contributing to a positive quality of life, I walk away and find another place to work. For me, life is just too short to be around people that are depressing. 

5) Never compare and despair

What I mean by this is how we are constantly comparing ourselves to other people and then despairing because we are not more like them. And I think these days social media makes it so easy to compare and despair. But what you have to realize is that most people are only going to post about their best days. And that is what makes their lives seem to perfect. People do not have the tendency to post about their most embarrassing mistakes and their epic failures. And this is why you should not compare and despair. 

Numerous studies have detailed the negative impact of social media. Our never ending social comparison results in lower self esteem, social anxiety, social isolation, comparison and envy, and a complete decay in our ability to communicate face to face. 

In an ideal world we would never compare ourselves to anyone. However, social comparison seems to be an inherent human trait. So it you are going to constantly comparing yourself to others, make downward comparisons instead. That means you compare yourself to those that are less fortunate. This sort of social comparison makes you feel better about yourself and and helps you to recognize and focus on the good in your life.  

In my opinion, you can get the same sort of perspective when you travel, depending of course on where you go and what you do. I spent at least 10 years of my career traveling and working in third world countries. And I can say from personal experience that it gives you a completely different perspective on life when you spend time working in the jungle with people that live in handmade huts, with thatched roofs, and dirt floors, and their cooking area consists of two to three pots over an indoor fire pit. 

People that live on next to nothing and yet they offer an enormous amount of gratitude for everything you do for them. After a work trip like that you go back home and you are thankful for every single thing you have no matter how small.  

6) Seek out good news and positive stories

There is a part of human nature that makes us curious about horrifying and tragic events. That is why bad news sells. But there comes a time when you have to ask yourself if constant exposure to bad news, harsh unforgiving language, violence, death, and injustice actually adds value to your life. Constant exposure to such things eventually affects how you look and life and how you judge the world at large. 

There are plenty of news sites that are specifically dedicated to positive stories in order to counteract all the bad news we hear. In fact, in the resources section of the transcript I am going to have several links to place where you can go to get some good news. But, just too mention one, check out the Good News Network. 

What I commonly do when I want some straight forward, interesting, entertaining, and insightful educational content is to read or watch something that is published by National Geographic. There are very few things that I subscribe to and National Geographic is one of them. That is my way of consuming feel good content

Constantly consuming bad news has a negative impact on our mental health. But consuming uplifting content is a perfect antidote to all the negative impact we are exposed to everyday. It serves as a great reminder that good things are more common that we think. 

7) Just say NO to negativity

This is something I do all the time specifically because of the type of work I do. Most people think that veterinarians must have a great job because we spend all day dealing with puppies and kittens. But the exact opposite is the actual reality. We spend the majority of our time dealing with complicated medical problems, terminal illnesses, death, grief, and distraught clients and family members. Consequently, when I am outside or work, I purposely seek out positive experiences. 

If I am around someone that is being negative, I walk away. If I happen to go into the supermarket during the busy time of day, I put in ears plugs or I wear headphones and listen to good music tracks. Even when I go to a convenience store to put gas in my truck I will often put in ear plugs. This is because most of the gas pumps have TV screens that blast news stories while you are pumping gas. At the end of the day, I go to great lengths to void negativity and I highly recommend you do the same. 

8) Be selective

Be selective about your friends. Be selective about family members you spend time with. Be selective about your personal relationships. Be selective about who you deal with on social media. Even be selective about your work environment. 

I’ve had a long standing rule that if someone or  something, even my work environment, has a constant negative impact or is producing more frustration than good I get rid of it. I have ended friendships, personal relationships, jobs, and even practically disowned certain family members due to excessive drama, constant negativity and turmoil. Some people relish in producing such an environment and I refuse to have any part of it. I highly recommend you do the same. 

9) Remember it isn’t personal

With all the bad news we constantly hear about our world it is difficult sometimes to not feel personally threatened. It is the same when you have to deal with some one who is verbally attacking you and telling you all about what a lousy person you are. It is the same when you are even around someone who is overwhelmingly negative. It is hard not to feel bad. 

What you have to remember is to not take it personally. When people act poorly you have to focus on the fact that it is truly about them, it is their own personal demons that they are projecting on you. 

Occasionally we all have to deal with people that are truly toxic. I had to do that just the other day. I had to deal with a client that was yelling and making some very personal remarks about both me and the hospital staff. The end result is that she was removed from the property and was fired as a client. What I told the staff is that someone like that has some serious personal issues that have to be dealt with and you cannot take her remarks personally. Instead of focusing on the negative, think about all the other people you will deal with today that are enormously grateful for the services you provide. 

10) Practice Meditation and Mindfulness

The next tip I have is to practice meditation and mindfulness. There have been numerous studies that prove the beneficial affects of daily meditation and mindfulness practice. Both of these practices help us to live in the present and not focus on negativity. 

If you truly want to get in touch with your thoughts, live in the present, and get to know yourself on a deeply personal level, meditation and mindfulness is the answer. It is just this sort of observational method that will help you to focus on your thoughts and how often you have negative, fear-based, judgmental, and maybe even abusive thought processes. That is the first step toward getting rid of such things and focusing more on the positive things in life. 

Wrapping Up

Now just to kind of start wrapping things up here. I know that it can be difficult to not have this feeling of impending doom because of all that is going on in the world. We are truly living in unprecedented times and our world is rapidly changing. Despite all of that it is possible to focus on the good things in life. 

People often look at me and how I live and say “It must be nice.” What most people do not stop to think about is that no one escapes the difficulties in life and that includes me. I too have had some very difficult and unfortunate things happen to me and my family. But I choose to focus on the good. I do not live this blissful life in the middle of the forest but I do live very deliberately and very intentionally. 

After many years working abroad, I am truly grateful for everything I have. I go out of my way to surround myself with good friends and good family, the kind of people that bring value into my life. My time on social media is exactly the amount of time I need to make positive posts that people will enjoy. I truly enjoy what I have accomplished in my life so I never have the need to compare and despair. 

Instead of that I seek out good news and positive stories and I avoid negativity as much as humanly possible. I stopped watching network television over 25 years ago because I feel as if it brings no value to my life. I am extremely selective about who is in my life and why. When I am forced to deal with toxic people I walk away and remind myself that they are the ones that truly have a problem and they need to get some help but it is not going to be on my time. And I keep a healthy outlook on life by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, living as sustainably as I can, and my form of meditation is a quiet walk in the forest. As I like to say, I would much rather practice meditation than have to take medication. 

And I want to close this episode with a very well known quote from Mahatma Gandhi. “Be the good you wish to see in the world.” 

And do not forget to check out the links in the resources section of this episode. Every one of them will take you to something fun and positive. 

And don’t forget to join me next week because I am going to bring you numerous examples of good things that are going on around the world.  

And if you enjoy the content that I produce, then you can support my efforts my sharing my posts and episode with others and tell them to subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News. 

Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.  

Patrick

Resources

Good News Network

Making Me Smile

Top Ten Best Good News Websites

10 Days of Positive Thinking TED playlist