Become More Positive–the How, What, and Why
This is one step towards becoming a more positive person. Here is an exercise for you guys: try to think, talk, and write in positive sentences. Do this for a set number of time—10 days, 30 days, 1 year, or whatever you choose.
What are Positive Sentences?
It’s a sentence that avoids using “no,” “not,” and any other types of negatives. Instead, you just substitute the negative words with positive words—without changing the sentence’s meaning. Here are some examples:
Negative: Without my knife I can’t cook.
Positive: Once I find my knife, I’ll cook.
Negative: If you don’t pay me, I won’t finish the job.
Positive: When I receive your repayment, I can finish my job.
Negative: Your proposal is horrible.
Positive: You can improve your proposal by doing … (give specifics)
Negative: We can’t deliver by the 12th
Positive: We should be able to deliver the finished product by the 20th
Negative: I can’t play the piano.
Positive: With lots of practice, I’ll be able to play the piano.
Negative: This task is impossible for me to do.
Positive: With these resources, I can do this task.
Negative: Do not enter!
Positive: Employees only.
And you get the point.
The Benefits of Using Positive Sentences
If you look at the examples above, you’ll notice something. The positive sentences sound more confident. They also sound more proactive and positive.
In addition, they are persuasive. People are more likely to respond to something that’s positive than negative. Think about it, would people go for something that seems possible to do or something that sounds impossible to do?
Most importantly, practicing this will make you think more positively. And most of us can admit that having a positive mindset is good.
Do You Really Have to Rephrase Everything?
For the sake of the exercise yes. But once you get into the positive mindset and becomes second nature, you don’t have to consciously do it all the time. There are certain things that you should say “no” to. And that’s also part of being confident and honest. But if you’re normally a negative person, you should try this exercise and see if it can make some difference.
Stumble it!
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