Keeping it positive | Tashvi Aggarwal | TEDxYouth@OSC
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpyWrUUlRl0 Video ID: DpyWrUUlRl0 ============================================================ [Applause] what does it mean to be positive how can we practice being positive when nothing feels right in our life and we feel like we're losing control how can we be happy well that's what I'd like to talk about today positivity now to start off being positive and being happy are quite different which are often overlooked being happy is a temporary state of being in which you only focus on your expectations and your ability to fulfill them whereas positivity is a long-term state of being you appreciate what's been given to you what you do have control over and seek Improvement to becoming a better individual a positive mindset is even in the face of challenges your ability to stay optimistic bringing you happiness success and a healthier state of well-being now positivity isn't just a vague idea or an abstract concept it's a Concrete mindset that you cultivate to develop over time it's at its core it's about finding the good in your souls and other people around you it's about finding that silver lining in every cloud the lesson in every Challenge and the opportunity in every obstacle it's not about denying negative experiences or ignoring reality we're really recognizing that you have the power to choose your perspective and shape your response to the rest of the world now facing challenges is like facing life each person is going through a challenge whether it's their school environment or the ability of their talents or the home issues or relationship problems and many more and some are more severe than others you can't control what life has ahead of you or what you're going through right now but what you can control is your ability to handle and react to it by adopting a positive mindset you choose to focus on the solutions instead of rambling on the problems taking each learning opportunity into a valuable learning experience making your growth at a much more advanced level not only does positivity have such significant impact on our mental health but also our physical well-being studies show that stress hormones are lowered and endorphins which are feeling good hormones take a leap this decreases our chances of getting chronic diseases and imp improves their overall immune systems friendships and relationships also have an advantage if you approach someone with a sense of positivity they're much more likely to have the same reaction back positivity is contagious and that makes us more familiar with new interactions and experiences each person is the OWN main character in their own story and just to realize that there's 8 billion stories revolving around you is kind of overwhelming taking that into consideration your ability to adapt and enhance yourself comes in hand becoming more resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks and more successful in achieving your life goals so now the real question is how do we cultivate a positive mindset how do we always look on the bright side and here's a few strategies I'd like to discuss with you today the first strategy is to practice gratitude and I know as cliche as this sounds but it's actually really important if you practice gratitude you shift your attentions from the negative things in your life to the comforting things this gives you a sense of awareness of the positive impacts in your life making you appreciate of the people and things around you one way to practice gratitude is to keep a mentor physical Journal each night before you go to bed think or write down three things you're grateful for during your day it doesn't matter the adversity of them or how much of an impact they had on you but really just capture those precious moments the second strategy is to reframe negative thoughts if you're faced with a challenger setback and you're beginning to wonder if you're not good enough or you'll never succeed counter that argument if that would really be the case provide evidence to the contrary this makes a much more balanced argument of both sides of the thinking system giving you an awareness of the positive aspect the third and last strategy I'd like to discuss today is your surroundings now this has personally helped me a lot in the last couple of years and hopefully will continue to do so if you surround yourself with people who bring you Joy and uplift you you tend to reflect that you choose in life who you associate yourself with and if a person doesn't respect you or treat you for you then you shouldn't waste your time trying to please that person you have so many good qualities that you wish to embrace in conclusion I'd like to say that positivity has a number of significant impacts on our lives and you can practice doing so by practicing gratitude reframing negative thoughts and changing your surroundings I hope you start your journey today and look at the world in A New Perspective thank you