A Positive Mindset

At different times in my life, I have considered teaching.. to the degree that I completed almost an entire Elementary Education certification program in college and later on used a community college certification program to get my temporary certification and was working in an elementary classroom for a bit.  I learned a lot in that experience, not the least was that it definitely wasn't a less stressful profession than accounting.  Ha!  

However, there was one thing that I learned that has been particularly useful in my recent weeks.  I won't go into why or specifically how, as I am keeping my private life out of my blog posts and social media.  However, the concept is a very good one that can help many people in a wide variety of struggles into which they find themselves.  Specifically, it is what it MEANS to have a positive mindset and positive focus.

A lot of people would and does assume that for something to be positive, it means pressure or struggle free or the easy and pleasurable way of doing things. Well, I have addressed that at various times in my blog posts over the years.  It is EASY to sit around and is pleasurable to eat sugar.  However, that will not lead to personal goals of being fit.  It is easy to not have a job or work at a flexible but low paying job, but being so poor that you fear an unexpected expense and wonder if there will be food in the next week is also not a happy result.... trust me, I've been there on different occasions.  It takes work to reach positive goals that add things to your life (positive.. add.. more... get it?).

However, to get to a positive result, you must be focusing on the adding or the doing of what you need or what you desire, instead of spending your focus and energy upon what you dislike or what didn't happen for you.  As the quote says, the best way to predict your future is to create it.  Another quote says the secret to success is to spend less energy fighting the old and more energy creating the new.

As a teacher, they teach you that you don't tell a student the negative.  You don't tell them what they are doing wrong or tell them to not do something.  Instead, you tell them the correct way to do something or tell them what they should be doing.  

In your own life, are you spending more time focused on what didn't work or isn't working, or are you learning and trying to do things differently.  Are you feeling sad over what you lost, or are you making strides towards what you want or what you can gain?  Are you focused on what you are did wrong, or are you focused on what you should be doing instead? 

Personally, I have come to understand that there are many things in my life that are out of my hands, and I definitely cannot control the decisions of others... no matter what I do.  But, what I CAN do is set my mind and hand to the task of improving myself and making actions that make me happy.  And, in the end, that is all we all can really do.