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Positive thinking can be the difference in seeing the bright side to a turn of events, and using them to your advantage, or sinking in to depression and allowing dips to get the better of you. Despite having a lot of ideas about self improvement, I don’t follow the crowd and personally believe in any ’supernatural’ power of thinking positive, as in willing something in to existence. I just believe when you think positive you open yourself up to more possibilities. A negative person who never sees the cloud’s silver lining, is never going to see how he or she can use their current situation to their advantage. They’ll waste time and energy sulking, and feeling sorry for themselves.I like to think of negative turns of events as clues to success. A clue telling you what doesn’t work is just as useful as one telling you what does.

Surround yourself with those who think positive.

You may not think others have that much power over your train of thought, but they do. If you surround yourself with people who are constantly whining and complaining about their lot in life, sooner or later you’ll give them a sympathy whine. You’ll add your problem to the conversation, and that’s just one step away from falling right back in to your circle of self pity. I’m not saying you have to cut ties with every friend who doesn’t have a perfect life, just avoid being engaged in conversation with friends that you know like to wallow, when they’re in a wallowing mood.

Actively try to see the upside to all things.

Eventually it will become second nature, but until such time you have to force yourself. Every time something negative happens, actively force yourself to find something positive about the situation, or the turn of events. For instance, if you’re driving and a rock is kicked up by the car in front of you, chipping your windshield. Realize that it could have been worse, it did not hit the hood, which would have been significantly more costly, and you got the driver’s license plate number. You will be reimbursed by their insurance company and it could have been much worse.

Make the best of what you’ve got

Let me explain what I mean. If you’re depressed over not making enough money, if you think you’ll never get that raise that you “need”, first look and see if you’re making the best of what you have already. Are you spending in areas you don’t need to? Are you being as cost-efficient as you can be, while still living comfortably? Spend some time making the best of what you have already, and you’ll be that much more well-off when your problem improves.

Speak positively to others, it’ll rub off on yourself

This is an example of “fake it til’ you make it”. Forcing yourself to be positive with others, with their problems, will rub off on you. For the first while you’ll have to make yourself actively look for an upside, just like you had to force yourself to look for them in your life. Little by little, though, you’ll notice yourself thinking on the positive side naturally, more and more often.

Realize its never too late

Realize that if you’re reading this, if you’re breathing, its not too late to make anything right. There is no such thing as being ‘too far gone’. Where there is life, there is hope.