Okay, ladies and gents, roll up your sleeves because we’re going to get a little deep this week.

Let’s talk about the power of the mind and how important it is to cast your thoughts, actions and speech in a positive light.

Toby Mac, Christian music superstar, was onto something when he chose the tag-line, “Speak Life.”

It could have been inspired by Proverbs 18:21 which says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Both indicate we can create positive, life-giving atmospheres or negative, poisonous atmospheres.

In the book, “Words Can Change Your Brain,” Andrew Newberg, M.D., wrote, “By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action. And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.

“Functions in the parietal lobe start to change, which changes your perception of yourself and the people you interact with. A positive view of yourself will bias you toward seeing the good in others, whereas a negative self-image will include you toward suspicion and doubt.

“Over time the structure of your thalamus will also change in response to your conscious words, thoughts, and feelings, and we believe that the thalamic changes affect the way in which you perceive reality.”

Here are 10 ways to increase positivity, happiness, and health.

Gratitude

Spend five minutes each day, maybe while driving to work or before bed, speaking aloud what you are thankful for.

The small things make a difference, too. It’s totally fine to be thankful for having a good hair-day or for having an especially good cup of tea.

Forgive

Holding on to anger, depression, resentment and other strong negative emotions can eat us up inside. Have you ever received bad news and became sick to your stomach?

That is your emotions literally making you sick. It’s very difficult but try to let it go, give it to God to carry.

The lyrics of Linkin Park’s song, “Heavy,” reminds me of this every time I hear it. It says, “I’m holding on/Why is everything so heavy?/Holding on/So much more than I can carry/I keep dragging around what’s bringing me down/If I just let go, I’d be set free.”

Journaling is a great outlet for your pain. If it’s too private or scary to keep the words in a book, write it down on a piece of paper and burn it. Watch those heavy burdens turn to ash and blow away.

Encourage Others

Building people up and supporting others naturally lifts your mood and outlook. Life is too short to be bitter toward others or to be so self-absorbed that you don’t even pay attention to other people. There are millions of folks yearning for a kind word.

Tell your staff or your boss when they do a good job, hold the door open for someone, let someone know if you like their shirt and they look nice.

If your friend has a dream to start their own business, don’t scoff and shoot them down, let them know you stand behind them.

Relationships

Spend time with people who make you better, who bring out the best in you.

Immerse Yourself

Read, watch and listen to inspirational books, shows and songs. What we watch on TV does play a part in how we view situations. Be careful what you let in -it may take root.

Help Somebody

If you have a need, help someone else with their need. Oftentimes, helping someone else with their problem will also help yours.

Get Moving

Physical activity has been shown time and time again to improve your outlook on life. Take a walk, go for a jog, lift some weights, do pilates, swim, go kayaking, work in the garden. Do something.

Focus on the Good

It’s easy to focus on the negative. When a bad situation arises, it’s survival instinct to narrow the focus on the threat. In one study, it also proved we see fewer choices as options.

When something bad happens, take a deep breath and see if there is any way possible to put something about it in a more positive light.

When a negative thought pops into your head, stop yourself and change it to a more positive statement when you speak it.

This includes how you think of yourself. If you say things to yourself you’d never dream of saying to somebody else, then that needs to change. Bring that thought captive and transform it into good.

Even if you don’t feel it’s true, if you speak it often enough, it will grow into truth.

Meditate and Pray

Meditation is not “new age” it’s biblical. Jesus meditated. King David meditated. Now, some people choose to meditate in a way that is not biblical. That is where your spiritual discernment comes into play and beyond the scope of this column.

Think of it as simply an opportunity to quiet your mind, let go of the noise and truly relax with the Word of God or other inspirational word.

Visualization

Visualize your perfect you. See yourself with the health you desire. See the cells of your body renewing and growing stronger every time you eat well or workout or undergo treatment.

Vision boards are a neat tool to use to help keep your goals and dreams in the forefront.

Clip photos of your dreams and goals out of magazines and glue them onto a poster board. Write inspirational quotes or anything you’d like on it and hang in a location you will see every day.

One Thing At A Time

This is a cursory glimpse of each of the topics. If you’d like more information on any particular piece, let me know.

Don’t feel like you have to tackle all these at once. Choose one thing to work on at a time and grow into the others.

If we all work on being happier, grateful people,
we can change the world.

Do you practice any of these? What else do you do to increase positivity in your life? Comment below!