On a positive note

Positivity is one of the greatest qualities any human being can possess. I always try to inculcate and practice positivity in my life. I try to communicate with persons who have a positive frame of mind. I thrive in that good vibe. By saying so I don’t mean that there are no low phases in my life but it is also true that I use my positive mindset to overcome such phases quicker than many. I am learning to focus on possibilities, instead of counting the hurdles.

I try to pass on this message to my near and dear ones. Sometimes I succeed to convince them, sometimes I face resentment. If a friend comes with a problem, I try to calm them down with logic and try to convince them to remain positive in any crisis situation. I feel happy if I am able to make some difference in their state of mind and can instill little bit of encouragement in them. At the same time there are instances when I face resistance. In such cases I have to actually back out. It is unfortunate when people lose the ability or desire to see the positive side to situations.

Some months back I visited a fun fair with one of my friends. Sitting at a make shift tea stall we watched the hustle-bustle of the place over our steaming cups. There was this giant wheel, an essential entertainment ride of every fair. It was joyful to watch people with chirping children queuing up for their turn. As the wheel went up the whole atmosphere was getting charged with the excited loud voices and laughter. Children with broad smiles and sparkle in their eyes were getting out of the arena after enjoying their ride and excitedly discussing their experiences with their parents or siblings. My mind became fresh in that happy atmosphere. Unfortunately my friend did not enjoy a bit of it. She remained tensed throughout recalling many giant wheel accidents all over the world. This is a classic example of negativity, whereas what matters is precaution, and not unnecessary fear.

Human mind is full of various emotions. According to me taking control of our emotions, observing any situation from a neutral place and not straight away focussing only on the negative possibilities, is positivity. When we cannot take control of our emotions, they over power us and we tend to act inappropriately letting negativity surface in our behaviour, which is harmful to our mental health. If we see our peers are able to look at the positive side of things, it is good to actively encourage them to see the lighter side around them.

As much as being positive is important, it is also important to be kind to those who are unable to be cheery at all times. A person with negative mentality is often a victim of various circumstances. Frustration, bullying, lack of freedom, break up, family dispute , loneliness, betrayal, financial crisis are some of the reasons of turning an individual negative. Children raised within circumstances mentioned above may turn negative in later life. It cannot be denied that few people come out much stronger after going through such adversity, but people are unable too. Negative thinking can be managed with little and persistent effort of counselling. Considering all above we should be patient with people showing negativity but also be encouraging and positive in our conversations.

I continue with my effort of convincing people around me to try and be positive in their bearing. I will be the happiest if I can motivate a few of them - and a good way of steering our minds towards positive thinking is meditation. Daily practice of meditation, even for a very short period of ten minutes , can be a boost to our mental health. A great habit to keep our minds healthy.

(The writer is a retired bank officer and the views expressed in the article are her own.)