How Positive Self Talk Can Contribute to Overall Happiness
Back a few years ago, a group of friends and I were trying to cheer up another friend of ours who was going through a tough time. In the middle of the conversation, somebody said to her, “You are the pioneer of your emotions. Any time you want to be happy, you can.” This really stuck with me. Over time, I learned to incorporate this into my life, which has worked well to contribute to my happiness overall.
It is true that happiness is somewhat dependent on a few variables which are out of our control. According to one psychological theory, each person has a happiness “set point” that partly determines our happiness level. This point is determined by genes and natural temperament. Our attitudes , which we can control, also influence our happiness and well-being. This is where positive self-talk comes in. Will postive thinking work 100% of the time without fail? Probably not. There will still be bad days. The trick is to choose how events and circumstances effect us. Something as simple as saying “Today is going to be a great day,” in the morning can help to create the expectation that the day will be good. Negative thoughts, on the other hand, can create the expectation that things will turn out poorly. Changing our self-talk to be more positive has more of an impact than we give it credit. Actively choosing to be more positive can greatly change how we view events. This in turn, can influence our attitude and can lead to more happiness and positivity overall.
So while it might take some effort, consciously changing to a positive perspective might change your life more than you think it will. Happiness is a choice that anyone can make. The realization that our emotions are within our control is empowering. Psychologist William James put it best, “The greatest discovery any generation can make is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.”