How To Stay Positive In a Negative World

Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read 

How To Stay Positive In a Negative World

Original Article Published: 10/23/18

Article Updated: 10/23/23

Our world can often make you feel low. If you watch the news every day, hang around people that are on the negative or “dramalicious” side, or surround yourself with things that don’t make your heart sing happy verses, you may be feeling a bit sad.

While it is not possible to be positive 100% of the time (we are all human), there are things you can do to move towards having more positive moments. Read on to learn how to stay positive in a negative world.

Art I created after a “friend” made me feel awful for quitting a dead end job

Too often, we hear the words “NO” and “DON’T.” We must strive to hear the bits of positivity through the negativity in order to continue spreading love and light.

—Carolyn J. Braden 10/23/2018

I started reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s (author of Eat, Pray, Love among several others) book, Big Magic, recently and it made me stop and think. A couple of sentences from the Motives chapter (page 98) kept making my head spin, so I had to go back and reread the chapter to try to understand her intent better.

Here is a quote from Big Magic:

“Whenever anybody tells me they want to write a book in order to help other people, I always think, Oh please don’t. Please don’t try to help me.”

My dog makes me smile and brings joy to my life

She wrote on to to explain herself a bit, and from that I was able to translate what she was trying to say (write books for yourself and if they happen to help others, then awesome!) but the sentence “Please don’t try to help me” kept blaring in my ears. The word “don’t” sounded so prescriptive when used twice in a row.

While I know Elizabeth didn't intend to be negative, “Please don’t try to help me” could have been rephrased. It was her true feelings, so I am thankful for her being so brave to put her thoughts out there like that, but the thoughts that come to my mind after reading and re-reading the chapter are simply this: We are here to help each other.

Spending time with loved ones can help bring joy to your life

Everyone needs help. We can’t do anything alone. Even writing this piece, I had inspirational help via Elizabeth Gilbert! Humans helping humans is what our world is all about. It’s in our nature. True, you can’t help those that don’t want help (and shouldn’t go overboard trying to do so), but everything we say and do has an opportunity to reach someone.

When I write, I know it is helping me, but I also am very thoughtful in knowing someone may read my writing. I try to be positive and uplifting because it helps me, but I also hope to be that “little positive something” in someone’s life when they need it the most.

I taught myself how to do this mostly due to teaching children for over 10 years. How I said things and what I did ALWAYS had the opportunity to affect a child. I wanted to affect them in the best way possible, so I always was thinking ahead before I said or did. Doing that for so long became a life lesson to try to continuously encourage children and adults in the best way possible.

Am I perfect in what I say? Of course not! I have a new puppy in my home right now, and the words “NO” and “DON’T” are hard not to say! However, I work on a daily basis to think of better ways to say things. It’s incredibly difficult sometimes (because some people trigger the worst in us), but you have to try your best to be graceful with your words.

So, let me now turn Elizabeth’s words into a phrase I would say:

“Whenever anybody tells me they want to write a book in order to help other people, I always say to them ‘Yes, Do! Write that book because you never know how your life story may help someone else out there that dealt with a similar situation. We are all here to help each other and your book could do just that.”

Staying positive can be difficult but it’s possible

While I don’t love every thought in Big Magic, I completely respect Elizabeth Gilbert and her creative talents. I know everyone doesn’t love everything I do or say, and I respect them just the same. It’d be a pretty boring world if we all liked all the same things!

See my 15 second video aimed at expressing a positive thought that one of my social media community members said. See it below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:

After reading my thoughts on Big Magic, you may now wonder now how I remain so positive and can put a positive spin on a lot of things. Yes, I have been through some terrible life situations (our Hurricane Ian life chapter was not fun!), but there are ways to steer through the clouds and land back into the light. According to the Mayo Clinic, using positive thinking can “help with stress management and even improve your health”.

Art by Carolyn J. Braden, Media: Gelly Roll pens, Sharpie marker, BIC pencil

Art Illustration by Carolyn J. Braden

They suggest doing this by stopping negative self talk. Talking bad about yourself is never helpful! Doing it in front of your children or grandchildren is not helpful to them either and can be very confusing.

Like the author of the article on the website mindbodygreen.com, I limit my negative news and people in my daily life. I also pray a lot, talk to my husband when I am feeling low, create (art, makeup looks, crafts and cooking mostly), meditate, and I read a lot of positive books and biographies. I like learning how others cope with negative energies too.

One sure fire way to land back into a positive state of mind is to take a break. Always know that the negative moment is just that….a moment. It will pass and as the saying goes, time always heals. The illustration I created for the original article in 2018 occurred when a person I thought was my friend told me I should not quit my job because no one would work with me or hire me again. There was more to the conversation and time healed the hurt I felt from the comments she made to me, creating the art healed me too, and I distanced myself from her.

She was going through a lot in her life at the time too (she ended up eventually quitting her job too and moved to another state on her own!) so I understood she needed some of her own healing to take place and maybe one day we can be a part of each other’s lives again.

She was wrong too. I have had lots of ups and downs trying to figure out my something next career-wise over the years, but I am doing what I love (writing and creating as much as possible for this website and social media) and that’s all that really matters. I actually make an income from it too. Yes!

What are some things you do to bring yourself back into the light after a negative experience? Tell us and others below!

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Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.