Okay you know the drill: there is a light at the end of the tunnel, positivity is power, the grass is greener, the glass is half full and all that jazz. I’m not here to be a motivational cassette tape in the form of a blog, because you’ve heard all of the clichés. Instead, I want to talk about the inevitable result of a positive mindset, and why we often subconsciously choose negativity.

In the midst of enduring a week of which at the time I could have been certain I was the most stressed person in the world, I received a text that made me sit up and think to myself, “Alena you dingus, it’s not the end of the world. Take a lap”. Even for someone who self-proclaims themselves to have optimism coming out of their ears, I sat there dumbfounded reading the text from one of my good friends in a group chat that simply said, “Guys, I decided I’m going to give up negativity.”

Not only did the concept of giving up negativity arrive via imessage at a perfect time, but it’s so wonderfully simple. Of course it’s easier said than done, but I’ve learned that the first step to minimizing negativity is to take the initiative to verbalize it. This was made clear to me when I wrapped up my appointment at UHCS for an untimely cold by being asked to participate in a small lifestyle questionnaire by the UHCS’s Health Educator. I learned a couple things about what simply verbalizing positive words can do.

• Changing “I have to” to “I am going to” will make you more prone to fulfill a task, whether it be going to the gym, doing homework, cleaning, etc.
• Eliminate your negative self-fulfilled prophesies. Above I mentioned using “I am going to” obviously doesn’t apply to negative outcomes. Saying “I am going to fail this exam” gives you a mindset that the fate of your exam is a lost cause and putting any extra effort in is useless.

“I’m not naïve and not negative” I’ve come to the realization that people choose to verbalize their stress in order to portray the hard work they are putting in. The truth is, people who are positive are not floating through life. Rather, they are choosing the healthier route, which allows them to accomplish more. Everyone has stress in some shape or form, so don’t predict or compare other people’s work load based on how much they complain. That is just silly. Stop that.

“Don’t be a Negative Nancy” You may have heard this phrase before.  It may have been directed at you, or maybe you’ve even used it yourself. The thing about being a negative Nancy or a pessimistic Patty is that you’re not purposely trying to be the Eeyore amongst all of the Winnie the Poohs. Like I mentioned above, complaining is a natural way for us to make our hard work recognized. However, although venting is completely healthy, comparing your work load to other people’s work load is a parasitic relationship. You’re killing their vibe, man.

Simply setting yourself up for success through words and expressing what you can and will accomplish is an initiative that we naturally pass up. As the end of the semester is right around the corner and final exams are quicly approaching, I encourage you to use the infamous exam week as an experiment. Pitch positive self-fulfilling prophecies to your friends while cramming for an exam, put it on social media, and overall carry that healthy mindset with you and examine the outcome. Lastly, it is important to not only surround ourselves with positive people, but also to be that positive person. So keep your chin up and head high, because the glass can be half full if you want it to be.

“It’s a good day to have a good one.”

-Alena Purpero