Positive self-talk is a rewarding choice
Victoria Seiketso Sethibe | Thursday October 20, 2016 17:14
The emphasis was on teenagers. In this article, some of the rewards that come with positive self-talk are outlined and explained with reference to real life examples. Emphasis will again be on teenagers because they are frequently reported to make self-defeating decisions.
Reward 1
Better coping skills during tough times
Instead of thinking that a fulfilling life is only reserved for those who ‘have it all’ and sail through life smoothly, it helps to know that everybody has a chance to make their life fulfilling. It is important for young people to understand that challenges are not necessarily meant to discourage or destroy anybody.
Their main purpose is to build mental strength in people, a quality that is needed to survive in day to day life. It is just unfortunate that some young people are reported to make themselves ‘pain-proof’ through physical self-torture.
If for instance two people experience the same challenge, what would set them apart would be how they each view and respond to that challenge. Person X might think “why me, what did I do to deserve this, life is so difficult for me!” while person Y might think “now what is this, what is it that I need to learn here?”The difference between these two people is that person X’s thought process makes him or her to feel like a victim and eventually act like a victim. When a person perceives themselves as a victim, they are likely to see life as being consistently harsh on them. This can lead to depression and eventually a decision to engage in physical self-torture such as self-mutilation.
Person Y’s thought process on the contrary, makes him or her to feel a solution or effective coping skill somewhere embedded in them. In that way, person Y would be able to think objectively about how best to approach the situation and eventually find a way out of the challenge. Unlike person X, person Y BELIEVES that he or she can move on and is willing to do exactly that.
Reward 2
Building harmonious relationships
People who think positively like Y, can easily notice positive qualities in other people and able to ignore their weaknesses. They simply do not create unrealistic expectations about other people. This in turn, helps them to build more meaningful friendships and harmonious relationships. Those with negative attitude like X, tend to see exaggerated defaults in other people, thereby missing out on the potential of living in harmony with those around them.
Reward 3
Good health
Several scientific studies have proven that people with positive attitude and energy are less likely to suffer from depression and rarely get sick, unlike those who carry negative energy most of the time. The word disease is said to mean not at ease. It is for this reason that negative or stressful thoughts have been found to be the main cause of most illnesses.
Reward 4
Road to success
Positive people are generally solution-oriented. They manage to stay calm and think strategically. This makes them more likely to achieve their goals or dreams than their negative counterparts. Making a conscious decision to implement positive thinking through the daily challenges of life helps reaching out for success easier.
Sometimes young people learn to blame external factors such as bad luck, for almost every challenge they encounter, from older people. It is therefore, important for older people to guard against this habit since it takes away innate power and gives it to external factors.