Thinking positive

Start a new project: notice everything everyone around you says that is negative. Guess that would take deciding whether what they say is negative, positive, or possibly neutral. Keep doing this, but do not judge the person. Rather, judge what they are saying as negative. Listen to it all. Do you want to sound like that? If not, then make a decision to stop talking like that. If something negative is about to come out, try to think how it can be changed into something at least neutral. Speak it in something neutral or positive. Now that you are thinking that way, you will find yourself not having to speak positively all the time because you are now no longer thinking negatively.
"This sounds terrible.
No. This sounds alright.
Hey, this doesn't sound that bad."
May even lead to...
"This sounds pretty good."
 
I've found mindfulness meditation to be useful in keeping negitive thoughts from spiraling into crippling anxiety and paranoia.
 
I actually believe that your natural degree of optimism is something that is 'ingrained' within you. I've always been a naturally optimistic person, tending to see the good more than the bad. So I appreciate that optimism might naturally be easier for me. However, I do think that you can actively increase your optimism to a large extent.

It's almost a form of CBT, to re-program your thought patterns. For example, when you have a negative thought (and firstly, you need to actually be aware of your thought processes), analyse it, and you'll probably see how it is either not true, or how to find a way to disprove it, or accept it.

Negativity can become habit, and it can be a perpetuating cycle. The more negative thoughts you have, the worse you feel, and the more negative thoughts you have...and on it goes.

I believe that the mind is very powerful, and that everyone can learn to control and shape it to their advantage if they want to.
 
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