'Always look on the bright side of life...'

I personally think of myself as quite a positive person. In difficult situations, I always try to find the positives and work hard to convert negative thoughts into positive ones. Don’t get me wrong, everyone has down days and times at which being positive is a lot harder said than done, but if you consciously look for the positives, it will soon become second nature.

I had a time in my life where I lost this positive drive. I let my mind dwindle into a place of negativity and I accepted that was where I was stuck. However, I decided that was no longer where I wanted to be, and positivity is something I have worked hard to get back. I personally, truly feel that looking for the positives in every situation can have an immense impact on your daily life. Even in difficult times, such as those of coronavirus, there is always a positive to find. As the saying goes, ‘always look on the bright side of life’.

Make it habit.

You have to start somewhere, and if you start by consciously searching for the positives every day when you mind veers towards negativity, overtime, the conscious effort won’t be so noticeable anymore. This is where positivity becomes a habit. Every time you find yourself saying or thinking a negative, switch it into a positive or look for the upside in the situation or thought. For example, if it’s pouring with rain outside and you have a session today, rather than dwelling on how horrible it is, think how good training it is, because you could be faced with any sort of weather on race day, and see it as a positive challenge. You’ll surprise yourself with how liberating running in the rain and wind can be! ​

Positivity is contagious.


Being as positive an individual as you can be is an incredible way of setting a tone in your life and in others. Positivity is contagious! Being around positive people helps you feel much more upbeat and happier. If you are able to look on the bright side of life and search for the positives, you can help others feel better too! You will probably have more of an impact than you believe. Positivity has to start somewhere, and if you are able to encourage others to be positive by spreading some upbeat cheer, that’s great!

Challenges.

One of the major effects I have found, is how influential positivity can be on your approach to challenges. Whether that be in training or in general life, if you approach something that is possibly difficult or stretches you with positivity, you can surprise yourself at what you might be capable of achieving. Challenges aren’t something to be feared because you believe you aren’t strong enough, instead, they are opportunities to get stronger and take one step closer to achieving your goals. If anything, approaching a challenge with a negative mindset places a cap on what you can achieve, with positivity, anything is possible. You don’t know where your limits lie, so why set a barrier when you don’t actually know where it should go! Try to be positive and go into challenges headfirst with 100%. ​