What do you think about this? I had a book reviewer tell me in a critique of my book that we can't, couldn't always be positive. This reviewer said that telling people to "always be positive" is wrong and bad advice. In my book, Step #8 is my chapter Always Be Positive. Why did I say that? Why do I say this? I say this because it is a choice we make. Just like we choose to brush our teeth, go to work, pay our bills, and hug our friends. We can choose. We may not feel like always being positive, but it is a quality we can strive for. We CAN choose to be positive even in bad or terrible circumstances.

This past summer I was given the opportunity to lead a class called “Experiencing God” for a bunch of male inmates in an Arizona prison. This indeed wasn’t the best of circumstances for these men, and I’m sure many men and women, if not most, who are in prison, have negative attitudes and find it hard to be positive all the time. In my book, I relay a story of a prisoner from another prison who was describing what he saw out of his cell window. He described a detailed setting with trees, flowers, birds, sunshine, etc.

After this inmate vacated the cell, it was discovered that that particular window had no view at all but faced onto a brick wall. By conjuring up an image of a beautiful outdoor setting, this inmate was choosing to have his “eyesight” see differently than what he actually saw. This is what always being positive can do.

Reason #1
To be happier.
Wouldn’t you like to be happier, feel happier, act happier? Well, let’s think about this for a minute. A negative person is not a happy person. Only a positive person has the chance to be happy.
Reason #2
To feel more grateful.
How about being more grateful and acting more grateful? A positive mindset leads to a grateful mindset. You will be more thankful if you are positive.
Reason #3
To be more productive.
Wouldn’t you like to be more productive? Wouldn’t you like to be able to get more accomplished during your day? Your week? You can focus and get more done if you have a positive attitude about what you’re doing. Whereas, negative thinking causes you to lose focus.
Reason #4
To be able to persevere.
What about being able to persevere? Wouldn’t you just love to be able to keep on going without giving up or quitting? Where does this ability to persevere come from? It comes from positivity. It comes from a belief that something can and will get done. On the other hand, you will have more of a tendency to be a quitter if you’re negative.
Reason #5
To have more joy.
Who wouldn’t want more joy? Who doesn’t want more? Joy is a virtue and a fruit of God’s Spirit. Joy helps to create confidence and gives you strength. Negativity will remove all strength. Think about the days when you sense more joy, everything just seems to go better.
Reason #6
To have more trust.
How much do you trust? Do negative people trust others? Do they trust themselves? Having a negative slant in life discolors everything! Negativity takes trust away.
Reason #7
To feel successful.
You would like to be more successful, wouldn’t you? How will success even be a possibility if you stay in a negative frame of mind? You will have to learn how to cultivate a positive attitude if you want any kind of success.

It doesn’t take much, does it? Just a choice. Just a decision. You can make it now, today. If you can be positive at all, then you can make it a habit to ALWAYS be positive, right?