5 Habits That Will Attract More Positivity Into Your Life

After some deep self-evaluation, I uncovered a lot of issues, including some bad habits that were feeding my negativity. That realization led me to start seeking out good habits that would attract more positivity into my life.
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One year ago, I was at a point in my life when everything seemed negative. I had just lost my job after nearly a decade. I was facing the prospect of a career change in my mid-40s, or doing the same type of work that had been making me miserable for past several years.

I'd been neglecting my health and my relationships. I was burned out from years of chasing the "American Dream." Getting myself out of bed in the morning was a struggle. Trying to escape my negative mindset seemed impossible.

Everyone told me to "think positive," and I tried, but that did little to change my attitude. It wasn't until I took full responsibility for how I ended up this way that I was able to begin to find my way out.

After some deep self-evaluation, I uncovered a lot of issues, including some bad habits that were feeding my negativity. That realization led me to start seeking out good habits that would attract more positivity into my life. Since then, practicing such habits on a consistent basis has helped me retake control and change my life.

Here are five habits that I've used that will attract more positivity into your life.

1. Make a daily gratitude list
Each day, either in the morning or before you go to sleep, write down at least one thing that you're thankful for in your life. When you do this on a consistent basis, you naturally begin to focus and see more of the good things that are happening around you instead of the bad.

2. Perform acts of kindness
Doing something nice for someone, even the smallest of unexpected gestures, not only makes others happy, it adds positivity to your life as well. Make acts of kindness a frequent habit. You could pay the tab for the person behind you at Starbucks. Bring coffee for the security guard at your office. Pay the toll for the car behind you. Write a thank you note to someone who helped you. Not sure what to do, check out the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation for more ideas.

3. Be fully present
We are constantly distracted, always looking at our phones and thinking about everything we have to do, or should be doing. While we're engrossed in our Facebook timelines and playing games, we're missing all of the positive things that are going on around us, and in some cases sitting directly across from us. Being fully present takes practice, but it pays huge dividends. Ten minutes of meditation each day can increase your awareness and focus on being present.

4. Reduce negative influences
The things we surround ourselves with and listen to have a big impact on our mindset, both negative and positive. Think about what you're watching, reading and listening to throughout the day. When you fill your mind with negativity, it becomes easier to dwell on the negativity in your life. Be careful of who you spend your time, too. Do your best to stay away from other negative people. You become like the people you spend the most time with.

5. Spend time at the start of each day to improve YOU.
With all the demands on our time, there's always other priorities and people vying for our attention. That's why so many of us don't make time to work on ourselves. It's easy to use the "but I'm too busy" or "I'm too tired" excuse, especially if you don't put yourself first at the start of the day. Stop snoozing your alarm and get up 30 - 60 minutes earlier and create a morning routine that consists of mindfulness, visualization, reading, exercise, and journaling. Speaking from my experience, you will be amazed at the impact this has on your life.

Having more positivity in your life requires more than just positive thinking. Positive actions like these, when practiced consistently, will infuse more positivity and fulfillment into your life every day.

What are you doing to bring more positivity into your life?

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