It’s easy to think of positivity as innate -- we either got it or we don’t.

In actuality, positive thinking is more like a muscle -- we can train ourselves, our minds and our hearts to create a stronger sense of self, a lighter view and a more skillful approach to life.

How? Positive affirmations are a great place to start.

It’s simple: carefully formatted sentences that affirm something to be true can have a massive impact in how we approach our day, and how we view the world around us.

“I am full of joy. May I be at ease. My world is full of experience and opportunity.”

Repeating these throughout your day takes the attention away from our judging, critical mind’s tendency to focus on flaws -- and allows you to cultivate your energy more practically - while taking a more experiential approach to everything you encounter. Less thinking, more doing.

Because every experience, after all, is simply an opportunity. A dose of positivity and self-confidence - thinking of yourself gently and living up to your daily potential - goes a long way. 

Like the the law of attraction tells us: we are what we practice and get back what we put out into the world.

The benefits of doing so are plentiful, namely:

• Raising your confidence before an important event
• Curbing habitual thinking and patterns
• Improving productivity and self-esteem
• Managing negative emotions like fear, impatience and doubt

Countless scientific studies, from the American Journal of College Health and many others, found that a consistent practice of positive affirmations correlated with higher self-esteem, lowered depressive symptoms and minimized negative thinking.

Not to mention, folks like the Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and pretty much all spiritual heavy hitters outlined the value of bringing love to all we do -- positive affirmations are just another piece of that puzzle. 

We are all perfectly imperfect. If we remember that -- and that, much like our bodies need to be trained to stay in shape, so too do our minds to live fully and from a positive place -- our capacity for goodness is infinite. 

So keep going, try a few phrases that work for you and practice positivity when the mood strikes today. I’m positive it could help put a smile on your face and make your day that much more joyous.