Do Positive Emotions Really Increase Your Success?
Many of us wonder if having a positive attitude is truly the key to happiness. Happiness is in the eye of the beholder. It's an individual thing, dependent upon personal circumstances which vary from person to person. Yet, having a positive outlook on life and having a "feeling good" is one of the most important keys to living a happy life.
Have you ever noticed that those who are in positive emotional states seem to experience more positive events and opportunities than do those who are in negative states? When we are not happy, we always seem to be miserable. Life seems to be a never ending struggle. Yet, if you focus your energy on things that bring you enjoyment, even in times of unhappiness, you will find that your life changes for the better. You will actually change your life for the better.
If you are having problems with finding happiness, you are probably doing something wrong. There are things you are doing in your life that are not good for you and by changing these things you can change your life and the way you feel about yourself. Think about this. What do unhappy people do when they are miserable? They change the way they feel about themselves!
This may sound like self-delusion, but is it not true? If someone is unhappy, they will find ways to change the way they think, the way they behave, the way they talk, and the things they say to change the way they feel about themselves, right? So if someone cannot have a positive feeling about their life, how do you expect them to have a positive feeling about the world and the future?
By believing that you can change the way you think and the things you do, you become more optimistic. Having a lot of positive emotions is extremely important to your happiness. Emotions are what keep us going on a day-to-day basis. Positive emotions are what keep you going long after the day has ended and enable you to have faith in yourself and the future.
Having a lack of emotions in your life can lead to depression, and low self-esteem. People that are not happy with the way they live or the life they are leading generally lack enthusiasm, excitement, and hope for the future. When your day-to-day life lacks excitement and passion, this can have an adverse affect on your mental state of mind and your emotional well-being. You tend to feel less able to handle stressful situations, and this can lead to more stress and difficulty in dealing with the daily grind of life. These are all symptoms of depression, and low self-esteem. You have probably heard the saying "ipolar disorder" many times before, this is basically where you feel extremely low levels of energy, and you cannot make up your mind.
Depressed and manic-depressive people have exactly the same brain chemistry as each other. Certain personality traits are present in both of these types of people, but there are also other characteristics that only one can possess. If you are feeling blue and are not having any sense of joy in your life, and you are not having any interest in anything, then these are indicators that you may be suffering from depression. Sometimes this type of mood swing can last for several months. If you find that you can't find any enjoyment in your life, and that you just feel like giving up, then it is important that you seek help as soon as possible.
One way that you can tell if you are having any kind of mood swings is if you tend to get angry and upset about things that do not really need to happen. It is important that you learn to let go of your anger and not let it rule your life. Sometimes this is done by simply trying to walk away from the situation that makes you angry and finding a different way to deal with the issue that you are upset about.