I have a new challenge for you dear TCL friends! And it’s a goodie!
First off, thanks so much to everyone who voted on the next challenge via Twitter and my The Chic Life Facebook page! The choices were Project Think Positive and Project Get Organized, and while votes were almost even (by one vote), I decided to go with Project Think Positive for this month. I’m going to take August to get organized for Project Organize, so look for that one next month! Side note for the organization fans: Ooh and for those of you who are interested in Project Organize, you may want to go ahead and get a planner. I ordered the Life Planner by Erin Condren (the other calendars are super cute too) and it should be arriving very soon (whee!). The EC planner (and other custom planners available online) can take a couple weeks to make and ship, so if you want to be able to use it during the challenge month, you may want to go ahead and order it now.
Challenge Origin
How would you respond when asked what you see – how full is the mug of oatmeal:
Of course this is that famous optimist/pessimist question. So, what do you see? Supposedly, if you see a half empty mug, you’re an pessimist. π If you see a half full mug, you’re an optimist. π Whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, I think we could all use some more positive thinking in our lives. Riiiiight?
I know I do.
Challenge Details
Normally when I do blog challenges, I provide all the “rules” up front. I want to do this challenge a little different. Each week, I’ll provide a challenge for the week. But, as we progress through the month, I’d like you, if you can, to try to add the challenge for that week to the previous week. So, by the last week, you’re keeping the challenges from each week in mind.
Week 1 {Counter a Negative Thought with a Positive One}
I’ve been down a bit lately between being stressed in general and from my injury. And I’m human, I have negative thoughts occasionally. But I got pretty frustrated the other week with something random and I thought, to myself that I didn’t want to encourage all that negative energy. So, I did something to counteract it by thinking something positive. And with that, we have this week’s Project Think Positive challenge…
*This week’s challenge: For every negative thought, think a positive one.*
Example 1: If I got frustrated that I haven’t been able to teach my Zumba class in three weeks, I could counter that by being thankful that my injury wasn’t worse.
Example 2: If you’re frustrated that there’s a long line at Starbucks. You could counter that by appreciating the fact that you can afford the luxury of enjoying a Starbucks beverage (because that is something so many people in the world cannot do).
Try to find a positive way to spin your negative thought – to look at it with a more positive perspective.
Share the Love
If you want to tweet about the challenge, I would LOVE that! Please use twitter hashtag #projectthinkpositive
I’d also love it if you shared this challenge with your friends, family, co-workers, and even blog readers (if you’re a blogger). There are a lot of share buttons at the bottom of this post (even one to email the post to someone!), so feel free to use those. Let’s spread the positive vibes people! π
Feel free to use this button on your blog:
<a href="https://thechiclife.com/2011/08/project-think-positive-week-1.html"><img src="https://thechiclife.com/wp-content/uploads/images/ProjectThinkPositive.gif" border="0" width="180" height="180" /></a>
Inspiration
Here’s a little inspirational quote for you to enjoy:
βThe positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.β ~Unknown
I’ll be sharing more positive quotes during this challenge month here on the blog, as well as via twitter and Facebook, so be sure to follow me there, too!
Reader Questions
Reader Share 1: Please leave a comment with your negative thought and how you countered it.
Reader Share 2: What’s your favorite positive thinking quote? Please leave it in a comment.
At first it may not sound like a positive thinking quote, but hear me out: (this is my all-time favorite life quote too!) – “The sense of danger must not disappear; look if you like, but you will have to leap.”
When I have negative thoughts, they’re usually because I’m too scared to face what could happen if I challenged them. “You’ll never finish a race” = “you’ll have to really apply yourself in training for the race in order to accomplish it, and it might get tough,” for example. That quote always puts things in perspective!
Faith – I love this quote! It makes so much sense. Thank you so much for sharing! π
Ohhh i love this challenge
During times of stress (like moving houses that i just did recently) i have a hard time being my perky positive happy self
I’m going to work on countering everything negative with a positive just like you suggest!
Negative: I don’t like my job and i wish i was still on vacation
Positive: I have a well paying job and i get to see my work friends after a week of missing them π
This probably only works for me when i’m stressed out like now, normally i’m ridiculously perky and positive – drives my BF crazy sometimes, lol!
Haha, but we totally all need positive thinking reminders once in awhile, right? π We can’t be positive 100% of the time! Anywho, way to go with your positive thinking for week 1. π And good luck with the job. It can be hard to work a job you don’t enjoy.
Oooh, I need this one! I am the biggest pessimist and if I want my life to change for the better, I need to think more positively!
Hey Tricia! How was the first week of the challenge for you? π
Pretty good! I’m working on self-affirmations every day and trying to stop myself before making a negative comment. It’s hard! Work is the worst part. I’ve been hanging on by a thread in my personal life, too, for way too long and I just don’t feel strong enough to keep positive some days. I just want to give up, but between this challenge and working on changing my life and my career (slowly), I’m hoping to be able to stay strong and improve my outlook!
I tell people I’m a realist. π
We are so on the same brainwave here. Just earlier this week (or weekend, actually) I was thinking about how I had been pretty down on myself lately and that I needed to use more positive thinking! Definitely doing this challenge.
Yesterday I had a pretty hard day at work planned. All weekend I was freaking out, thinking that everything was going to go wrong and that it would be awful. After realizing how bad these thoughts were, I made myself instead view all my work as a learning experience. Regardless of what happened, I would leave with experience that I could put toward further projects. It did help in lessening my nerves!
Nice job! I also like to apply the “Cross that bridge when you get there” or “Take it 1 day at a time” thought when I get stressed about a major project. It helps me to just focus on one small piece at a time. That tiny piece is so much more manageable.
I also heard a new quote today from my friend Sara. It’s like a “riddle” (sort of). How do you eat an elephant?
(go ahead…take a guess and I’ll reveal the answer). π
One piece at a time? One bite at a time? All my guesses seem so morbid to me, lol.
I love this project! We have so much power over our outlook on life, and this is a simple but effective way to focus on the good things.
My favorite quote: “The secret of attraction is to love yourself. Attractive people judge neither themselves nor others. They are open to gestures of love. They think about love, and express their love in every action. They know that love is not a mere sentiment, but the ultimate truth at the heart of the universe.β -Deepak Chopra
It doesn’t get much more positive than love and acceptance.
Fabulous quote Winifred!
“We have so much power over our outlook on life” -> Yesss!!! So agree! It reminds me of this quote: βYou cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.β ~Brian Tracy
“It doesnβt get much more positive than love and acceptance.” and this is fabulous, too!
Lots of good insight! π
Ohhh Diana!! This challenge couldn’t have come at a better time for me! THANK YOU for reading my blog post today and seeing that I could benefit from this, lol!!! I will for sure be taking part in this. π
Aww you’re so welcome! So glad you’re in! π Do you have any negative thought/positive thought examples to share perhaps? π
Over the last year I’ve come back to the same thing, time and time again – that I’m going to love {it/him/her/whatever} anyway. Something is not as I would like, then I just shrug my shoulders and say to myself that I’m going to love them/it anyway. Not quite what you asked, but the closest I can get! I don’t think you can get more positive than being generous with love though π
emily (@emilyeats)
Agreed Emily! You’re the second one to mention love in the comments. Maybe Blessid Union of Saints was right and “love is the answer”? π
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUHO7HcUeys
My favorite positive quote:
“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Author Unknown
I can’t wait to follow this challenge! This is seriously awesome.
That’s the quote I put in the body of this post! π It’s such a good one!
How did week 1 of the challenge go for you?
Oh, duh. I totally just went through my Word Processor document full of quotes and picked my favorite one. Great minds think alike, right?
Week 1 actually went really well! I wrote a little reminder on the “note” feature of my phone so it was constantly in front of my face. It’s almost impossible to completely get rid of negative thoughts, but it makes me feel so much better to follow up the negative with a positive.
So happy to join this challenge. I just had to pull myself out of a deep hole, and I’ve been telling my boyfriend we both need a little more positivity in our lives.
My negative thought turned positive: I don’t want to go to work. But I am luckily to have a job as a neuroscience researcher, as well as a boss and coworkers who I consider some of my best friends.
Favorite positive quote: “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” Marilyn Monroe
Welcome to the challenge! π How’s week 1 going for you so far?
Oh and you’re SO lucky to have a boss and co-workers you like! That is the biggest challenge for many people. Also, your job sounds really hard!
And you know I love your quote since I shared it on a recent blog post. I hadn’t heard that Marilyn quote before, so I’m super glad you shared it! π
Today I’m struggling with my body image! I am super frustrated with how I’m feeling in my own skin. I reminded myself of the hard workout I had this morning. I also thanked my body for being strong; as I biked the Ironman Wisconsin course this past Sunday!
Body image is a tough negative thought to shake. But I love how you reminded yourself of how strong you are! Great job!
Have you ever read Healthy Tipping Point (http://healthytippingpoint.com)? She has lots of great posts on healthy body image that are just so inspiring. π
Thank you Diana! Your challenge could not have come at a better time for me. My boyfriend and I have both been having a rough past few weeks. Normally I am the one focusing on the positive but lately that has been a challenge. Thanfully, when I’m down he picks me up. I plan to post your shared quote on the mirror ino our bathroom tonight as a reminder to keep positive.
Lately I’ve been frustrated with the challenges both in vollume and intensity I’ve been facing at work. I try to remind myself it’s not forever and that I’ve been there before and have come out on the other end stronger for it…plus its a great learning experience…I just keep telling myself their growing pains :-).
Hey Sara! I love that you’re posting that quote on your mirror as a positive thinking reminder! I should do the same!
Work is definitely a tough one for positive thinking sometimes. But you sound like you’ve got some great positive thoughts to outweigh and counter those negative ones! Nice job!
This is a great challenge for me right now! I just had a bike accident on Saturday that prevented me from doing a triathlon I trained for 3 months to do. This has been coming up in my mind all day and I am countering the negative thought- If I would have walked my bike I would not have crashed, with the positive- thank god I didn’t get that hurt from the wreck. I am going to be doing this a lot this week I can tell, but your challenge will keep me thinking positive!
Aww Aly, I’m so sorry about your accident and missing your tri. But you sound like you’ve got a good handle on focusing on the bigger picture. You’ll have many more triathlon opportunities in the future. π
What a beautiful challenge!
Thank you! π
Have you read the Happiness Project? It talks about a lot of stuff like this–I think you’d really like it.
I’ve started it! It’s really good so far, and you’re right…I really do like it. π
Ooh i’ve only just had chance to check this out and i’m so glad project think positive won out. I had a bit of a crappy negative week last week and to make things even worse I have also been pretty ill. Feeling a little better now but need to be super positive to make sure I get my groove back as quickly as possible! Thanks for the reminder! π
I LOVE this challenge! I’ve got a whole section dedicated to positive self-talk on my blog π