How to stay positive in a negative world

So many friends lately seem to be challenged with staying positive when it seems like they are surrounded by a ton of negativity in their life. Dealing with family members who, often inadvertently, will give off some serious negative vibes, crummy work situations and even tough living situations. So, what's a person to do when all this seemingly negative crud is being thrown at you and you're just over here trying to keep a good attitude?

It's important to remember that what we put into our minds is what we exude. So, if we are putting negative stuff in; negative stuff is going to come out. Conversely, if we fill our minds with positive messages, that's what we'll be putting out to the world. 

With that concept in mind, we can see how it's important to limit the amount of negativity that's going IN. This includes limiting the time spent around the people that are giving off those negative vibes. It also means watching what we put in our minds in terms of words and images. Have you ever noticed that when you watch the nightly news, you tend to get some of those negative emotions stirred up within you? That's because most often on the news we're not hearing and seeing positive messages! While we should know what's going on in the world, it can also be a good idea to limit the time we're exposing ourselves to that sort of stuff. 

If you want to test it out; here's a little experiment you can do... One night, watch the news right before you go to bed. Another night, read something uplifting before you go to bed.... notice the difference in how you sleep each night, what dreams you have, and even how you feel the next morning. Pay attention to your emotions. 

Once we've begun to limit the amount of excess negativity, it's important to replace it with the positive! This includes surrounding yourself with uplifting people, reading books and articles that bring out more positive emotions and feelings, and watching shows on television that bring a smile to your face!

Some other steps you can take are to actively practice "gratefulness". Taking time each day to look around you and make note of what you are grateful for; and taking it a step further to verbalize this out loud! 

Taking time to meditate will help you to stay centered and grounded even when everything around you seems to be crashing in. As part of your meditation, and even separately, we can practice deep breathing. Deep breathing brings oxygen into our cells and has been proven to decrease anxiety. 

When I was learning Shamanic Meditation, I was taught to do some deep breathing in this way: 
Take a deep breath in through your nose... counting as you do... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.. (count as high as it takes you to take a full deep breath).
Then you want to hold that breath for the same count that you did when you were breathing it in.
Next you'll exhale through your mouth... again, counting to the same number and until all the air has been exhaled.
Finally, you'll HOLD for the same count... (holding without inhaling just yet).
And... REPEAT!

Another exercise you'll want to try is visualizing the outcome you want to see. It's like daydreaming. Just imagine how you want things to be in as great a detail as you can. Now that you've got a clear image in your mind, you want to add the emotion that goes along with it. Really FEEL how you will feel when that outcome becomes reality. What emotions will you be experiencing? Feel them as though it has already happened! This is the part of visualization that is often missed and incredibly necessary as it adds that extra power to your visualization.

And remember: Don't look at the CIRCUMSTANCES, look for the SOLUTION!!

What are some of the things you've done to keep positive when you're surrounded by negativity? 

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