Lesson 2. Positive thinking as the basis of a sense of humor

Positive thinking is also inseparable from humor, like good mood and well-being, like wit and observation, etc. Positive thinking can be safely called that personality trait, thanks to which a person becomes a real magnet for others and a generator of positive energy, fun and positivity.

Without positive thinking, it is not only very difficult to learn to joke, but it is also much more difficult to learn to constructively perceive failures, difficult moments in life, criticism, etc. Among other things, positive people quickly and easily find common language with others, achieve great success, and get more joy from every day they live.

A positive person is always able to overcome destructive emotions and transform them into positive thoughts, despite difficulties and defeats. The attractiveness of such people is beyond any doubt, because they relieve tension and give a great mood, skillfully joke and in most cases are the life of the party.

It may seem to some that it is very difficult to “acquire” positive thinking, that this is the privilege of some special people – “other” people. However, in reality, anyone can, as they say, make themselves. The only question is how to tune in to the positive and make it predominant in your thoughts. In the second lesson we will talk about exactly this, but first we will say a few more words about positive thinking as such.

The essence of positive thinking

Positive thinking is comparable to a certain stage of development of the thought process, which is based on the fact that a person perceives the world around him in a way that is more beneficial to him. Entering this stage allows a person to experiment more (in the global sense of the word), discover new facets of being, find opportunities for personal growth, remain a winner even in moments of failure, find a way out where it would seem impossible to find one.

Well, naturally, without positive thinking there can be no sensible humor, because negative thinking, like positive thinking, is an indicator of the level of brain potential, but in this case it is low. People who think negatively accumulate negative emotions, bring gloomy colors into their lives, perceive only disgusting, gray everyday life, and concentrate on the negative.

Negative thinking person:

Imagine a person who has the above qualities. Do you think it’s easy for him to joke? How developed is his sense of humor? What is it like to be in the company of such a person? The answer, it seems to us, is obvious.

No, of course, such a person can joke, and tell something funny, and be perky. But by and large, all this will be rather an exception to the rule, because with negative thinking it is extremely difficult to use a sense of humor. That’s why, when talking about developing a sense of humor, first of all you need to pay attention to your way of thinking, your inclinations in thinking, its direction. And if there is evidence that you are driven by negative thinking, you need to work on this issue as soon as possible. So let's not put things off for a long time and move on to the practice of developing positive thinking (by the way, you can find useful information on this topic here).

Bottom line

You choose the filter through which you will look at the world around you. If you want the picture to be kinder, you need to put in a little effort. Yes, again, nothing without working on yourself. But you must admit, it is not very difficult.

Finally, I suggest you watch the TED video on getting stuck in negativity. This is what gave me the idea to write this material.

Friends, write in the comments what you think about this. Are you making an effort to think more positively? Maybe I'm wrong about something or have simplified something too much. I am also learning what I write about, so it will be interesting to know your opinion.

This article is important for the next material in the series on motivation. Subscribe to updates or join on social networks so as not to miss the continuation. And may you have a positive mindset every day!

See you later! Yours Alexander Gorokhov

Developing Positive Thinking: Techniques

Developing positive thinking is a full-fledged work on oneself, and the work is very painstaking, but very interesting. You can develop this quality in yourself through affirmations and banal communication with positively minded people, but there are also several effective techniques. The only condition for each of them is regularity of implementation - by practicing daily, very soon (perhaps even in a couple of weeks) you will begin to notice changes in yourself and your thoughts.

Substitution

It is not always possible to be positive, especially when life gets in the way and a person faces obstacles along the way. The difference between people in such situations is that some know how to adapt to the positive, while others do not know how to do this, or simply do not want to do it.

In any situation when it is necessary to overcome some kind of obstacle at the mental level, it is initially necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence and the time during which it haunts. It is also recommended (not mandatory, but it will not be superfluous) to understand how other people react to similar circumstances: whether, in their opinion, the problem can be resolved, what will be suitable for resolving it, whether it will arise again, etc.

Once this kind of preparation has been carried out, you can proceed to the technique itself:

• Find a comfortable position and close your eyes
• Imagine that you are looking at a fire, from which a pleasant warmth emanates
• Imagine your problems falling into a flame and melting in it
• Think about how everything bad that is now in your life suddenly becomes good and useful.
• Imagine that the fire is changing: the color of the fire changes from orange to blue, and the flame itself begins to pass through the spine and spread throughout the body, covering all vital areas and organs

Do the exercise for at least 5-10 minutes. After completing it, you will notice that your attitude towards problems has changed - it has become more “lighter”, and your mood has become better.

Liquidation

A technique borrowed from the book of Christopher Hansard, a doctor of Tibetan medicine and author of several best-selling books on healthy living and spirituality. It is designed to redirect you to positivity.

Oddly enough, it is recommended to start doing it early on Thursday morning, because... It is precisely this time, according to spiritual rules, that is considered the best for removing obstacles. The technique is performed within 24 minutes.

The technique algorithm is as follows:

• Take a comfortable position
• Imagine that you are “diving” into a problem or difficult situation
• Imagine that the moment your body comes into contact with the problem, it evaporates, burns, or crumbles
• If negative thoughts arise, do not suppress them. On the contrary, continue to think in this way, but at the same time think that all negative energy comes out, where it is instantly neutralized

Once the exercise is completed, you should relax for a few minutes. Remember that the duration of the technique directly affects the intensity of the subsequent positive attitude.

Luck

This practice helps not only to tune in to the positive, but also to attract positive events and people, success, luck and well-being into your life.

Before performing it, you must honestly answer the question: will you use positive thinking only for your own benefit, or will you apply it to those around you. Truly positive thinkers are more selfless, and their positive energy extends to everything or anyone they interact with.

The essence of the technique is this:

• Find a comfortable position and take a deep breath
• Think about a person you would like to help
• Mentally send positive thoughts towards that person.
• Imagine how this person's situation is resolved successfully

After completing the exercise, clap your hands 7 times loudly to stimulate the pressure points on your hands and also as a sign that you have completed the exercise.

The power of thought

Surely you have read or heard more than once that a person’s thoughts shape his personal reality.

In other words, what a person thinks about most of the time has a huge chance of happening. Moreover, it does not play a big role here whether a person is trying to avoid something or, on the contrary, trying to attract something. The mental charge itself is of primary importance.

Take this idea and follow these steps:

• Try to ensure that your thoughts and speech contain predominantly affirmative words and expressions, for example: “I have”, “I have”, “victory”, “I win”, etc. Try to use the particle “not” as little as possible.
• Cultivate faith in success by thinking about the successful outcome of any endeavor. Thanks to this attitude, sometimes things that were initially doomed to failure are realized.
• Be open to change. A huge number of people are afraid of changes in life, changes in work, life, and personal sphere. Sometimes this fear becomes the cause of chronic phobias. Staying positive in such situations is quite challenging. Avoid concentrating on incomprehensible, inexplicable, uncontrollable and unknown fears. If changes suddenly loom on the horizon, focus on new opportunities, expanding boundaries, the benefits of leaving your comfort zone and other positive components of change.
• Make it a habit to smile as soon as you open your eyes in the morning after waking up, enjoy the contemplation of the morning light and savor the upcoming events.

As a result of this practice, a positive attitude and good mood will accompany you every day from morning until evening, and the world around you will begin to transform, acquiring bright and beautiful colors.

Self-irony

Self-irony is one of the foundations of positive thinking, as well as the most important indicator of a mature personality. You can successfully laugh at other people and life situations, but if a person is not able to laugh at himself, there can be no question of full-fledged positive thinking, as well as a sense of humor.

Any positive-thinking person and any comedian will tell you that you should not take yourself too seriously - this makes a person’s psyche inflexible and unyielding, makes it difficult to perceive what is happening in a positive light and causes uncomfortable situations and unnecessary anxiety. It is best to learn to laugh at yourself, both in difficult life situations and in awkward moments of everyday life.

Training the skill of laughing at yourself can happen in a variety of ways:

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Having learned to laugh at yourself and have a humorous attitude towards what happens to you, you will feel the real magic of positive thinking, and favorable changes in life will not be long in coming.

Almost all of the techniques we presented for developing positive thinking may seem somewhat unusual and have nothing to do with a sense of humor, because... they talk about the power of thought, energy and other similar things. But it is in their unusualness that their strength lies. They have shown their effectiveness in practice for a huge number of people, and they themselves were taken from the everyday life of the monks of Tibet, who knew firsthand about the power of positive thoughts and were confident that reality is formed under the influence of mental energy.

Now we want to bring to your attention a number of tips and recommendations for developing positive thinking. They are not as unusual as the techniques we have named, but this in no way detracts from their importance. In fact, they should become rules for every day - the foundation of a life based on positive thoughts and optimism.

I have a healthy body, a brilliant mind, a calm spirit

A healthy body begins with a healthy spirit and mind. If cats scratch at your soul, then this negativity will have a detrimental effect on both the mind and body. That is, if one element of these three is damaged, the entire mechanism will no longer work properly.

The number one reason that determines whether a person is healthy or sick is the person himself. If you have convinced yourself that you are healthy in body, soul, and mind, then it will be so. And if you believe that you are susceptible to the disease, then it will definitely hit you.

Developing Positive Thinking: Tips and Tricks

Positive thinking, whether it is related to the development of a sense of humor or not, should be cultivated by following a number of tips and recommendations. We will look at ten of them in total.

Healthy attitude towards problems

Many people, seeing some kind of problem, trouble or difficulty, instantly turn this small fly into a huge elephant, which not only does not allow them to think constructively, but also makes it much more difficult to get out of the situation. And there’s nothing to talk about jokes and fun here. If you want to become a positive thinker, don't let troubles make your life hell. Problems require solutions, not suffering.

Correct use of experience

What is done is done. But many continue to worry, feel guilty and reproach themselves for something done in the past. In addition, there are those who cling to their past with a stranglehold and do not want to let it go - some hold on to the good, and others to the bad. The past certainly manifests itself in the present, but you just need to accept it and let it go in order to live now. Instead of painful experiences, it is better to evaluate the experience gained, perhaps even laugh at the past, learn lessons from it, take note of mistakes and boldly continue the path forward. This will be excellent soil for development.

Physical exercise

The connection between positive thinking and physical activity is not so obvious, but it is there. Another worldly wisdom works here: a healthy mind in a healthy body. Just remember that physical activity keeps the body and mind in good shape, relieves depression and bad mood, allows you to switch from bad to good, and makes a person more confident in himself and his abilities.

Fantasies

Look at the children: how they have fun, laugh, and enjoy what is happening around them. And the reason is not only that they are just starting life, but also that they know how and love to fantasize, dream, imagine something. Growing up, people become important and serious people, and gradually the habit of fantasizing leaves them. But limiting the creativity and creativity found in daydreaming and daydreaming is a serious barrier to success, personal growth, humor, and positive thinking. So at least sometimes allow yourself to be children - to indulge in dreams and fantasies.

Openness to new things

People with a predominant negative mindset are distrustful and wary of innovations, no matter what they concern; they are very afraid to take risks. And positively thinking people try not to make hasty conclusions, because they always remember that the darkest hour is before the dawn, and what seems terrible today, tomorrow can be the beginning of a new life. Of course, you shouldn’t blindly take risks, but you should try to look at change with enthusiasm and inspiration.

Throwing away negativity

In order for positive thinking to form quickly, and for it to begin to form at all, you need to try to throw out as much negativity as possible from your life. So, you can start by stopping watching mind-numbing and useless TV shows and series, giving up bad habits (or at least some of them). Next, it would be a good idea to do a home inspection to find anything old, worn out and unnecessary and get rid of it. Afterwards, it’s worth analyzing your relationships: if some relationships have outlived their usefulness, bring pain and negative emotions, it’s likely worth breaking them off. And finally, the most important thing is to get rid of the garbage in your own head - negative thoughts; learn to control the direction of your thinking. This can be done with the help of affirmations, meditation, visualization and some other practices.

Meaning of life

Life just seems long. In fact, it is short. And living it meaninglessly is simply stupid. It is worth appreciating every day you live, every moment; live with the understanding that nothing will happen again. Time is fleeting and you shouldn’t allow yourself to waste it. Think about what you want to devote your life to, what you want to achieve, what to create, what kind of memory you want to leave for your descendants. What do you believe? What do you like to do? What benefits you, the people around you and the world? The answers to these questions will help you find your path, and life will become much more pleasant and joyful.

Self love

Most people blame anyone for their losses, failures and problems, but not themselves. Meanwhile, there is actually no one to blame, because everything that a person has is the work of his own hands. It is very important to admit this, but at the same time there is no need to reproach yourself for anything and engage in self-flagellation. You are a person, like all of us, and everyone has the right to make mistakes and take the wrong steps. There are no ideal people, and therefore you need to accept yourself with all the pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. Love yourself, remember that love is a great force that is subject to any changes, including changes in yourself and your thinking.

Joy in little things

Start every day with the joy of some little thing. You woke up and a ray of sunshine caught your eye - rejoice at it. You went to wash your face - you will enjoy the fact that you can feel the warmth of the water and the taste of toothpaste. Wish your family a good day or call someone with a similar wish. When you go outside, breathe in the aroma of fresh air and thank the world for being alive. Say kind words to the people you interact with throughout the day, smile, and show genuine concern for them. It seems like all these are little things, but they add up to one big whole - cheerfulness, positive thinking, a healthy attitude towards everything in life.

Constant development

There is one very deep and meaningful phrase: “a person stops living the moment he stops developing,” and this is the real truth. A person who does not develop lives his life, survives, exists - does anything, but does not live. Many people even think that life is boring and monotonous, that there is nothing really to do in this world, but all such thoughts are due to a stop in development. As soon as you begin to develop in a direction that interests you, you will immediately notice that everyday life has become richer and more interesting, that you can spend your time in hundreds of different ways, that life is fun, healthy and wonderful. Development is primarily about helping yourself. It allows you to form a new yourself, interesting and unusual qualities, get closer to your goals, learn a lot of interesting things, and reveal hidden potential and talents. Open up as you develop, and positive thinking will become your faithful assistant along this path.

And as an addition, we suggest that you create for yourself a few rules for being a positive person, which you will always follow from now on. We present our list, but if desired, it can be supplemented or changed.

Proactive life position

The essence of positive thinking is the understanding that good and bad events in a person’s life are largely determined by him. We decide for ourselves whether to be optimistic or not.

Proactivity is our ability to take responsibility for everything that happens to us in life. By changing our reaction to circumstances, we change those circumstances. You can’t just go with the flow, you need to change your guidelines and values ​​towards the positive. To do this, control your thoughts, assessments, believe in your strengths and find the opportunity to change. In this case, you will achieve all your goals. Hope for success, wait for it.

A person’s life cannot do without patterns; there are many of them. The universal principle of feedback is one of the most basic. Positive thinking attracts good events, and allows you to endure bad ones with wisdom. When you believe in yourself and know how to recover from failures, success will definitely come.

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Rules of positive thinking for every day

Positive thinking is the conscious management of your thoughts, thanks to which happiness, harmony, success and, of course, humor and good mood are attracted to life. To achieve this result as quickly as possible, take full responsibility for your actions, and the following rules will help you stay on course.

For convenience , the rules can be written down so that you can re-read them every morning after waking up (like affirmations, they should be written in a positive way and exclude the particle not):

• Today I will definitely be happy and glad that I am alive
• Today I will be positive about everything I have and everything that life offers me.
• Today I will improve my health: eat less harmful and more healthy, drink water, exercise, rest and sleep as much as I need.
• Today I will definitely develop my intellect: read useful books, learn something new, communicate with positive people
• From now on, I will become benevolent: I will stop criticizing others, correcting other people’s mistakes; I will take care of myself; I will wish people well and praise them
• From today I begin to live in a specific moment - here and now, without clinging to thoughts of the past and dreams of the future
• Today I will begin to follow a specific program and will know exactly what to do at every moment of time, thereby getting rid of haste and indecision
• From today I will begin to spend at least half an hour alone with myself: analyze thoughts, relax, think about life, meditate
• Today I will stop thinking about bad things, conflicts and troubles and “revel” in negative thoughts
• From now on I will stop being afraid of anything, and especially of becoming a happy person.

Positive thinking, of course, does not mean that you do not need to pay attention to troubles and troubles, constantly repeating that everything is fine. But it presupposes a view of difficulties in a positive way, a search for the good in absolutely everything, a constructive attitude towards problems, and a humorous view of difficulties.

Even if negative thoughts slip into your mind, you don’t need to focus on them - by becoming more optimistic, you will immediately notice how new opportunities open up before you.

We also recommend that you read literature about positive thinking in your spare time:

• A. Sviyash “Smile before it’s too late! Positive psychology for everyday life"
• D. Allen “The Thinking Man”
• D. Von Aiken “Lucky”
• M. Seligman “New positive psychology”
• R. Sharma “101 Lessons for a Happy Life”
• N. Vincent Peale "The Power of Positive Thinking"
• K. Salmanson “Instantly happy. Change your mood in 10 seconds"
• D. Murphy “Telepsyche”
• B Tracy “Change your thinking and you will change your life”
• D. Kehoe “The subconscious can do anything”
• E. Matthews “Live easy!”
• N. Vuychich “Life without borders. The path to an amazingly happy life"

In these books you will find many ways to develop positive thinking and achieve happiness. And you and I continue our course and move on to mastering material related to humor in the most direct way. In the third lesson, we will introduce you to the main types of comics and give examples of them, so that you know how to joke funny in different forms, can clearly distinguish one type of comic from another and use them in your personal practice.

I forgive those who have hurt me in the past and move peacefully away from them.

It doesn't mean you've forgotten what they did, but it doesn't bother you anymore. The lesson has been learned and conclusions have been drawn.

Your ability to forgive is what allows you to move forward rather than dwell on past hurts. And your reaction to certain circumstances does not depend on the opinions of the people around you.

You are so strong that you can forgive a thousand people, even if not one of them forgives you.

Repeat this affirmation whenever you find yourself in a conflict situation.

Why can't you enjoy life?

There comes a time for every person when he stops enjoying life. This happens as a consequence of all the goals achieved. The joy of life is lost. Any dishes, things, people no longer bring the feeling that they had before. A person increasingly begins to wonder whether he did everything right in his life, whether he lives well, whether he got what he wanted, how to learn to enjoy life?

After such questions, depressive thoughts arise in your head, which do not allow you to live normally and rejoice. This problem is often faced by people who constantly live their days in the same mode, according to the same routine, without taking extra steps, for example, mothers on maternity leave, workaholic men, single women 50 and 60 years old, people in long-term relationships, which are long overdue for completion.

Lack of joy in life also causes loss of desire to live. This is the first step to depression. It is better to stop this condition at an early stage than to let everything take its course and take it to the extreme.

Important! If the joy of life is lost, then you need to take measures to avoid depression.

Dark-haired girl in a field

Happiness is in the little things

There is so much beauty in the world that no one notices! Humans are created by the smartest creatures to be optimistic. Happiness is everywhere, you just have to open your eyes and see it. What pleases a person most in life is love. If it is lost, then it can be replaced with the positive of the world around us. You can try to observe and admire:

• Blooming of your favorite flowers.
• Communication with pets who are always happy to see their owner.
• A walk in the fresh air or forest.
• Chatting with strangers on the street.
• Trying to smile at passersby.
• Spending time with your spouse in harmony and peace.
• Watching the sunset and sunrise.
• Taking water treatments that relax and give pleasure: a shower, a hot bath, a visit to the pool.
• Reading your favorite works.
• Going to a museum or art gallery.

There are a lot of options, the path to happiness is different for everyone, you just need to find it. If a person learns to receive joy from waking up in the morning, being able to observe and see the world around him, and calmly coming to any point in the city, this indicates his positive attitude, and this is how he should be.

Important! In psychology, it is recommended to teach a person to switch his problems and find a new meaning in life.

The child in the basin rejoices

What to do if you encounter difficulties

Difficulties always stand in the way. You shouldn’t take them to heart and give up halfway through. You don't have to rush to achieve the desired result. Life is not so short that you won’t have time to do all your plans. If problems and difficulties arise, this is a disadvantage, but you need to overcome them smoothly. Step by step they climb out of depression. There are several options for this period:

• Pamper yourself with your favorite food, but don’t forget about your figure.
• Go to an event that you have been planning for a long time.
• Meet friends or go to a party.
• Don't get discouraged and quit what you started.
• Watch any movie.
• Buy a new thing or clothes.

Despite all the problems, such small pleasures will help you survive difficulties and maintain the achieved results. They may even contribute more to happiness than they initially think.

Important! Don’t think that the loss of meaning is a trifle that will resolve itself. Anxiety and fuss will always haunt you if you don’t find a solution.

People on the beach