I’ve Decided to be of good cheer!
Being of good cheer and spreading positivity has more of an impact than you may think. It not only benefits those who you meet, but science now proves it greatly benefits your own personal health and wellbeing. Being of good cheer isn’t about being fake or pretending like everything is OK when it’s not. Rather, it’s choosing to practice discipline and not allowing negative emotion to take over your thoughts or your conversations. It’s recognizing the reality of what’s taking place but making a discerned decision to focus on the positive as to have a better outcome.
It’s hard to change our natural tendencies, but with focus, intention, and determination, it’s possible. When you understand the impact of your choices, it can be helpful in creating lasting change. Here are 3 ways being of good cheer will have a positive impact on your life.
1) Better health… Research proves that being a person of good cheer will have a positive effect on your mental and physical health. In an article written by Northwestern Medicine this positive attitude translates to a variety of effects on a person’s health both physically and mentally. Including: Opening a person’s mind to positivity: Optimism and vitality are critical to a person’s well-being. Improving a person’s problem-solving ability: Positive-minded individuals believe they “can” and want to achieve their goals. Building physical, intellectual and social resources: This allows people to learn better because they seek other positive-minded people. Protecting your health: Happiness lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease, lowers your blood pressure, enables better sleep, improves your diet, allows you to maintain a normal body weight through regular exercise and reduces stress. Being of good cheer, can improve your health.
2) Encouraging and attractive… Being a hope spreader, is not only more encouraging for your own self, but it is way more attractive to people you meet. When you are intentional about being of good cheer, you smile more. You force yourself to smile even if you don’t “feel” like it and smiling has a huge impact on you and everyone who catches your smile. Being intentional of good cheer helps you hold your tongue when you feel like screaming. Staying silent is a wonderful way to get through stressful times and saves us from future regrets. You tend to attract how you act. Like the saying, “Misery loves company.” The same is true with being of good cheer. “Cheerful attracts cheerful.” Be of good cheer; Encourage yourself, others, and attract the type of people who will help you be better.
3) Gets you through difficult times… It’s important not to ignore a problem and being cheerful isn’t the same as simply sweeping a problem under a rug. Have you heard the saying, “Attitude is altitude”? Being of good cheer will help you see above the problems so that you can focus on the things you can change and not just complain about what you can’t change. The law of polarity tells us that there can’t be bad without good, if there is an inside, there must be an outside. So, when you decide to be cheerful, you’re in a sense understanding that even in difficulties, there must be something good. By focusing on the good, it helps you get through even the most difficult times.
A final thought:
Nothing good comes from misery. When we allow our minds to wallow in the negative energy, it does nothing but harm. Sure, we must have ways to cope with pain and there are times when we feel sadness because of loss, but we must not lose heart. God tells us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world. In this, we can know that God is in control, we can trust the process, and decide to be a person of good cheer.
Written By:
Kim Martin,
Founder of I’ve Decided, INC
Excellent way to start the new year! Practical and simple yet profound!