Learning How To Be Positive

Back in grade school, I was bullied a lot, from how my teeth are big to how my hair doesn't look right. It was so hard to stay positive when being around so many people who kept pointing out my flaws and making fun of them. It was hard to love myself when everyone was telling me that nobody will ever love somebody like me. It was hard to keep friends when everyone was abandoning me because some stupid, childish rumor was being spread.

Getting older, I realized that most of those things were really childish, but they still left lifelong anxieties. I always have a hard time leaving my house if a piece of my hair is out of place. A part of me wants to pick up the phone and tell my manager that I can't come into work that day because my hair looks like a mess. But, of course, that wouldn't work in favor of me. So, I'm trying to learn to love myself. Just as you should be. Here are 10 small tips on learning to stay positive:

1. Remind yourself that everyone does make mistakes. Hannah Montana was not joking around with this one. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone does have those days. It's up to you to be the bigger person and recognize where you were wrong and work to improve yourself. You need to be able to pick yourself back on your feet and carry through with the day.
2. Remind yourself, there's always a tomorrow! So even when things aren't going your way, or not going the way that was originally planned, that's totally okay! There is always a tomorrow to get it right.
3. Relating back to the topic of relationships, remind yourself that you do not need anyone to love you in order to love yourself. That guy that you met at the bar last night that totally ghosted you? Ignore them back! So what they don't like you? You're still a really cool person and you do not need anyone to knock down your spirits. If someone decides to cut you out of their life, that's their loss, not yours...which brings me to number four.
4. Remind yourself that it's not always your fault why people stop talking to you. As you get older, you notice that some of your friends might slip away. Like the friends you have in high school won't be the same friends you have halfway through college. And that's okay. It's part of life. Nearly nobody has the same one friend forever. Some people have different interests as they grow older and their personalities change with them. People drift apart, and that's okay.
5. Remind yourself that even when things are going bad, things will always get better. So what that guy you were in a relationship for a while with dumped you, you're still the same person you were a second ago. Don't let anyone knock you down.
6. Never, ever, ever let anyone take your spirit away. Never let anyone knock down your dream. If your dream is to become a famous musician but you have little musical talent, work for it! Take classes! Watch youtube videos. Learn. And reach your goals. And if someone tells you that you suck, ignore them. They're only trying to tear you down since they don't have anything better to do.
7. Embrace your curves or lack thereof. If you have curves, learn to love them. They're a part of you, now learn to rock them. Get a super cute shirt and show them off. If you're not curvy, that's totally fine to! Learn to love your body. You were born with only one body, learn to love it! Sure, we all have our bad days though.
8. Aim for the stars! Even when it seems impossible, similar to number six. If your goal is to read 10 books within two months, aim for 15. If you don't reach it, you don't reach it. No need to fret. You still reached your original goal!
9. If there's something you want, work for it! Example, if you want to start eating healthier, save up money and start buying healthier foods. If you're out with your friends and your friends want to go out to eat, get something leaning on the healthy side rather than a greasy calorie packed cheeseburger.
10. Remind yourself that you are loved. Sometimes, it's comforting to know that people love you, even if they're not a significant other. Your family loves you, people in your friend group love you, and never forget that.