The month of October is well known for Halloween. Yet October is also known as Positive Attitude Month. Positive Attitude Month is a time to focus on finding the good in every situation and encouraging others to do the same. However, it can be challenging to be positive, especially when students are still trying to adjust after more than a year of isolation from each other. A positive mindset is extremely beneficial, so here are some tips to increase optimism and resilience.

In many fictional stories, characters with a positive attitude are comedic and depicted as naive and oblivious to their surroundings. The point of these characters is to convey that reality is dark and has no room for positivity. The problem here is that being purely positive is not realistic. Many people are optimistic because they have experienced challenges in their life that have made them stronger. In fiction, this can be a dark past or a horrible experience that makes the character appreciate the world. Of course, most people don’t have a dark past like Batman. So instead, students should use their negative experiences to be more thankful for positive situations and find the good in everything.

Another way to be positive without being naive to the world is to be skeptical and critical of the world. For instance, if a person criticizes a table, he or she does it because they care about the table, not because of hate for the table or a tendency to complain. This method of skepticism backed by love and not hate is another great way to balance out positives with negatives. 

Many students have an ongoing mindset of hating the world and the people in it. Miniscule problems caused by others can be infuriating. However, considering other peoples’ point of views and walking in their shoes will allow one to transcend their own perspectives and acknowledge reasons for behavior. Keeping this in mind will increase positivity. 

Because many students unfortunately focus on negative aspects of life, it is suggested that they actively search for the positives. There is often a silver lining in every situation, and students just need to think with optimism in order to find it. An optimist recognizes the ups and the downs of life and chooses to be positive. For example, the internet has some pretty terrible downsides, but it also connects people like never before, through common interests or by ways of communication. Many students choose to enjoy and appreciate the internet even though they know it is flawed. That mindset of loving things even if they are flawed should be applied to life. 

In essence, positivity is a choice that all are encouraged to put into practice. Instead of saying that clouds are gloomy, look at them in a positive light. Most overcast days appear to be a melancholy time, motivating people to stay inside. But, depending on how a person looks at it, overcast weather can be great. For instance, light overcast weather is the best for going outside since it cools the environment down to a reasonable temperature. Remaining optimistic throughout the storms of life will increase happiness and resilience.