Choosing Positivity
Choosing Positivity
Here at True Balance Karate in Downers Grove, Illinois, we have a social emotional learning program called True Character.
I’m Master H, the owner and chief instructor here at the studio. I have two master’s degrees in education, and we’ve developed this curriculum to meet the needs of our youngest students who are three or four and our oldest student who is 86.
Recap
And this month, we are talking about positivity. We’re talking about having a positive attitude, “I look for the good everywhere”. And we started off defining what that looked like. Then we talked about how we have to be positive with our thoughts and our feelings. Last week, we talked about different actions that we can take that would make us feel positive more consistently.
And this week, we’re talking about choosing positivity, choosing that positive attitude.
Viewing Both Sides
In order to be able to choose being positive, we also have to see the negative actions. Because the first step in choosing to be positive is being honest, you have to be honest with the current situation. You have to be honest with what is actually happening and what you’re actually feeling.
Because if you’re not, then you’re just kind of brushing it to the side, brushing it under the rug, pretending it doesn’t exist. “I’m super happy, no problem at all,” and nothing gets solved.
Being Honest
So you need to be honest about what’s actually occurring right now.
Are you in the middle of a house project, and you are replacing tile, but the drywall’s crumbling? Now you have to add to your project and get new drywall on the wall, right?
That, for some people, could be a huge stressor. And that, for some people, could be something that you just roll with, right? You need to be honest about what’s actually happening.
Are you in the middle of trying to make a big decision about something? Which car do I buy? What house do I buy? Which daycare do I enroll my kids in?
The idea of making the decision kind of weighs on you and stresses you. Then things feel harder and more difficult to figure out. And if you could just figure this out, you would feel better. But you need to be honest about what’s going on.
Talking Through It
Same thing when we’re talking with kids. Let’s be honest about it. Why are you upset right now? Are you upset because your friend just took your favorite toy? Or are you upset because, earlier in the day, you didn’t get your favorite lunch? Those two things can equally make a young person upset.
So if we’re gonna choose to have a positive attitude, we have to first be honest about what’s actually occurring. What negative actions are we looking at? What negative actions have we seen? What negative things are impacting us?
So that we can then take the second step, which is to choose to look at things positively. Choose to look at things in a different way. So case in point, the child who is crying.
Did they tell you that it’s because their friend took their favorite toy? Or did they tell you it’s because they didn’t get their favorite lunch? Whichever one they tell us, okay, let’s look at it positively then.
Could we have that favorite lunch tomorrow? Was lunch really yummy today even if it wasn’t your favorite? What do we want to choose for dinner? Do we feel good because we have a full belly?
Oh, your friend has your favorite toy. Okay, what can we do positively? Can you ask for it back? Can you play with it with them and take turns back and forth? Teaching them how to take those positive actions.
Dealing With Negativity
Pros and cons lists are a great way to choose a positive attitude. You’ve got your pros and you’ve got your cons. Then your decisions are made, so the stress is coming off. That way, we can continue to move forward and look at things in a more positive light.
When we’re having a positive attitude, it’s not that we are ignoring the negative. Because the negative is going to occur. The negative is going to happen. We are going to be stressed or frustrated or whatever it might be.
When we have a positive attitude, it’s how we deal with it. It’s how we address it. And then it’s how we consistently have a more positive, happy outlook on things so that we can solve problems.
It’s having an honest conversation about it and then choosing how to view it. Am I going to sit on the couch with my arms crossed, cry, and whine about it? Or am I going to take some positive actions and solve things as we go along?
I hope you’ve enjoyed our discussion on having a positive attitude. I will see you next month with our next fabulous word.
Until then, I will see you on the mat!
True Balance Karate was founded in 2012 by Master Sue and Paul Helsdon.
We offer kids karate lessons for pre-school children ages 3-6 and elementary age kids ages 7 and up. These lessons are designed to develop the critical building blocks kids need — specialized for their age group — for school excellence and later success in life.
Our adult martial arts training is a complete adult fitness and conditioning program for adults who want to lose weight, get (and stay) in shape, or learn self-defense in a supportive environment.
Instructors can answer questions or be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 630-663-2000. You can also contact us here. True Balance Karate is at 406 Ogden Ave Downers Grove Illinois, 60515 (next to CVS) Check out our Facebook!