“To grow a positive mind, from which you become who you really are and from which you attract into your life what you really want, you have to learn how to stay in an UpSpiral.” -Dr. William Kent Larkin, Author of Growing the Positive Mind (2008)

Neuroplasticity, which is also known as brain plasticity, is about how brain functions can change behavior, environment, neural processes, thinking, and emotions. Neuroscientific research has shown that experience can actually change the brain’s physical structure as well as how it works.

Dr. William Kent Larkin, in his book, Growing the Positive Mind , explains how anyone can develop and sustain a positive mindset by continuing to stay on, what he terms, an “UpSpiral”. This includes maintaining a positive outlook—which can literally change and rewire our minds to see more positively.

This is very encouraging scientific proof that looking on the bright side will not only change how our brains perceive the world, but by shifting our thoughts to those that are more positive, a negative outlook can be reversed entirely.

By embracing positive states of being, not only will an internal pep talk motivate you and help you feel good today, but you will be forming a well-paved route for your new positive thought processes to travel. Your old, negative neural highways will begin breaking down, detaching in sections, and turning back into a forest of neurons and glial cells.

Simply getting into the habit of writing down all that you are grateful for each morning can literally rewire your brain and assist you in quickly seeing things to be even more grateful for in the days to come.

Get into the habit of looking on the bright side. Each positive state of mind offers a different gift and perspective.

It has been said that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we perceive it. I believe that the more aware we become of our capabilities, the lower that 10% begins to feel. Not only can we remove ourselves from any environment that may evoke a negative stimulus that we want to avoid, but we also have a choice as to how we want to perceive the world.

Make your outlook a positive one by changing your neural pathways and growing your own positive mind.

It is entirely your choice.

Action Items:

• Embrace and create positive thoughts as frequently as possible.
• When negative situations occur, find 3 positive silver linings.
• Create a list every morning, for 30 days, of three to five new things that you are grateful for regardless of how small. We can even be grateful for our beds, our pillows, our rug, a meal, a pencil, a roof over our heads. There are so many things we take for granted and can appreciate when we realize that millions of people in the world are without them today.
• At the end of each day, for the same 30 days, write down or purposely recall in your mind five positive experiences that you had throughout your day, and again, regardless of how small.
• Begin reading positive material such as motivational and inspirational quotes and books.
• When something negative happens to you, give it a positive spin. Look for the silver lining. Find the bright side regardless of how small it is.

Please visit The Teen Mentor or search The Portal of Wisdom to sift through the real-life wisdom of experts and professionals from around the world.

About the Author: Michelle C. Ustaszeski-Hutchinson is the Founder and Executive Editor of The Teen Mentor, LLC, based in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. She is a Personal Development Expert, The Faciliator of Wisdom, and also a Reiki Master. As co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Michelle teamed with some of the top motivational gurus such as Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, and Joe Vitale in order to offer a compilation of self-improvement teachings. She has been quoted as a “Master of Success” among some of the worlds most famous thinkers and published in numerous books and on thousands of websites around the world. Read More…