5 Habits to Quit on Your Path to Positivity

5 Habits to Quit on Your Path to Positivity

“Go anywhere and ask anyone—at the top of most people’s wish list is the desire to be happier,” says Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker, 25-year licensed therapist, actress, comedienne, author, and expert in the psychology of human behavior.

Podesta has discovered, however, that our definition of happiness is usually backwards. “Happiness is not the result of getting what you want but the catalyst that makes getting what you want possible,” she explains. “This means happiness has to come first, before we get what we want.

However, happiness doesn’t come easy, you have to fight for it. In fact, it requires determination and a firm belief that you have the right to be happy. Even in difficult times, she says. Unfortunately, most people fight for the opposite.

“How many people do you know who are determined to dwell on all their negative experiences and stay angry, or sad or defeated—even when others try to help? That’s when the negativity begins to define you,” Podesta explains.

“You have to be believe you deserve happiness more than you deserve a life of anger or misery,” she shares.

How do you start? Podesta says humans are hard-wired to be more successful with quitting bad habits in their journey toward self-improvement. She shares five habits you can choose to let go of.

1. Quit Expecting Other People to Make You Happy

Learn to find happiness within yourself. Love yourself. Respect yourself. Encourage yourself. Believe in yourself. Do the things that make you feel like a better person? As long as you need other people to make you happy, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Focus on creating a life that’s good, safe, loving, and respectable.

2. Quit Expecting People to Read Your Mind

Most people are better at communicating what they don’t like, rather than what they need. Communicating what you want, what you feel, and what your boundaries are can be a positive way to establish more engaged and healthy relationships at work and at home.

3. Quit Holding On To Your Past

Take a look at your life. Who do you need to forgive? The more we can forgive and move past situations in our life that have given us messages we tend to go over and keep with us, the more power we have to say “I am going to be a different person.”

4. Quit Feeling Powerless

Stop blaming others for where you are in life or how you feel. By believing you have control, you can empower yourself to make different choices. This outlook on life opens up your future to amazing opportunities.

5. Quit Putting Yourself Last

If you don’t take good care of yourself then it will be almost impossible to take really good care of others. You have to be well, healthy, confident, and yes … happy. Those feelings will radiate wellness and strength through every word and touch you give to others.

“It all boils down to learning to love and respect yourself first, this is the foundation of every relationship and results in true happiness,” Podesta stresses.

AORN is thrilled to welcome Podesta to the mainstage at Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2018. She’ll be sharing more takeaways on the psychology of finding your positive mindset during the Jerry G. Peers lectureship keynote on March 26.

Need a therapy moment with Podesta to improve your positive mindset? Check out her YouTube channel and watch a video of her explaining the mindset she chose to have after losing 90% of her home to fire.