Written by Kathleen Quinton
Kathleen Quinton is a Certified Life Coach and Author who works one-on-one with clients, facilitates workshops on self-empowerment and a positive mindset, and is a coach/mentor of other coaches in her field. Learn more about working with Kathy.

Our thoughts create feelings which then become our energy. This energy can be either negative (lower level) or positive (higher level). Or somewhere in between.

The two emotions that regulate energy, (how we feel) are love and fear. Some lower lever feelings closer to fear are hate, frustration, lack, sadness, anger, and jealousy. And some of the higher-level feelings closer to love are joy, enthusiasm, compassion, passion, confidence, self-love, and all things positive.

The good news is that negative energy can be transformed.

Why transform it? For our health and happiness’ sake. Negative energy robs you of joy and well-being. Positive energy is invigorating and can keep you in a state of happiness, and good health.

Just imagine what can happen with your life and relationships if your first impulse is to smile and respond with kindness. Not just for a day or a week, but until that becomes your norm.

Yet, even when you practice positivity and do your work, you can still be triggered back to your old way of thinking, and you occasionally will be. You have unconsciously listened to those thoughts, over and over, until you believed them! Once you become conscious of your thoughts, (and question them) you will not want to stay in that place for any length of time. You will more quickly recognize when thoughts are limiting and push them away.

If you can make the shift to positivity, why wait? Be diligent in this, as you are meant to be happy, confident, and free to live a creative life. Keep yourself as positive as possible; always reach for a better feeling. When you feel better about yourself it will emanate in every area of your life.

Here are some ways to begin the practice of shifting to positive energy:

  1. Feel the energy your thoughts hold. Do they resonate with you? How does it feel in your belly/core?
  2. Practice physical energy-changers:
    • Dance—change your physiology, move thy body!
    • Sing
    • Laugh
  3. Also, try these tips for generating more positive energy:
    • Cultivate self-love and self-care which, combined with positive thoughts can go a long way towards helping you to shift out of a negative state.
    • Take care of your health.
    • Push negative thoughts away.
    • Meditate.
    • Don’t gossip.
    • Do what you love!
    • Share laughter with someone daily.
    • Practice gratitude.
    • Contribute to others.

We need to be aware of the type of energy we are exuding and the effect it can have on those around us. We also need to be aware of the effect that the energy of others can have on – us or has had on us – while we were growing up.

By recognizing how negative energy starts and where it comes from, we can begin to turn the negative into positive.

Positive energy is contagious. We can share the energy we want to see and feel in the world and become a source of comfort and happiness to ourselves and those we love! Cheers, I think I’m going to go dance. You?