Three Simple Things that Can Change Your Life
- Juliana Bruno
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 8
Improving your life often begins with changing how you relate to negativity.
We all experience and interpret things differently, so the key is identifying perspectives that resonate with you personally.
These shifts won’t ask you to be relentlessly positive, but to welcome positivity more naturally and speak to yourself with intention.
It isn't about bypassing hard feelings or situations. I am talking about how you choose to see the world and shape your reality. I firmly believe that your reality is largely shaped by you. Your reality is not on the outside; it is on the inside. How you see things and yourself, how you talk to yourself and others, what you dwell on, and what you become jaded to. Your skepticism, judgments, and criticisms all shape how you see your outer world.
How often have we known people who live together, and one person is grouchy with a negative outlook on life, and the other person is optimistic and feels that overall, life is beautiful? Same environment, same community, same house, and maybe even same finances, but yet, different realities. Hmmm....
Changing your outlook can start with these three simple tools to foster joy and a more positive outlook.
Try these three practices to foster more joy, clarity, and self-empowerment.
1. Swap “I hope…” for “I am worthy of…”
Hope can be beautiful—especially when we’re rebuilding or pushing through tough times. It's forward-looking and can motivate us to keep moving. But when it comes to everyday desires or small changes you can act on now, switching “I hope I…” to “I am worthy of…” transforms your mindset!
For example:
Instead of saying, “I hope I get a better job” → try “I am worthy of a better job.”
This subtle shift grounds your desire in the present moment, affirming your value right now, not somewhere in the future.
Research shows self-worth affirmations reinforce confidence and shift self-talk from doubt to deservingness. These statements activate brain pathways tied to self-processing and reward, promoting resilience and emotional well-being
Over time, the “I am worthy of...” mindset helped me land jobs that I’ve pursued, including my current book deal and a second book on the way! It changes how you show up in interviews, pitches, relationships, and within yourself.
2. Make a List of Positive Responses to Negative Situations
When triggers hit, it’s easy to default to quick fixes—comfort food, online ranting, or reactive judgments (for me, it is sweets and death scrolling). But these often feel worse afterward. Instead, create a list of healthier alternatives:
Long walks in nature
Funny cat videos
Deep breathing or meditation
Checking in with a friend
Journaling your thoughts
When triggered, consult this list, not your reactive habits. Over time, it supports self-awareness, more sustainable self-care, and better emotional outcomes. Scientific guides on self-compassion-backed coping emphasize the value of intentional, healing responses over impulsive ones.
3. Replace Judgment with Empathy—and Celebrate Positive Moments Equally
We humans carry a negativity bias: negative events, criticism, or trauma weigh more heavily in our minds than equally positive experiences. This bias makes criticism linger longer and negative news dominate our emotional landscape.
To rebalance:
Notice negativity—but give just as much notice to joy, kindness, success—big or small. Try tracking a 3:1 positivity ratio for days when you feel stuck. Every time you engage with a negative news story on your feed, balance it out with a feel-good story or two and add on a cute cat video.
With others, lean toward empathetic interpretations rather than assumptions. Their “jeer” might be fatigue or shyness, not malice. Someone who cut you off in traffic might be suffering from a migraine (true story, check out the upcoming podcast with Sherry Richert Belul, premiering September 25, 2025).
Celebrate the small stuff as well as the big moments. Life is amazing! Celebrate it!
Cultivating empathy and gratitude promotes better relationships, a broader perspective, and a richer quality of life.
🌱 Realistic Humanity, Not Perfection
None of us can act perfectly all the time. You might grab the cookies instead of going for a walk. You may feel compelled to vent harshly or feel unworthy. That’s part of being human—and that’s okay.
What truly matters is coming back to the work:
Believe in your worth, now.
Redirect negative moments to compassionate care.
Balance the narrative with positivity and empathy.
Forgiving yourself, you aren't perfect, and well, no one is (I throw this in because you will not always respond how you wish you would at times, and you know what, that is called being human, and it's okay)
By coming back to this work, even setbacks become invitations to grow. When one door closes, remind yourself that new doors open, and you have the strength to walk toward them.
✅ Quick Recap
Practice | Why It Matters |
Replace “I hope” with “I am worthy” | Anchors self-worth in the present, not deferred hope |
List positive responses to negativity | Provides healthier alternatives to reactive habits |
Balance judgment with empathy & positivity | Counteracts our brain’s negativity bias and improves relationships |
Take these steps at your own pace.
Mistakes happen, and they’re part of the process of evolving.
But each moment is an opportunity to choose differently and to live more fully.
You are deserving of joy, compassion, resilience, and a life shaped by intentional love. You do! So get back on the horse when you fall off! I believe in you!
I am excited to see what you do and how things shift! Let me know! I'd love to hear what you do to foster a positive outlook when life seems overwhelming.
And as always, dear friends, know I love and support you.
Take good care. 💫
XO -j
Want to learn more?
Check out these other resources!
Commentaires