How To Help Your Brain Seek and Find A More Positive Outlook

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Desiree Musselman, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

We all know that today’s world can be a bit rough to navigate. People live fast-paced lives and, therefore, do not always pay the attention they want to themselves or their friends.

One of the easiest ways to maintain happiness and health is by striving to see more positivity in our daily lives.

Self-encouragement is not just a significant aspect of character building. It is a powerful tool for progressing in a competitive world. It’s the fuel that keeps you going, the voice that tells you ‘you can do it’ when the going gets tough.

It helps to realize your goals and stay on the right track to achieve them. It’s also connected with creativity, learning, and much-deserved rest.

Here, we aim to provide you with some ideas on how to use it to your advantage.

Positive Questions and Why They Are Important

“The quality of your life is determined by the quality of questions you ask.” – Tony Robbins

When you think about it, asking questions is extremely important – even as kids, this is one of the first things we learn. Later in life, we often judge how much one has understood from a particular subject based on the questions they ask. Figuring out what you want to ask means you know what you need help with, so you can receive more specific advice.

Answering questions is just as valuable as it helps you create awareness and focus on the details you find interesting. Integrating attention to both the question and the reason behind it will set you up for more lasting success.

1. What good thing happened to me today?
Small things often go unnoticed in a fast-paced environment, causing us to miss out on moments of positivity. Yet, when we take the time to recognize these small joys, we can’t help but feel a sense of appreciation and contentment.

A compliment from a stranger or the way your coffee tastes just right today is really nothing special. Yet, it helps you realize that the world can be a kind place and that there’s often something to appreciate. This question enables you to focus on these small things you have no control over yet are lovely nonetheless.

2. What good thing was I responsible for today?
This question supports the idea, “Give what you want to receive.” Being a kind person to others also makes you happier, and it helps you create more win-win experiences.

The kinder people are to the others, the kinder the world is as a whole. You can use this question as motivation to do one generous, sweet, or thoughtful thing for another human being each day.

3. What and who am I grateful for?
This question allows you to focus on more significant aspects of your life. The ability to live in a place you enjoy and have close friends is incredible when you consider how vast the world is.

On a cosmic scale, it’s even more incredible – millions and millions of years, and we can survive by doing what we love and having excellent connections regardless of distance.

If that’s not something to be grateful for, I don’t know what is! When answering this question, try looking at the world as a whole and consider why you are lucky to live exactly where you are and exactly when you do.

4. Why do I want to achieve what I’ve set out to do, and where can I find a source of motivation?
Here, the focus is your reasons for doing something – why you enjoy the work you do and how it makes you a better person. Knowing why your goals bring you happiness helps you be persistent on your way to achieving them.

Additionally, suppose you continue to ask yourself where you can find motivation or inspiration. In that case, the chances of eventually having more than one source are more prominent, allowing you never to be dependent solely on one thing.

5. How can I learn from the mistakes I’ve made?
Turning a negative into a positive is very important when changing your perspective. If you feel down, it’s easy to focus on your mistakes. However, realizing that you can learn from each one helps alleviate the guilt and desire to beat yourself up too much.

Some people even go as far as to try to make mistakes when learning something new to understand it better. Even if you don’t reach this point, it helps tremendously not to worry about messing up because we all make mistakes, after all.

6. What are some values that I want to work on?
Building your character and striving to be a better person will help you make progress in life, and for that, you need to know what drives you.

Values and what you feel make up those values evolve with you. As you have new experiences, you learn and grow, and your perceptions of yourself and the world around you change. Yet the progress you’ve made remains.

This question helps you determine which direction you want to take based on the values you hold. By answering it, you both acknowledge the work you’ve already done and where you want to put in even more effort.

7. Am I holding on to something I don’t want to, and why?
This is a very specific question because many people tend to carry more regret and fear than they are aware of. Feeling guilty about past events or being close to toxic people falls into this category, and it’s essential to acknowledge it so that you can move past it.

This is just the first step in a very long journey, yet it’s the crucial one that everyone can start with because things like these hold you back and stop your progress. It’s our choice whether or not to give them that power.

8. What is something I look forward to?
Here, you can view everything you want, whether big or small. Ranging from something like an upcoming event (going to your favorite coffee shop or a concert you’ve been waiting for) or a rite of passage in your life (moving to a different country or expanding your hobby). The more stuff you have to look forward to, the better your future outlook is.

9. What do I cherish in the people I love, and what can I learn from them?
Here, the focus is both towards the outside world and the one within. Answering why you love someone is vital in creating a good relationship. It clarifies many questions you may have about yourself and others.

Additionally, the people you love can be a tremendous source of inspiration! Here, you can focus on both aspects, realizing why the people around you are unique and how they can inspire you to be better.

10. What qualities do I have that I love or am proud of?
This question is fundamental – recognizing your inner value helps tremendously in keeping a positive view of yourself. It’s much harder for a positive thing to grow out of a negative environment, and asking yourself what you love about yourself helps you give yourself that positive environment.

You can start big or small. You can answer about a different quality every day in detail or all of them simultaneously. Make sure to ask yourself this question often, especially if you don’t have a high opinion of yourself, so you can begin building it. Progress can only happen if it’s been allowed to, and loving yourself is essential in allowing yourself to be better.

Where To Go From Here

By answering these questions weekly or daily, you will likely gain a deeper understanding of yourself and discover what truly brings you happiness. Changing a bad mood isn’t always easy. Yet, the world around you and the one inside are excellent sources of inspiration.

Having a clear perspective, progressing, and being grateful are essential to one’s growth and inner peace. With these questions, we aim to remind you that you and everything around you are incredible and that although the world and change can be scary, everyone is strong enough to overcome that fear and become happier, ultimately making the world a better place.

Want to Understand the Science Behind Your Mindset?

If these questions helped shift your perspective, you’ll appreciate the deeper “why” behind them.

Schedule a free 1:1 session to learn how your brain processes reflection, motivation, and mindset, and how to use that understanding to support personal and professional growth.

Because a clearer mind leads to stronger, more intentional leadership, from the inside out.