Jessica Caruso Brophy

September 2022
Photography (top) by Lindsay Gifford

 

Jessica Caruso Brophy
Healthy Habit: Positive Thinking

Passion: Process Improvement and Implementation
Career: Solutions Manager
Family: Sean, husband, and Annabelle (2)

When we asked around the Lowcountry, your name came up over and over on being super positive. What a compliment! How does that make you feel?
Surprised, to be completely honest! Being more positive is a recent goal of mine, and although I like to believe that I am positive, I am honored that I am perceived as positive by others. It is a very sweet and emotional confirmation. Positivity is something that I have to be mindful of because although it can be natural at times, it’s not always easy.

We all have a choice to either think positive or think negative, what have you done to skew your mindset to positive thinking?
Remembering that it is a choice, and every choice counts. This is something that my Grammy taught me at a very young age.

Do you believe positive thinking comes natural or is it learned?
I believe it can be both, but I think there is so much power in leading by example. In my 20’s I discovered that “you can learn a lot from people about who you want to be, but you can learn a lot more from people about who you don’t want to be.” (Side note: I am 98% sure I heard Elizabeth Millen say this in the Pink office one day, and it was truly an Aha moment for me) This is especially true for me when it comes to positivity. When I hear someone being positive, I think to myself, “Oh wow, I wish I thought more like that, how uplifting and encouraging.” When I hear negativity, it’s a total turn off, and I try to use it as an opportunity to be positive in return.

What are the keys to positive thinking?
• Remembering that all circumstances are temporary.
• How I feel and what is true are sometimes two different things.
• By choosing to be negative, I am robbing myself of joy
that is freely available to me.

How has this practice enhanced your life?
Positive thinking not only impacts me but also impacts the people around me. By choosing positivity, it creates positive interactions, which establishes positive and healthy relationships that are easier to maintain. I am ALL about easy relationships these days.

We all have disappointments, fears, doubts, how do you combat negative thoughts?
By remembering that disappointment, fear and doubts are not things that come from God. The enemy preys on our fears and uses them as ways to camp out in our minds and consume our thoughts. God wants so much more for us than these things will allow.

Do you believe thinking positive is a direct correlation to happiness?
Absolutely. It’s a ripple effect.

You have a daughter who is a toddler, how do you think your positive attitude has impacted her?
Knowing that her outlook is shaped by the behavior I am modeling inspires me to be the best version of myself. I want to show her that we will never be perfect, but we will always be a work in progress, and we get to give ourselves grace in the meantime.

Some people think positive people are annoying, perhaps because they feel like they never have problems or understand. How do you differentiate between being positive and being helpful when a friend is down and needs to talk?
I too think that it can be annoying sometimes, but it’s all about delivery. No one wants to hear “just be positive and everything will be okay.” I find myself saying this: Truthfully, it’s all about perspective. It can be a stumbling block or a stepping stone, an obstacle or an opportunity, a setback or a springboard, and YOU get to decide. YOU get to choose, and every choice counts.

What would you say to encourage others to make a conscious effort to incorporate healthy positive thinking habits in their daily lives?
Why not? What do you have to lose? The alternative is negative thinking, which requires so much more effort and can be mentally and emotionally depleting. Give yourself the gift of positivity, and watch how it will radiate through your life and the lives around you.

Why are healthy habits important to you?
Habits are a small part of the big picture. Philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”