We’ve all heard that it’s our attitude that determines how much we succeed in life. Statements such as “It’s not just our aptitude but our attitude that determines our success” are often sprouted and I think we’d all agree that people with a positive attitude just seem to enjoy life more and are generally happier and more successful. But how do we change our attitude? Here are 7 simple steps I’ve used often that you can implement to change your attitude very quickly.

1. Be honest with yourself.

If you’re feeling bad or down and your attitude towards life or work is quite poor, then admit it to yourself. Don’t live in denial. Accept there is an issue because only once you’ve accepted something for the way it is can you make a change.

2. Get some rest

Have there been times when you’re overworked and stressed and you’re not getting as much rest as you should? How do you feel during those times? I bet you’re agitated and the smallest things can set you off. Often just getting some rest and forcing ourselves to take a break can be the best thing for our attitude. Adequate rest and sleep is a vital ingredient to maintaining a positive attitude.

3. Get clear on exactly what is causing you to have such a bad attitude

What exactly is bothering you? Is it your boss? Your partner?  Your kids? There have been many times when I know I’m not quite feeling right but I can’t put a finger on exactly what’s bothering me and until I can figure it out, my attitude remains bad. However, once I figure out exactly what is bothering me (and that usually only takes a few minutes of quiet reflection), I can then do something about it and my attitude immediately changes.

4. Look at the Consequences of your Bad Attitude

For example, are you stressed at work because of impending deadlines? Is that causing you to snap at your kids and walk around the house with a bad attitude. If so, look at the consequences of that. Your poor kids and your partner have got nothing to do with how things are at work. So why should they cop the brunt of your poor attitude? If you continue with this, what’s going to happen? Things at home will only get worse and that will only make your attitude even worse. It’s a negative spiral which is very tough to get out of. So get clear on the consequences of your bad attitude. Who are you hurting as a result of being grumpy?

5. Do Something to change your attitude

What can you do to improve your attitude? For example, if you’ve had a bad day at work and you’re about to walk in the door and see the family with that same bad attitude, what can you do to change the way you feel? If I’m walking home, I will often take a longer route. The added exercise and fresh air often helps clear my head or I’ll start listening to some uplifting music which immediately improves my attitude. I might also go for a run or head to the gym. What can you do to change your attitude.

6. Change the way you are looking at the situation

We all have trigger situations that cause us to get into a bad mood and to have a bad attitude toward life. Remember it is not the event, experience or problem itself but rather the way we respond to it that makes us feel the way we do. For example, if you feel like you have too much to do at work, rather than complaining and wishing it will go away, take on your extra work as a challenge. Imagine how good it would feel to get through all this work and have your head about water again. Then, with your new positive attitude attack your workload with a new enthusiastic gusto. I guarantee that when you change the way you look at something, your attitude and your results will immediately change.

7. Have an attitude of gratitude.

When Sir John Templeton was interviewed and he was asked what the definition of wealth is, he replied, “Live with an attitude of gratitude”. Everyday, look for things to be grateful for. I don’t care how tough things get, there is always something to be grateful for, whether it is as simple as the fact that you have eyes to see things with, a roof over your head or a bed to sleep in. Look for 5 things to be grateful for everyday, seek to live with an attitude of gratitude and watch your entire attitude towards life change.

So there you have it - 7 steps you can use immediately to change your attitude. Remember, you have complete control over your attitude - you can choose the way you feel. So use these 7 steps to improve your attitude and you’ll be amazed at how much more relaxed and happier you feel.

Niro Thambipillay believes that one of the major reasons for us being alive is to create and live the life of our dreams, regardless of the challenges we face. Yet many of us forget this in the daily grind that has become what we call “life”.

Niro’s aim is to provide a light at the end of the tunnel for people who want to take their life to the next level but are unsure where to start and as a result he founded “Step Up and Live”.

www.ezinearticles.com

I’ve learned through the many lessons of life that the only way to reach success is to have the right attitude. This means thinking positive thoughts about every situation you encounter. If you wake up believing you will have a bad day you will be more likely to have one, because you will be expecting it and looking for ways in which negativity presents itself to you. However, by turning those negative thoughts into positive ones, you can sidestep and avoid many negative situations, preventing them from ever arising.

Having a positive attitude about your relationships, job, home, and social life will make you feel better and have a profound effect on your experiences with people around you. Your influence will increase and people will be more likely to spend time with you when you bring positive, constructive energy with you.

Any negative situation can be repaired with a positive outlook. When caught in rush hour traffic it is very easy to cuss and scream and rage but it does very little good for you. Instead, take the time to enjoy mu-sic or call someone you haven’t talked with for a while. In the first case, if a driver cut you off you it would spiral into a profoundly negative mood which will likely show itself in your work endeavors and coworker interactions. In the latter case, you are more likely to brush the event off (he must have been running late) and continue your day in positive spirits.

I’ve learned that negative thinking itself is a bad thing. By focusing on the best in people and circumstances you will build a positive environment wherever you go. Positive thinking more than a simple tool, it is a whole lifestyle and it truly pays off!

www.ezinearticles.com

It took me a long time to realise the benefits of positive thinking. I had often heard people mention that if you think positive, positive things will happen to you, I used to think they were a bit weird. I now believe they were right and this article explains why.

Growing up through the difficult teenage years and into my early twenties, I felt very sorry for myself. I used to think I was the most unluckiest person in the world. I had a bald patch the size of a ten pence piece on my head, a speech impediment(stutter), I was overweight to the point of being fat, and was short for a male(5ft4).

I believed that I received more mickey taking out of me than anyone else, and life was certainly a struggle. To meet members of the opposite sex when you have a lack of confidence and a speech impediment is not easy. To gain work, order drinks, socialise in general, these were all difficult for me. Everyone else seemingly breezed and eased there way through life.

One day I was at work and a colleague of mine who was about thirty years older than me, commented that I was a very depressive person. I disagreed with him and was quite shocked, I believed that most people worried and stressed about things. He went on by stating that I was always negative about most things in life, always moaning about this or that and very rarely smiled. He went on to say that he had used to be like me, always depressed, moody and stressed until he was given some advice when he was aged thirty. He then proceeded to give me the same advice.

THE ADVICE:

When you feel down, depressed and sorry for yourself, watch the news and read the newspapers and you will see that there are many people worse off than you, and that you are actually one of the lucky ones.

I thought about this and started to follow what he had said. I now realise how stupid I had been. To be born and live in the UK, I am one of the lucky www.ezinearticles.com

Not all accept positive thinking or believe in it. Some believe that this is an absurdity, while others laugh of those who believe and accept such an attitude. But among those who accept it, there are not many people who use it properly to get results. However, it looks like the interest in this direction is increasingly higher – a good proof are the books,  seminars and courses and the importance of the psychological factor in career and life.

We often hear the call “Think positive!”, addressed to those who are depressed and worried. Many don’t believe in these words, because they don’t understand their meaning or they don’t think these words can be useful. There are not many people who ask themselves the question: “What can the power of positive thinking do for me”?

First of all, both positive and negative thinking are contagious. By the way we think and react we all have more or less influence, both on us – as a physical and mental function – but also on people we meet. This happens instinctively, at a  subconscious level, and it manifests by the impact that our own thoughts, emotions and feelings have on our transformation in life, on the other hand it manifests through the transfer of these thoughts and emotions to all those around us.

People perceive the aura around us and are influenced by our thoughts, whether they realize this or not. Is it any wonder that we all are looking for the company of positive people and we instinctively keep the distance from those negative people? People are more willing to help us if we are positive.

Thoughts, words and negative attitudes, cause negative actions. When you think negatively, in the blood are released a number of harmful substances that can cause more misery and negativity. Fear and negative feelings are consuming all our energy, and bad moods generate chain reactions and decisions of questionable quality.

To have a positive thinking an internal training is necessary. Attitude and thoughts do not change overnight. Read more about this issue, consider the benefits and convince yourself that it must be integrated in your life. The power of thought is immense and it practically leads us in life. This thing occurs often at a subconscious level, but we can turn this process into a consciously one. Although the idea may seem strange, you must try to put into practice.

Smile more, because this will help you think positively. If you refuse to turn into a victim and are you are optimistic and confident, you will be able to gradually change the way of thinking, and will be able to find the best solutions with really remarkable results.

If you feel that your thoughts want to go negative, do not feed the conflict. Today there are many people who can be considered fulfilled in many plans, master the art of positive thinking and, as a result, live a life of quality in the real sense. You CAN DO IT! Trust your mind and your heart. www.cruttera.com

In a way, that is the essence of what a persons life is, the choices they make. You have chosen to read on a little further, and that tells me that you desire something important in your life. Let me tell you now, it does not matter what it is…  great health, the perfect partner, improved prosperity , happiness, success, achievement, greater self-esteem, the courage to successfully face any of life’s challenges, anything… you have the power to accomplish these things.

Are you fed up with repeating the same old patterns from the past, continually sabotaging your future? Do you want to break out of the life you are in now to a new wonderful life where you achieve and experience the life that YOU want? You really can change things, it has worked for thousands before you have and the techniques and ideas here are the same that they used.

Let me give you one powerful truth right now… You only have power in the NOW. The past is gone, it cannot ever be changed and tomorrow is always uncertain. If you want to change your life, choose to start NOW, in this moment, this is the moment of your power, your choice.

Our lives are an outer manifestation of our inner thoughts and beliefs. Patterns that have been developed since childhood, behavioural patterns built on behavioural patterns. Our early life experience creates our current behavioural pattern. The techniques I will show you help identify any inappropriate or invalid beliefs you may hold and targets them with powerful positive affirmations, implanting new beliefs that can support you towards what you want to achieve.

If you embrace the ideas and techniques here, your life will change, and your dreams will be there for your reaching.

Just imagine….

• feeling great about yourself and what you can achieve
• feeling the flush of success and achievement
• experience new freedom, dynamism and joy
• having the power to choose your own path in life
• being happier and healthier
• achieving all the things you seek in life
• attracting your perfect partner
• being your ideal weight

they really can all be yours, many of the techniques, ideas and actions outlined here are used either instinctively or deliberately by many of the most successful people today. Think like a winner and you will be a winner.

It is only your thoughts that can prevent you achieving your dreams and a thought can be changed.

This is a process that will change your life… but it is your choice, I will give you some of the ideas and techniques to guide you on your way.

	Experience deeper understanding of yourself and how you got to where you are now and what you really want.
	Release anger, jealousy, resentment, fear, doubt, anxiety and depression
	Feel more empowered, those little successes and good decisions start coming more often, before you know it success is building on success,your self-esteem will soar.
	Take control of your life. Start to think and react consciously, make healthy self-nurturing choices.
	Learn to love and accept yourself, you will find yourself attracting positive people into your life.

With such a powerful set of new beliefs, how could you not succeed at anything you set your mind too?

Getting Started

If you want these things, read the whole site, read it carefully and absorb all the facts, understand the process, then go for it. www.vitalaffirmations.com

Unless you expose yourself to the ideas of positive and successful people, habitual negative thoughts and lifestyle will not produce a person with a positive mindset.

A positive mindset is a way of life and lifestyle that sets you apart from people who are negative and miserable, you know what they say about “misery loves company”. A positive mindset is not the same as a carefree existence. A person with a positive mindset operates with a plan instead of flying by the seat of his or her pants.

Learn to be flexible, exercise taking the opposite point of view contrary to your opinion. Entertain the thought that other people may be right and you may be wrong.

Become the person you want to be when you approach everyday with a positive mindset instead of finding something to complain about. Commit to changing the way you talk by not complaining. Simply put, if you can’t say anything positive, don’t say anything at all.

Positive affirmations are a popular tool to acquire a positive mindset. Some people advise writing positive affirmations on paper 20 times daily. You can also verbally state positive affirmations (using silent self-talk) or in private (in front of a mirror). There are a few key points to remember when writing affirmations. They are as follows:

§ Affirmations must be stated in the positive.
(I now only weigh ___ pounds)
§ Affirmations are more effective when you include your name.
(I, Mary, am a successful entrepreneur)
§ Affirmations must be in the present tense.
(I, Bob, am now a 6 figure earner)
§ Affirmations must be very specific.
(I, Elizabeth, generate $15,000 a month)
§ Adding the word “now” to your affirmation will make it more immediate.
(I , Laura, deserve to have a great relationship now!)

As you focus on acquiring a positive mindset it is important to document your goals and objectives daily. Start a journal with nothing but goals, accomplished objectives and aspirations. As you implement your plans document all your successes in your journal. Gradually you will learn to view the person in the mirror with renewed respect and admiration.

Developing a positive mindset is one of the most powerful and most rewarding life strategies there is. Positive thinking and a powerful attitude toward life is an essential key in life success and having a healthy mind and body. Positive mindset is your key to success in life and in business. At a personal level it will transform your life, your health and renew your passion for life. Professionally, you can use the power of a positive mindset to create success and reach your financial goals.

Positive people can recognize good opportunities and realize their potential. Negative people fail to recognize opportunity when it is presented to them. Positive people expect to succeed and negative people expect to fail. Whether you believe you can or cannot achieve something you are right. So why not believe that you “can”.

Having a positive or negative mindset is merely a choice. Choosing to have a positive mindset will allow you to attract amazing opportunities and successes in your life. Choosing to be negative will only attract more negativity and failures in your life. How will you choose to live your life?

by Monica Bradley

Your life is the result of the mental habit you have formed — the ways you have learned to think. To make any lasting change in your outer life, you must first change your thoughts — your inner life. Negative thought habits are difficult to change, as is any bad habit.

First change your vocabulary. Eliminate words like “can’t,” “won’t” and “failure.” The language you use influences the way you think.

Perform one unselfish service each day. I call this “throwing the boomerang” because all acts — positive or negative — eventually come back to you. Something as simple as offering a ride home to a co-worker is a good start.

Stay away from chronic complainers and other negative people as much as possible. Or at least get them on a cheerful subject — don’t wallow in their misery with them. Become the one in the group who others always describe as cheerful.

Make a list of the major traits, habits, attitudes and skills that will exemplify the ideal you, and then make every effort to follow those guidelines.

Finally, remember your goal is to be fulfilled in your personal life and career at a mental, spiritual, physical, financial and social level.

If you want happiness to radiate around you and a positive attitude to be your guide, you must fulfill your life in four major areas: spiritual, financial, educational and recreational. The key is balance, and it all goes back to your www.attitude.dayton.bizjournals.com

With this in mind, are you planting, watering and feeding flowers (positive thoughts), or are you spending time and effort nurturing weeds (negative thoughts)?!

Keep this in mind as you go about your day. Are you thinking about everything that’s not right or could go wrong, or are you focusing on the good things in your life, the things you enjoy and make you feel happy?

Listen hard enough and you’ll hear your own story … and those of others too. What do you say to yourself? Do you give yourself encouragement to achieve, and support to continue whether you’re doing well or not? Or do you ignore what you do well and beat yourself up for everything else?

What you say to yourself will have the greatest impact on you. You listen to your inner voice far more than you listen to anyone or anything else – even your coach if you have one!

And what your inner voice says really depends on your past – your experiences and memories. If you had a good childhood where you were well cared for supported and encouraged, you’re likely to have a positive outlook. But if you were teased, bullied or mistreated on a regular basis, you may well have a pretty negative outlook.

Whatever your outlook, you can change how you feel by changing your focus. Here are three simple exercises which can turn your life around.

Exercise 1

Start by just watching yourself and listening to what you say. Think about how you’d feel if your closest friends said the sort of things you say to yourself. Or how they’d feel/react if you said the same things to them. Would it have a positive impact, or would you be undermining them? Whatever impact you think it would have on others, it will have a similar effect on you.

You may be shocked by your discoveries during this exercise, or you may be fairly well aware of how horrible you are to yourself. Whatever the case, you now have a good starting point.

Exercise 2

Now and again, spend a few minutes just thinking about the things that make you happy – spending time with your kids (or not as the case may be!), walking in the countryside, sitting peacefully in your garden reading a book, or careering around a race track in a go-cart. Find out what makes you feel good and think about it for a few minutes regularly.

Notice how your mood improves as you think about something you enjoy. You can do this exercise whenever you want to feel better.

Exercise 3

Allow yourself to daydream about the things you want. Daydreams are fun and uncomplicated, and you can shape them in whatever way you want. Dream of how you’d like things to be. If you find yourself focusing on what you haven’t got, or the problems around getting it, remind yourself that in daydreams, things naturally sort themselves out without any effort from you.

Look for times in your day when you can daydream: when you’re on the train, stuck in traffic, out walking; when you wake up or go to bed; while you’re preparing food or doing housework – or even instead of reading or watching TV. The great thing about daydreaming is that it doesn’t require a special place or time -you can easily fit it into moments when you can let your mind wander and play.

In addition to the longer-term-benefits of attracting the things you want to you by focusing on them, you will also feel the more immediate benefit of feeling happier because you’re thinking about something good.

Don’t delay – start today!

www.clarewhiston.com

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”

Norman Vincent Peale was a minister and the author of the famous book The Power of Positive Thinking. That book and other works from Peale went on to sell tens of millions of copies. During the depression he, JC Penney and Thomas Watson – of IBM fame – spent time on philantrophy. Peale also had his own radio show for over half a decade.

Here are some of my favourite tips from Peale.

1. Focus on today.

“Don’t take tomorrow to bed with you.”

Focusing on this day today and on tomorrow when it arrives can save you a lot of stress and improve your focus and performance. Of course, you may need to plan for tomorrow. But thinking about it compulsively will just shatter your focus and ensure that you won’t be able to concentrate on what’s in front of you today. You can – over time – build a habit of spending more time in the present and less time in imagined future scenarios or old memories. You may do this through things like focusing on your breathing or on your inner body. You can read about in 8 Ways to Return to the Present Moment.

2. Don’t walk around with the world on your shoulders.

“Drop the idea that you are Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders. The world would go on even without you. Don’t take yourself so seriously.”

I won’t spend much time on this point because I mentioned it just a few days ago and have written about many times before. It’s important though and can really change how you see the world and your life. It makes most things lighter. Check out Lighten Up! for practical tips and foundations for learning to think about things this way. And have a look at the last part of How to Keep Yourself on Track: 5 Helpful Questions for more on the two useful questions that can snap you out of a overly serious state of mind.

3. You may be surprised if you just step up and face your obstacles.

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.”

“The “how” thinker gets problems solved effectively because he wastes no time with futile “ifs” but goes right to work on the creative “how.”

It’s very easy to spend your time thinking and imagining all the horrible things that may happen if you stand up and face your obstacles and troubles in life. But if you actually do that those negative images seldom come into life. They are just huge monsters that you build in your mind. Just like you did when you were a kid and imagined monsters in the closet or under your bed.

When you actually stand up and face your obstacles you may find that the experience isn’t as bad as you imagined. Sometimes it’s actually a bit anti-climatic. You think to yourself: ”What?! Is this it?”.

So, after having done some thinking, research and planning on how you can accomplish something just stop thinking. Don’t fall into the trap of overthinking and monster-building. Just go and do what you need to do instead.

4. Understand to overcome.

“Understanding can overcome any situation, however mysterious or insurmountable it may appear to be.”

Talk to people, do some research – in books, online, etc. – and the mist of anxiety and fear often vanishes. A situation may seem scary because it’s not understood and undefined and so your mind projects your worst fears upon that scary looking mist. It can seem like just about anything may jump out of it and attack you. So understanding can be useful. Overthinking, as mentioned in the previous point, not so much.

5. Expect to get what you expect.

“Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are.”

“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture… Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.”

“Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will.”

What you focus your mind on you will see in reality. Your mind can only take in a small part of reality. And the attitude you take towards what you let in lets you see those things through different lenses.

Self-fulfilling prophecies can be very powerful. If you think that you will fail then you’ll find “proof” that you will fail in your reality. If you think you will succeed your focus system in your mind – your Reticular Activation System – will help you find the opportunities for success in your reality. What would remain “in the background” when you focused on the negative will suddenly pop out of the background when you focus on the positive or succeeding.

Now, it may be common or “normal” to focus on the negative (perhaps with a sprinkle of positivity now and again). But it is also all it is. You are free to choose what to focus on all the time. So think about what you focus on because that is what you will see. And what you see is what you will act upon. And your actions do to a large degree determine your results.

6. Find the upsides of the problem.

“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.”

“Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscles, they toughen and make strong.”

Problems can provide insights and give lessons in how you can grow. So don’t be totally discouraged when running into a problem. Realize that there are usually one or more opportunities in what you perceive as a problem. Doing that regularly makes it easier to not take your problems overly seriously because you aren’t seeing them as totally negative experiences anymore.

So when facing a problem, ask yourself a question like: what’s awesome about this situation? Or ask yourself: what can I learn from this situation?

7. Check your phraseology.

“Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful.”

“Never talk defeat. Use words like hope, belief, faith, victory.”

There is a good amount of power in what words you use. If you use negative words you tend to feel more negative and find more negativity in your world. If you use positive and uplifting words you tend to feel those emotions. This may sound a bit corny or silly, but when you get into the habit of actually using more positively charged words you find that it affects your mood and outlook on things.

8. Don’t go too fast.

“To go fast, row slowly.”

It’s tempting to go fast. But if you go too fast your boat may tip over. You may stumble unnecessarily and make mistakes that you wouldn’t have done if you had just kept a slower pace. Or you may be tempted to grab on to the next big idea, the next “magic pill”, instead of steadily keep going on your current path. To actually get where you want to go a slower pace may be more useful and effective than a hurried and quick pace.

9. Develop the most useful habits of thinking.

“Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast.”

“Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.”

What you spend most of your time thinking about you tend to become. One problem may be that you don’t know what you think about most of the time. If you for instance try a Positivity Challenge you may find that you’ll spend a lot more time on negative thoughts than you imagined. Such a challenge or just keeping careful notes for a few days can be useful to find out how you spend your time and thoughts.

To install more of a positive attitude or positive thinking into your mind you need to have patience. It may not be easy and you’ll probably fall back into old thought patterns a lot of the time. But I have discovered that over time – we’re talking about months here – you can slowly spend more and more of your week with, for instance, positive thoughts rather then negative ones. And after a while positive thoughts tend to become more and more automatic. Just like when playing tennis you don’t have to think so much about striking the ball after a while. It becomes an automatic reflex.

One helpful tip while installing new thought habits is to continually remind yourself about them by asking yourself questions that keeps you steadily on this new mental track. Or gets you back on track if you veer off it. You can use notes posted on your computer, fridge, and bathroom mirror to remind yourself to actually ask yourself the questions.

10. Learn not only from your mistakes.

“We’ve all heard that we have to learn from our mistakes, but I think it’s more important to learn from successes. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors.”

“Check what you did right and don’t get lost in basking on your glory. It will make it easier to repeat whatever you did that created the success.”

I thought this was an interesting reminder. Our mistakes are interesting because they can often teach us something valuable if we just take a closer look at what happened. But, of course, the successes are really useful to analyze too.

It is here we can find perhaps a crucial detail or something that we did that we missed the other 10 times we tried. So, as Peale says, don’t get totally lost in basking in your glory. Or make the mistake of seeing your success as just having a bit of luck for once. Take a close look at what happened and what you did right. Preferably sooner than later as memories can quickly become a quite fuzzy. And write down what you come up with to prevent that the conclusions become fuzzy.
by positiveblog.com