Do you magnify the positive in your life?

It never ceases to amaze me how people want to amplify the negative in their life instead of the positive.

They focus incessantly on all that is going wrong.  They make list upon list of what they can’t do.

When you view yourself through this lens, you see a chicken instead of an eagle.

You shrink, limit and close off your life.

Perhaps, you aren’t completely negative, but still are you magnifying the positive and believing the very best?

In the end, you get exactly what you are looking for.  Will you be a chicken or an eagle?

Being Trapped in a Tunnel of Hopelessness

A chicken is limited.  It lives in a coop.  It scratches for food.  It makes noise.

An eagle soars.

Those stuck in the rut of always seeing things in a negative light will tell you:

• The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train
• Life is hard and unfair
• Sh*t happens
• It is foolish and unrealistic to be so positive
• I hate my life
• Viewing the world through rose colored glasses only makes things worse
• I don’t want to set myself up for a big letdown
• Every time I try, life knocks me down again
• The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
• I don’t even know why I keep trying
• That’s not the way things happen in the real world
• Everything is just hopeless
• I can’t…<insert list here>

Do you catch yourself thinking or saying things like this?  It seems really easy to slip off into this abyss.

For many, being a chicken is the default position.  It takes no effort to go there.  Is this you?

If so, what does this get you?  Are you satisfied with the life it produces?

I hear from people all the time that tell me whole life stories that are full of the phrases above.  They catalog all the reasons why their lives are so bad and why they CAN’T get out of the hole they are in.

I admit that they are often up against incredible difficulties.  Many of which are beyond their control.  My heart goes out to these people.  It really does.  Their stories are gut-wrenching.  I wished I could flip a switch and make it all better for them, but unfortunately I can’t.

The only thing I can do is offer hope.  Tell them that they CAN be an eagle.

But often even this is rejected.

Magnifying the Positive and Believing the Best

What choice will you make?

I think there is a little chicken in all of us.  We all have some limiting thoughts that hold us back.  We can all work on improving our ability to magnify the positive and believe the best.

To be an eagle, you must continually examine your thought life.

You have to choose to amplify the positive instead of the negative.

Here are a few ways to start magnifying the positive and believing the best:

1.  Intensify Your Gratitude

Consciously elect to be extremely grateful for the good things that exist in your life.  There have to be a few.  In fact, I’d challenge you that there a likely a lot of things that you CAN be grateful for if you just choose to be and look through the right lens.

Whatever you enjoy.  Whatever delights you.  Whatever is going right.  Focus on these.

No matter what your situation is, you likely have at least a few things you can be grateful for.  Magnify these things.

Maybe it is as simple as the warmth of sunshine or the beauty of flowers.  Maybe it is a family member.  Perhaps it is your health.

Find some things every day and be intensely grateful for these things.  It will change your life.

2.  Obsess Over What You CAN Do

Forget about your so-called limitations and instead start obsessing over what you CAN do.

Make a list of what is possible instead of what is impossible.

You might not be able to jump immediately from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be, but at least start doing what you can.

This will open up further opportunities.  I guarantee it.

I wrote a whole article about doing what you can called Do what you CAN to Achieve More.  I highly suggest reading it.

3.  Recruit Some Allies

Start hanging around places where you are likely to find allies in this journey.

Often, we fall into the trap of negativity either because we isolate ourselves or because we are driving under the influence of others.

You can be your own worst enemy.  Or your family and so-called friends can be your worst enemy.

Either way, you need some new allies.  Some people that will help you see the world in a different way.

There are a multitude of places to find these people.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Online (via sites like this blog - you can also friend me on Facebook to find more)
• At a Toastmasters meeting in your local area
• In a Twelve Step Group - there’s probably one for you
• At a good church in your community
• At a Meetup that relates to one of your interests
• On the radio – I recommend Dave Ramsey, K-Love & Victor Schueller
• In books – see my reading list
• Via very intentional plans targeted at specific areas of improvement

Obviously, you don’t have to meet people in person for them to become your ally.  They can pump you up with the positivity you need from a distance.

Get Started with Being More Positive Today

What are you waiting for?  You don’t want to remain a chicken do you?

You were made to soar like an eagle.  You just need to start magnifying the positive and believing the best.

What stands in your way?  Reply to this or leave a comment and let me know.

I’m here to help!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

This is a guest post from Hulbert Lee

Let’s face it. We live in a society that’s run by capitalism.

If you’re in business, everyone can be seen as a competitor. The ones who have a cold, determined attitude to do whatever it takes to get to the top of their business are also often the people who are highly praised.

High rating TV shows like The Apprentice often teach us that in order to get a job, you have to be willing to out compete others and that there is no room for “nice” or you will be booted. But in my opinion, being nice has more long-term potential to help you in business.

3 Reasons Being Nice Is Better for Business

Here are the reasons I believe we should be nice:

1. Positive Impressions are Contagious

Every time you make a positive action towards others, whether it’s smiling, saying hello, or laughing at someone’s joke, you are spreading positive energy to them. They will hold in this positive energy when they receive it and potentially spread it towards others, making themselves feel better.

Even if people are having a bad day, they will remember back in their day, reminding themselves that there was at least one person who was nice to them and will remember you for it. Not only does it help them prosper, but one day they may return the favor to you.

2. You Never Know Who They Are

You never know who you will run into when you’re nice. I remember a story of Tony Robbins in his book Unlimited Power where he’s in New York. He walks and sits down on a bench in Central Park to see what’s going on.

He notices a man that sits across from him. He starts to do what the man does. When the man throws bread crumbs to the birds, he throws bread crumbs to the birds. When the man sways back and forth, he sways back and forth. When the man looks up, he looks up.

Soon the man walks up to Tony Robbins and starts to talk to him. They engage in friendly conversation together. The guy tells Tony that he feels that he has known him better in that moment than the people he’s known for twenty-five years. He then offers Tony a job. You never know who you will bump into in life that will hand you an opportunity after a friendly chat.

3. People Change Over Time

People change. A person that you are nice to now may turn out to be totally different from who they are today. What I’m getting at here is that we should be nice to people regardless of their status. They may not be the wealthiest person on earth, but you should still be nice to them anyway.

One day when they become a successful person, they will look back and think of those people who helped them become successful. One of those few people could be you and you never know what kind of help they might be able to offer back to you.

Take the High Road and Be Nice

Being nice is something that we should embrace, not just because we want something out of it, but because it just makes us a more fulfilled person inside.

If you consistently portray a nice personality, people are going to remember you for it, especially in a very competitive world. It’s hard to get past that initial fear of lending your hand out there, but if you’re willing to do so, not only will you be able to feel happier, but you’ll influence others in a positive way in which they may one day lend a hand back to you.

Like Jay Leno says, “Life is not that hard. Try giving a little. You would be surprised at how much you get back.”

This has been a guest post from Hulbert Lee. He writes about personal development and success at his blog, FromBottomUp. If you haven’t had a chance already, make sure you follow him Twitter or subscribe to his RSS feed to get his blog updates.

Photo by ZoofyTheJi

The choices we make and the habits we form determine the life we lead.  Here is a quick reality check that you can use to gauge where you are in life. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• How happy am I?
• Am I getting the results I want?
• Is my life turning out like I imagined?
• Do I feel good about myself?
• Do I look forward to life like this dog does?
• Am I passionate about life or just going through the motions?

If you answered negatively to more than one or two of these, then it is probably time for you to make some positive choices for yourself!  You need to embrace some new habits.

We Need to Make Positive Choices and Form Good Habits

Sometimes the hardest part about making a positive change in your life is admitting that you need some new habits.  If you are still reading this, you likely feel at least a twinge of conviction.  Let me try to amplify that for you so you can move into action.

Here are some motivational ideas and thoughts about forming new habits for a good life:

1.  You Have to Get Your Mind Out of Neutral

“Habit is something you can do without thinking, which is why most of us have so many of them.”  ~ Frank Clark

If you aren’t experiencing the positive life that you want, then it is probably because you are on autopilot.  It is time to yank back the controls and begin some new habits that will make your life soar!  Why settle for a stagnate, boring life?  The world is full of opportunity and adventure!  You just need to shake things up a little with some new routines and habits to get back on track.  Get yourself out of the rut right this minute by making a positive choice to pursue your dreams!

2.  Creating New Habits Is the Path to a New Life

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” 
~ Charles C. Noble

You have built the life you have by choosing to continue the habits you embrace.  The only way to change your life for the better is to change your habits.  You’ve got to make a commitment to change.  Are you sick and tired of where you are at?  Then get up and do something about it!  Stir your heart and mind to act in different ways so that you can get some better results.  It won’t all happen immediately, but new habits will transform your life faster than you think!

3.  Choose the Right Habits to Get What You Want

“Successful people are simply those with success habits.” 
~ Brian Tracy

Want to be successful?  The best way to achieve success is to do the things that successful people do.  Model their behavior and you will start to get their results.  Find a role model in your field of interest that is enjoying a great deal of success and go interview them to find out what they are doing.  Most successful people are very helpful and willing to share their experiences.  This will zero you in on the exact habits you need to start forming and jumpstart your effort to change for the better!

4.  Stop Bad Behavior That Is Robbing You of the Good Life

“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.” 
~ Proverb

While you are starting to pursue some positive new habits, be honest with yourself about your bad habits.  These are draining you of your power and happiness.  They produce fear, guilt, doubt, shame, inferiority, defensiveness and embarrassment.  Of course, none of these will help you live a better life.  You’ve got to patch the hole in the dam before you can refill the reservoir with water.

5.  Words Are Not Enough — You’ve Got to Act

“Feeling sorry for yourself and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.”  ~ Dale Carnegie

Words are cheap.  Action is what will change your life.  Resolve to start taking baby steps today and every day to fix your life for the better.  Make a positive plan to do at least one little thing to improve your experience of life on a daily basis.  This positive action will snowball on itself and before you know it, you will be living life large!  Along the way, be sure to keep a gratitude journal.  This will help you keep track of all of the progress you are about to enjoy!

Forge a Yourself a Good Life with Good Habits

Okay, now you should be ready to act!  I highly suggest that you immediately go check out the incredible resource that Mandi has put together for starting new habits at 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Start a New Habit.  She will provide you all the steps to take, tools to use and tips you’ll need to forge yourself a good life.  I wish you the very best in your new commitment to make positive choices!

Photo by coral11

Life can be chaotic and hard.  A lot of things seem to just tear us down.  What do you do to build yourself back up and get encouraged?

All the negative takes a greater toll than you think.  You’ve got to be proactive in feeding your mind positive and encouraging thoughts as an antidote if you want to live life to the fullest.

Ten Statements of Positive Encouragement

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. 
~ William Arthur Ward

I’d like to offer you these ten encouraging thoughts to brighten your day:

1.  You can excel.

You are enough.  You have everything you need to succeed.  You are smart enough, talented enough, wise enough, creative enough, organized enough, good-looking enough, rich enough and whatever else enough to live a fantastic life.  All you have to do is believe in yourself.  Fill yourself with confidence building affirmations and go live a great life!  Stop holding yourself back by clinging to self-defeating lies.  You can excel!

2.  You can be happy.

You really can be happier.  However, most of us have the wrong idea about how to make ourselves happier.  Happiness is not rooted in our circumstances.  Let me say that again, your happiness is not tied to where you live, how much money you have or to whom you are married.  Your happiness has a lot more to do with your habits than your circumstances.  Science has shown that intentional happiness activities are the key to feeling happier.  This is good news because it means that you really can be happier!

3.  You can win with money.

You can become a personal finance winner.  You just need to learn some keys to financial security.  I believe what Dave Ramsey says, “You have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  I know without a doubt that it is possible to turn your life around financially because I’ve done it myself and I’ve just a regular guy like you.  I used to live beyond my means, run up debt on credit cards and stress out about money.  That all changed a few years ago because I decided I wanted something better.  You can win with money too!

4.  You can be a leader.

You can lead people to accomplish great things.  Leaders come in every shape and size.  They are introverts and extroverts.  They are rich and poor.  They are old and young.  I’ve heard way too many people express a lack of confidence in their leadership ability.  This undermines their ability to achieve greater things in life.  Success is not a solitary quest.  It takes cooperation and collaboration.  Build up your self-confidence and you can be a leader!

5.  You are creative.

This has got to be the single biggest area where people need encouragement.  Most adults believe they lack creativity.  This is sad.  Everyone is creative.  We are just creative in different ways.  Explore your creativity.  Embrace your creativity.  Stop denying your creativity.  It is your single biggest competitive advantage in life.  Set your mind free and believe in your creative abilities!  If you do, you will fly.

6.  You can have a great adventure.

Adventure is waiting for you.  It is out there.  You just need to go meet it.  We like to make excuses for remaining in our ruts because adventure is just a little scary.  The only way to overcome the fear is to face it head on.  Otherwise, you might wind up a crazy cat lady.    Seriously, adventure is good for us.  It broadens our horizons and makes life exciting.  Break out of the norm and find an adventure to spice up your life today!

7.  You can live a life of abundance.

You already have more than you need.  Practicing gratitude can change your life.  It can make you realize you already living a life of abundance.  This realization will bring joy and fulfillment to your life.  It will also give you a sense of peace.  A scarcity mentality leads to envy, greed and dissatisfaction.  Practice gratitude and you can live a life of abundance.

8.  You can be healthy.

You can break the bad habits that are robbing you of your best health.  Do you need to lose weight, quit smoking or begin exercising?  You can do it!  I have faith in you even if you don’t.  Why?  Because I know that everyone can change.  People do it everyday.  Look around you and you’ll find examples of it.  If they can do it, so can you!  You are just as capable as they are.  You can be healthy too!

9.  You are all your kids need.

You are the perfect parent for your kid.  I know we all make mistakes.  We are all human.  Sometimes, we do the wrong things.  We say the wrong things.  We act the wrong way toward our children.  Even so, you are all they need.  Your time, your patience and your encouragement is what your children need the most to be successful in life.  Give yourself to them and you’ll be amazed at the results.  Why?  You are all your kids need.

10.  You are a valuable person.

You are special.  You have a unique combination of gifts, talents and skills that make you valuable.  Your mission is to learn how to use what you have for a worthwhile purpose.  Those that succeed in finding their purpose will enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling life.  Those that fail will be miserable.  Apply yourself to discovering the perfect niche in life for you.  It will be worth every minute that you spend.

What positive encouragement do you use to build yourself up?

Photo by OMG! Zombies!

Maintaining a positive, optimistic and enthusiastic attitude is smart living.  Your attitude largely defines your actions.  Your actions decide the results you get.

A pessimistic sourpuss rarely sees any good in life.  They are constantly focused on the negative so negative is all they get.  They don’t see the silver lining in circumstances that come their way because their eyes are only trained to see the downside.

Choosing a positive, optimistic and enthusiastic outlook on life opens up a whole new world of possibility.  It enables you to be happier and to see brilliant opportunities that were hidden before.  It unlocks a great life and is truly smart living!

What does a positive attitude and optimism look like?

Positive thinking and optimism is the state of mind where you expect favorable results.  You get up in the morning believing this is going to be a good day.  You regularly think life is full of opportunity, prosperity and expansion.

I think of myself as a pretty positive person and maybe you do too.  However, negativity creeps in on us in ways that is hard to detect at first.

I challenge you to monitor your thinking for a few days.  Make a mental note every time that you catch yourself thinking a negative thought.  This includes noticing the little voice in your head that is critical of yourself and others.

I’ve done this and it amazed me at just how many times a day I caught myself going off down a negative trail.  This kind of thinking has to take its toll.  After all, whatever you think on the inside manifests itself on the outside.  We have to choose positivity and optimism!

This appears easier for some than it is for others.  There are those people that are positive and enthusiastic all the time.  They are often the ones we call “the morning people”.

We’ve all seen or worked with them.  A positive and cheery attitude seems to come easy for them.  I wonder though are they naturally this way or are they taking conscious steps to maintain their positive attitude?

It may be a little of both, but this is good news because it means a choice exists.  We really can make ourselves more positive and optimistic with just a little effort.  Personally, I’ve been amazed at how little effort it actually takes.

I’ll share with you some of the things I do to maintain a positive attitude in just a moment, but first let’s talk about how enthusiasm leads to smart living.

Using enthusiasm for smart living

Enthusiasm is contagious.  It sweeps people up and into your cause.  It motivates people to think and act like a team. 

Don’t you want to be enthusiastic about what you are doing?  Well, instead of waiting for the “right thing” to be enthusiastic about, why not be enthusiastic about what you are already doing?  Enthusiasm will create new results that can transform any situation to something better.

Use enthusiasm to lift your current pursuits to a whole new level.  Create a vivid vision for a great future doing whatever it is that you do today and then use enthusiasm to fire everyone else up about it too!

You have two choices.  One is to be mild and mediocre or the other is to be enthusiastic and remarkable!  Which one will you choose?

Assignment: Learn to be more positive, optimistic and enthusiastic!

With each of my smart living rules, I have been offering assignments to help you explore the rule further. 

Here are the assignments for this smart living rule:

1.  Gather ideas on how to be more positive, optimistic and enthusiastic

Having a better attitude is a choice.  You do not have to continue to be buffeted by your circumstances.  It has taken me several years, but I am slowly but surely learning the truth in this statement.  Start finding ways to choose to be more positive by reading the articles below:

• The Science of Happiness: How To Get The Most Out Of Life
• The Vast, Unstatable Importance of a Positive Attitude
• 11 Steps to a More Positive You 
• Top 10 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Attitude
• 15 Proven Tactics to Fire Up Enthusiasm

2.  Take steps to increase your positivity, optimism and enthusiasm

There are several ways that you can help yourself to be more positive.  It really is a choice you make every day.  You decide your thoughts, actions and reactions.  Of course, there are some techniques available to help.

Not all these tips, steps or methods work for everyone.  You will likely find that some work better than others for you.  I’ve given you several resources above that list ideas to try.  Here are a few that I’ve found useful:

1. Maintain a gratitude journal – We overlook and forget about hundreds of good things that happen to us every single day.  Keeping a gratitude journal will help you stay positive because it reminds you of all the good things you having going for you.
2. Read positive, uplifting material – Stop watching and reading the news!  It is all negative.  Instead, start reading positive, uplifting and inspiring material.  Our minds are like computers.  Garbage-in, garbage-out.  Choose to be positive!
3. Feed your emotional bank account – To be positive, optimistic and enthusiastic, you must be emotionally strong and healthy.  You must take care of yourself.  You must tend to your own emotional bank account.  Celebrate the small victories in your life with a treat, a day off or a special night out on the town!

These are just a few of the ways that I work to keep myself positive, optimistic and enthusiastic.  They may or may not work for you.  My advice is to find what does work best for you and use it religiously!

Smart living is being positive, optimistic and enthusiastic!

You can accomplish so much more of what you value in life by being positive, optimistic and enthusiastic!  Adopting and fostering these attitudes is smart living.  Use them to open your eyes to all kinds of new opportunities that are just waiting for you to claim!

Follow this link to discover all the rules for Smart Living.

Photo by Syma Sees

It is interesting to me how so much of our success in life is determined by how we think.  Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”  I’ve found this to be largely true.

So, having your head on straight and embracing the right attitudes for success is crucial to achieving what you desire in life.  Whatever that may be.

The attitudes for success you need straight from the experts

I’ve collected what I believe are seven of the most important attitudes that we all need to embrace to move forward in any endeavor.  Let me share them with you now.

1.  Be positive and optimistic

In his 11 Steps to a More Positive You, Jonathan Wells at Advanced Life Skills shares how a positive and optimistic attitude contributes to health, happiness and ultimately to greater success.  I whole-heartedly endorse the steps that Jonathan offers.  Follow them and you are sure to benefit!

2.  Be enthusiastic!

Enthusiasm is contagious!  A part of success is persuading others to see things your way and to join you in your endeavor.  The best way to do this is to be excited about what you are doing.  Stephen Mills at The Rat Race Trap tells us to Get High on Life With Enthusiasm!  He does an excellent job of reinforcing the importance of enthusiasm as it relates to success and offers several great ideas to develop enthusiasm.

3.  Be motivated

Motivation is what gets you going and gives you the follow-through needed to finish what you’ve started.  At Pick the Brain, Mr. SelfDevelopment writes Why Am I Not Making Progress? 3 Steps To Motivate Into Action in which he reminds us that we must clearly focus our efforts in one direction to achieve anything.

4.  Be more than just authentic, be significant

Jonathan Fields at Awake at the Wheel tells us Authenticity Isn’t Enough to be successful.  You can be real, but useless to your intended audience.  You have to deliver value.  You have to be significant in order to succeed.

5.  Believe in yourself

Limiting beliefs about your potential can often hold you back from achieving success.  Glen Allsop writing for Dumb Little Man offers 4 Reasons You Fail to Achieve Your Goals.  This goes back to the Henry Ford quote I included in the opening paragraphs.  We have to believe in ourselves before success will happen.

6.  Value the right things in life

We often chase after the wrong things thinking they will make us feel happy and successful.  Leo Babauta at Zen Habits encourages us to Love Life, Not Stuff.  He says, “Our obsession with stuff has become unhealthy.”  I agree.  We need to be sure our priorities and definition of success is right before we waste our time pursuing the wrong things.

7.  Be patient and don’t jump to unfounded conclusions

I absolutely love what Havi Brooks at The Fluent Self tells us in “No one is interested in my thing.”  So often, we jump to the conclusion that no one wants what we are “selling” because they haven’t responded in the timeframe we wanted.  However, Havi reminds us that this is jumping to an unfounded conclusion.  There could be several other rational explanations for why people haven’t bought our product or ideas.  I highly encourage you to check out Havi’s article and advice to learn more achieving success.

These attitudes for success will serve you well

Don’t just skim over these attitudes for success and dismiss them as too simplistic.  Dig into them and you will find a wellspring of wisdom to lead you well down the path to success.  There is a lot of valuable insight offered within the articles behind each of the links above.  Take some time to read more and you might find just what you need to make the leap to the next level in your life!

What attitudes for success do you find most useful?

Photo by voxtheory

What was your attitude this morning as you got out of bed about the day that lay before you?  Were you expectant or were you dreading something? 

Life can either be a chore or an adventure.  It is really up to us.  We choose how we view our days.

Danger lurks all around us, but one of the sneakiest and deadliest menaces we face is this tendency to start a day dreading it.

How your mind will rob you of all the adventure in life if you let it

It is so incredibly easy to slip into thinking negatively about a day, event or activity.  It might be because it is going to be too hot or too cold or too far to travel or with the wrong people or because you have to be away from home or it’s out of your comfort zone or whatever.

A negative thought creeps in and suddenly, before you know it, you are dreading the day.  Your expectations for the period are totally twisted and knotted to the point that you become completely apprehensive about the whole thing.

It could be a day at work, a meeting, a trip or even something that is supposed to be fun like a date, a vacation or a holiday.  We have an amazing ability to psych ourselves out over the most trivial of details.

This negative thinking and dread is the mass murderer of all the fun and adventure in our life.  It silently and efficiently destroys our enjoyment leaving us bound up in fear, boredom and isolation.  It is truly a cancer of the mind!

My personal experience dealing with this cancer of the mind

I’ve made the mistake of dreading way too many of my days.  I’m not a complete sourpuss, but at times I have fallen into a rut of viewing a lot of things, things that could be seen in a positive light, with dread.

For example, I remember back when I was in the Air Force.  I was part of a flight crew that got deployed to various parts of the world.  I often dreaded these trips because they took me away from my home and loved ones for extended periods of time.

Obviously, being away was less than optimal, but at the same time I got to travel to places that many people never get to see.  I got to experience cultures and happenings that broadened my view of the world.  As a result, I know things many others do not.

However, the dread often overshadowed the opportunity in these trips.  It hung as a dark cloud over me for days before and even during these trips.  It robbed me of some of the enjoyment and adventure that I could have experienced if I wouldn’t have focused so intensely on the negative.

I’m not saying that being away shouldn’t have bothered me, but I should have controlled it instead of letting it control me.

There are also simpler examples in my day-to-day life.  For instance, on occasion, my wife suggests we do something like go to the zoo with the kids or take a day trip somewhere.  I have to admit that my first thought is sometimes a negative one.  I think it will be too much walking or too much time in the car or that I’d rather just stay home and relax.

If I let these thoughts run wild, then they can blossom into full-blown dread.  Fortunately, I am learning to squelch these thoughts quickly.

How to overcome dread and embrace the adventure in life

Dread can arise in our work or personal life.  It will derail you from living life to the fullest.  It is truly a cancer that kills your adventure and enjoyment. 

Here’s how I have started combating it:

1.  Consciously examine your thoughts and attitudes

I have really become aware lately of the little ways that I start developing a negative attitude toward something.  I’ve been listening closely to my speech and my thoughts and I’m amazed at how often subtle forms of negativity have crept into my life.  This conscious awareness is the starting point for defeating dread.  Recognizing what you are up against is often the first step in beating it.

2.  Halt the negative thinking as soon as you recognize it

Whenever you realize that you are starting down a path toward dread, then stop immediately.  Squelch the negative thoughts!  Shake them off!  Sometimes I actually physically shake my head (when I’m alone) to get the negative thoughts out of my mind.  Another technique I use to overcome negative thinking is distraction.  I divert my mind by reading a positive book or engaging in an absorbing hobby.  The point is that you have to immediately stop yourself from continuing down the path to dread.

3.  Replace negative thoughts with positive ones

I make a list of the positive benefits I’ll gain from what I’m beginning to dread.  You can do this in your mind, orally with another person or on paper.  For me, it depends on the situation.  If I’m alone, then I often just do this mentally.  If I’m with someone else like my wife, then I’ll start discussing with her the good things that could result from the activity.  If it is something that will occur further out in the future, then I often write down my positive thoughts so I can refer back to them often.  Emphasizing positive outcomes in your mind is a powerful antidote.

4.  Accept and be open to new experiences

We often control all the adventure right out of our lives.  We over plan and over analyze to the point that we drain the fun out of most things.  As I start thinking more positively about a situation, I automatically relax and feel more open to the new experience it brings.  This openness leaves room for adventure.  It makes serendipity or unexpected fortunate discoveries possible!  It is truly the path to a full and fun life!

A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.
~ John A. Shedd

These simple steps are all it takes to welcome adventure!

These are truly basic, simple steps that anyone can take.  Some might write them off as being too simplistic, but I’ve been using them myself and I can tell you that they work.  A positive, expectant attitude is such a better way to live!  It opens doors for new adventures and experiences.  It frees you from fear and worry.  And it will take you places that you would have never gone otherwise!

Have you let dread get the better of you?  How will you combat it?

Photo by pjf@cpan

Being successful has a lot to do with approaching every situation with the right thinking.  You need a can-do attitude and a spirit of cooperation to make good things happen.

I recently came across a list of success-killing phrases so I thought I’d turn that on its ear.  After all, having a positive attitude is certainly a key ingredient to building success.

Here’s my list of success-building phrases and attitudes:

1.  I’d like to tackle that!

2.  Your problem is my problem to solve!

3.  Honesty is the best policy!

4.  I believe we can do this!

5.  Let’s try that again and get it right this time!

6.  I know we have to keep moving forward to succeed!

7.  I’m committed to making this work!

8.  This deserves my very best!

9.  I will work to improve this for everyone!

10.  This is something I can do!

11.  I’d like your help to do this right!

12.  I have the best customers in the world!

13.  I couldn’t do this without you!

14.  I learn something new everyday!

15.  I’m going to stick to the facts!

16.  A little less talk and a lot more action will get this job done!

17.  I’m passionate about this!

18.  I’m here to exceed their expectations!

19.  This job is important to me and my future!

20.  I’m committed to doing my best every day!

21.  I know the more I contribute, the more I’ll get paid!

Success starts in our attitude!

I am convinced that if we approached every day with these attitudes then we would be amazed at our progress toward our goals.  This is true no matter where we work or what we do.  Please feel free to share this list with as many people as possible!

What success-building attitude did I leave out?

Photo by mahalie

As I live my life, I want to do simple things to make it a better place.  I want to brighten the outlook for other people.  I want to do what I can to ease their burden ever so slightly.

I don’t have the resources of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation so I have to look for simple and practical ways to make a positive difference.

I thought I’d compile a list of ideas for things to do and at the same time use it to inspire others to also better the life of another.

Where possible I have tried to include a link that expands on my idea.  I hope you find this useful!

1.  Give everyone you see a nice smile.

2.  Donate your slightly used clothes to a charity.

3.  Be a sounding board for a friend.

4.  Be honest and trustworthy.

5.  Always offer a shoulder to cry on.

6.  Visit someone in the hospital.

7.  Buy a discouraged family member some pretty flowers.

8.  Buy a co-worker lunch.

9.  Pay it forward when you receive an unexpected blessing.

10.  Become a Big Brother/Big Sister.

11.  Go on a mission trip.

12.  Tutor a child for free.

13.  Arrange a week of dinners for a couple with a new baby.

14.  Facilitate a Financial Peace class.

15.  Stop and help change a flat tire.

16.  Organize a day to clean up and beautify an area school.

17.  Read a story to your child.

18.  Praise a co-worker for what a great job they are doing.

19.  Accompany a friend to the doctor’s office.

20.  Volunteer at Meals on Wheels.

21.  Give a job applicant the break they deserve.

22.  Educate yourself on the issues and vote.

23.  Serve in the military.

24.  Help a friend or family member move to a new home.

25.  Plant some flowers for a neighbor.

26.  Send a care package to a deployed soldier.

27.  Send an encouraging letter to a government servant.

28.  Leave an extra big tip the next time you eat out.

29.  Tithe at your local church.

30.  Plant a tree.

31.  Participate in a hiking trail work party.

32.  Teach a Weight Watcher’s class.

33.  Live a modest, low-impact lifestyle.

34.  Reduce. Reuse.  Recycle.

35.  Teach an adult to read.

36.  Adopt an elderly person in a retirement home.

37.  Open up your home to a friend in need.

38.  Contribute to a microloan.

39.  Pick up groceries for a neighbor when they’re sick.

40.  Give first-time parents a date night out.

41.  Volunteer at your child’s school.

42.  Pick up trash along a stretch of road.

43.  Adopt a homeless pet, it will do you both good.

44.  Teach a Sunday School class.

45.  Don’t participate in gossip.

46.  Give away your surplus garden produce.

47.  Coach a youth sports team.

48.  Lead a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop.

49.  Practice simple kindness.

50.  Live your life by the Golden Rule.

I know there are a ton of other ways to make a positive difference in this our world.  I hope you’ll add your ideas in the comments below.

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)

Many people need to overcome some difficult obstacles in their lives right now.  There are people all over the place that are struggling. 

Some are unemployed, some have health issues, some are having marriage difficulties and some are financially strapped.  Whatever your situation, hope is the cure.

Hope is the fuel we need to make good things happen in our life.  Hope is what drives us and pushes us toward something better.  Hope is…well, our only hope.

Where there is no vision, the people perish ~ Proverbs 29:18

We must stoke the fire of hope deep in ourselves if we want to overcome obstacles in our life and return to days of sunshine and happiness!

3 things to do if you are struggling with hope

Last night, I attended Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope.  It was an exciting and powerful event dealing with the fear many have about our current economic situation.

Dave said that many of us are filled with the Spirit of Eeyore!  You remember Eeyore, don’t you!?!  He was the donkey on Winnie the Pooh that was always going around moaning things like, “Oh, poor me.  Nothing is ever going to get better.  Why should I even try?”

We must cast out the Spirit of Eeyore and I’m about to tell you how to do it!

Dave closed by offering three things to do if you are struggling with hope.  These three things are very simple.  Anyone can do them.  Yet, they are also very powerful.  They truly can restore your hope if you will just do them.

Here are the three things Dave Ramsey suggested along with some comments from me:

1.  Get up and take action

Do something!  Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Yes, life might have dealt you a bum hand, but the only way to fix it is to do get up and get busy making it better.  Take some kind of positive action today!  Even if it doesn’t make much sense – take action!

The simplest action can start giving you back a sense of power and control.  Make a phone call, go for a walk, read an encouraging book, do some research on the Internet.  Take control of your life and start making something happen!

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey tells us that successful people are proactive.  You must take action if you want things to change.  The first step in creating change is to do something.  Get moving!  Create a little momentum.  Before long you’ll become the little train that could!

2.  Don’t participate in loser talk

Stop the pity party!  You have to start turning your thinking from negative to positive if you want better things to start happening.  Loser talk is poison that is destroying your hope.  Stop this self-defeating behavior!

Refuse to engage in anymore griping.  Instead, go out and get your self a positive audio book and listen to it.  If you are broke without a penny to your name, then go to the library and check one out!  Feed your mind hope-building encouragement and you will start to see things turn around.

You’ve got to pull yourself out of this tailspin!  Stop watching the news or participating in discussions that drag you down.  Instead, use that time to find opportunities to build yourself up.  I highly recommend going to Joel Osteen’s web site and reading the positive message of hope he has to offer.

3.  Learn to give again

This one seems counterintuitive.  You might think, “I’m down and out.  I just don’t have anything left to offer someone else.”  Well, we all have something to give.  If nothing else, we can offer someone else encouragement.  We can share a little hope with them.

Doing things for others gets our mind off our situation and worries.  It invigorates us.  Go help your neighbor work in their yard.  Donate a wad of cash to your favorite local charity.  Serve dinner at the local soup kitchen.  Give of your time, talents and treasure.

Giving is one of the best ways I know to rekindle your hope!  When you give, you will reap a harvest of hope.  You will chase away the haze that covers your life right now.  Giving will truly help you regain a positive outlook on life.

You can overcome obstacles and get your life back on track if you will simply do these three things to restore your hope!

Just do it!  Trust me on this one.  No matter how bleak your situation may seem, there are brighter days ahead if you will start today to regain your hope!  The three things above are simple, easy and there is no excuse in the world for why you can’t do them.

Do you want your life to be better?  Then get busy making it so.  No one else is going to fix what is wrong.  YOU are the one that has the most power to change your current situation for the better.  Do you believe that?  If not, then do the three things above to regain your hope in yourself.

I’ll leave you with one last thought.  Do you remember Randy Pausch and Christopher Reeve?  Few of us face more bleak circumstances than these two did, but they made the most of the time they had.  They lived with hope!  They were positive!  They inspired others and they gave of themselves to help others.  What more inspiration can you ask for?

Photo by bestfor