Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude affects not only ourselves but others around us.  We all like to be around positive people, they lighten the atmosphere and lift our spirits. Everyone has negatives in their lives, that’s normal but when the input of negative exceeds the input of positive, it’s time to stand back and take stock.

 The way we think affects everything we do.  If we can train ourselves to have a more positive attitude we can allow ourselves to experience more joy in everyday living. 

Having a positive attitude doesn’t mean we go around chanting the mantra that everything is wonderful when it’s not.  That’s the kind of over the top hype that’s given the concept of positive thinking some bad press.  Quite simply a positive approach lets us look at problems or situations in a different way.

When we have a bad situation a negative approach tends to sink us deeper into gloom and despair.  We say things like “It’s impossible.” “We just can’t do it.” or “There’s no way out.” and because we tell ourselves that, we believe it.  A more positive attitude allows us to stand back a little and look for a solution, the options might not be good but we will try for the best possible outcome. 

Some form of action is usually the most positive response to a problem.  On General Schwarzkopf’s recent Australian tour, he said “ If a bundle of decisions were made and action taken, even if these proved to be wrong 49% of the time, then every body would still be way ahead of where they were, had there been no decision made and no action taken.

Unfortunately modern technology allows us to be bombarded with negative information on a daily basis.  When we turn on the radio or TV in the morning we get a big dollop of negative news to help us start our day.  As we drive to work we will probably listen to a radio chat show where listeners are encouraged to phone in and have a good whinge. 

When we get to work everyone will agree that it would be a lovely day if we didn’t have to work.  In the face of all this negativity it’s pretty hard to remain positive.  Ah! You might say, the radio is just background, I’m not really listening.  Wrong! Our brains are incredibly receptive, they take in everything.  We could be feeding our minds  a negative without even realizing it.  So, what can we do?

We take control of what goes into our minds and it’s really quite simple.  Listen to the news by all means, but don’t listen more than once or twice a day.  Only read the papers once a week, best at week-ends when there is a little more depth to the stories and they contain magazine style articles. 

When J.F.K. or Princess Diana died, the whole world knew within a few hours, you definitely won’t miss anything worth while.  You really don’t have to be the first with negative news!!

 Choose a radio station that plays mainly music, if this is impossible invest in a music system and listen to the music you want to hear.  Limit the amount of television you watch and if you feel a bit under par, don’t watch gloomy depressing programmes. 

 If you enjoy reading murder mysteries, try to read something humorous or uplifting between novels.  Before you go to sleep at night, think about the good things that happened during the day so that you fall asleep on a positive note.

Beware of spending too much time with people who drain your energy.  It’s great to help friends in need, to be the proverbial shoulder that others can cry on, but take care that your positive attitude doesn’t get eroded.  Be helpful and sympathetic, but don’t allow yourself to get dragged into an orgy of pointless “if only” and character assassinations.  Try to give constructive advice and keep the mood upbeat, this is not easy, especially when others are bent on wallowing in their misery.

 Don’t get bogged down with unhappy events that have long gone, if there’s unfinished business that needs to be resolved deal with it and move on.  Don’t let your past blight your future, set some goals, adjust your attitude and move forward with confidence.

 Colour can make a big difference to how we feel, if your feeling down in the dumps, try not to wear to many dark colours, especially not all black.  If you’re inclined to wear dark colours regularly, try adding a bright scarf or belt to give you an energy boost. 

To see how people respond to colour, visit a dress shop and watch them feel and stroke the brightly coloured silks and satins.  Flower stalls have the same effect.  Shopping centres are well aware of this and spend millions of dollars on colour schemes that will put you in a good frame of mind. 

Check your wardrobe and the colour scheme in your home and see if you can give it a lift with a splash of colour.  Look and feel positive when you leave home and don’t allow others to dictate how you feel.

To create a positive attitude you need to make a habit of enjoying things more.  

• How many sunsets or sunrises have you seen lately? 

• When did you last buy flowers?

• Feed the ducks?

• Jump a puddle?

• Give something to charity? 

Dwell on the positives and what ever you do smile more!!

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