Many of us go through hardships in our lives and these can have a negative effect on our thinking. Even when we are through with those events, the memories remain, coming to the surface whenever we go through a similar experience. Moreover, negative thinking due to such experiences becomes ingrained in our mind due to those events.

Death of a loved one, joblessness, stress, and family disputes can all drain away the energy from one’s life, making us question life itself or why we exist in the first place. For some people, it goes even further. Negative thinking becomes a part of their thinking, a part of their cognition, or thought processes. Sometimes they get so entangled with negative thinking that they are thinking that way all the time! Even if they are presented with anything good, they will still think negative and turn the good events into bad ones. People who suffer from depression go through these effects. However that is actually quite an advanced stage and beyond the scope of this article since depression cannot be cured just with the use of positive thinking. However even if we do not have depression, we can still be affected by negative thinking since after all, we are all human beings. So how do we get rid of this habit of negative thinking that gets in the way of personal success? We go for positive thinking! There are many ways of doing this.

One of the first is to take up the company of positive thinkers. Always try to spend time with those people who are always working hard and thinking positive about life. If you go to college, there will be two kinds of people in your class — the people who work hard, get good grades, and are always thinking about the future and how they will achieve it. On the other hand there are those who are just living in the present, and wasting time with pointless pursuits. Spending time with those who want to progress will make you think like them and give you hope.

If you have a hobby, then pursue it with the greatest vigor. If you play chess, then join a chess club. If you like running, then do it every day. Set new goals everyday of achieving the faster mile, and so on. Finally, set goals that are apart from making money or going for a vacation. Take yourself out of your life equation and start thinking about others who may need your help.

All these things will help you practice positive thinking, setting you on the path to personal success and help achieving your goals with the least effort possible.

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1.) Vibrant health comes when we learn how to focus your thoughts into “good feeling” things. Our thoughts are the key to all wellness. When we are thinking positive thoughts and as a result, feeling positive emotions, we are doing the best thing we can do for our wellness. The universe is a vibrational universe, it responds to our emotions. When we are feeling good, good feeling things come into our life. And likewise, when we are feeling negative, negative things come into our life. We always experience the emotional equivalent of that which we are thinking. For example a person who is feeling angry most of the time may experience heart problems or a stroke or if they are just angry a little, they may experience a car accident or something like that. What we are receiving in our life is ALWAYS a vibrational or emotional match to what we are thinking and feeling.

2.) Vibrant health includes Drinking Pure Water: Water controls our body temperature, cushions our joints, removes wastes, transports nutrients and oxygen to our cells and protects our organs and tissue. Our bodies are primarily water and each day we lose a lot of water through perspiration or urination. This water must be replaced in order for our bodies to come back into balance. Many people drink coffee or alcohol or soft drinks and each of these drinks actually deplete the body of water. They dehydrate us! So drinking lots of water each and every day is crucial for the entire body to thrive.

3.) Vibrant health also includes eating organic fruits and vegetables. Organic fruits and veggies have all of the essential minerals and vitamins in them that are necessary for wellness. When we eat fruits and veggies that are sprayed with chemicals the essential minerals and vitamins are destabilized, not present. Without the essential minerals and vitamins, all sorts of health issues come forth.

4.) Vibrant health has to include having fun! Doing things that are fun for us is essential for vibrant health. It is well worth our time to explore what brings us joy and moving towards those things and doing them often. If living near the ocean is fun for us, then that is information for you to move towards.

5.) Exercise is essential for maintenance of vibrant health. We were made to move. Each and every day finding some way to do aerobic exercises like walking or swimming or biking or any exercise that gets the heart pumping. Aerobic means with oxygen. As well, stretching for flexibility is crucial for keeping limber and toned and doing strength building exercises like keeps us strong.

6.) Trusting our inner guidance is another key to vibrant health. Truly believing that we know at a deep level what is best for us is essential to our well-being. Even though others can be helpful in giving suggestions, only we ourselves know what is best for us. When we learn to truly trust our own guidance coming forth from within, then we have a guidance system we can count on. People can get so lost in thinking that others have the answers to our happiness, and really only we have those answers. Only we know what is best for us in any given moment or day.

There are several other things necessary for vibrant health that you can read about in the website below. Join me in maintaining our vibrant health.

Joanie McMahon is President of Investment In Serenity Inc. She is a teacher/counselor/life coach/psychologist/writer and business woman. Joanie has worked her entire adult life helping others move into their magnificent selves.

Her passion is understanding fully how to use The Law of Attraction to her and her clients benefit.

Joanies website is http://www.naturalhealthbusiness.com”

and to view an extension of this article go here http://naturalhealthbusiness.com/168/vibrant-health-the-six-most-important-things-we-can-do-to-maintain-vibrant-health/

On a personal note, Joanie is passionate about hanging out in the Canadian Rockies where she goes to get rejuvenated on a regular basis by skiing or hiking. She has a regular yoga practice, loves to travel and is a great cook.

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According to my dictionary happiness is “the feeling of being happy”, ok that was helpful, so what does “happy” mean? Happy, according to the same source, means “feeling, showing or causing pleasure or satisfaction”. Ok, let’s see what Wikipedia tells us about happiness, according to this site, happiness is a “state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure or joy”.

In my view, the keyword here is “state of mind”. People often try to find happiness in possessions, places or other people only to be miserable because true happiness can only be found within themselves. The people, places and things that you attract into your life that make you happy only serve to enhance the love that you already have for yourself.

The Law of Attraction tells us that we attract whatever we focus on most and whatever we already are. So if you want to attract more happiness, you need to feel happy, but how can you do it if your happiness depends on outside conditions? We can choose to take our life under control. If we do that and learn to find the happiness that already is within ourselves, we then magnify this feeling thanks to the Law of Attraction.

Of course it’s easy to be happy when everything is well, the true challenge and victory is when we are able to be connected to our inner selves even in times of adversity. We must know that everything is on its way to being wonderful, because it is from this knowing that everything ends well.

To become a master at thinking positive things into existence and creating a happy life you might need some help. Well I’m glad to present “Read Me – I Am Magical” available at http://www.master-of-thought.com and Amazon. This revolutionary book will inform you, inspire and empower and the keyword is empower – check the subliminal messages in the book!

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“For those who believe no proof is necessary. For those of you who don’t believe no proof is possible. -Stuart Chase

Being in alignment with your desires and goals from the inside out will help you to achieve whatever it is you want in life. But, the problem is that most people do the opposite. They have a conscious desire to either find a relationship, get out of debt, lose weight, heal from heartache or whatever the case may be.

But their inner beliefs are what stop them from getting what they desire. For example, let’s say you want to meet someone to share your life with. You’ve put yourself out there but yet you still come up empty handed so to speak. Well, 9 times out of 10 it’s because your inner dialogue goes something like this: I really want to meet someone but I’m getting too old, no one will want someone with 3 kids, I’ve tried but all the good ones are taken, who am I kidding I’m a loser at love and on and on.

Or, say you want to lose weight but the only thing you’ve lost is time wishing you would lose it. Your inner dialogue might be: it’s too hard to lose weight, I don’t have time to exercise, food is my only pleasure in life, no matter what I do I know I will only gain it back, exercise is too difficult to start now, etc.

Now here’s the deal, beliefs are thoughts that you tell yourself over and over again whether they are true or not. And, if you continue to believe them and internally repeat them that is exactly what you will create and exactly what you will experience.

So, even though you consciously say, I want whatever it is, internally you are not in true alignment with what you desire, therefore, that is why you are still in the same position living your life with what you don’t want!

Worse yet, because most times you are more focused on the problem or lack of something you want in your life you are attracting more of what you stay focused on…ugh!

How do you get yourself in alignment with what you want? Start to focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want and stop making excuses in your mind as to why you will never have it.

If you change your mind, if you change that inner dialogue and start to believe it before you see it you will begin to experience it in time. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, look at what you ARE focused on (lack, debt, no love, heartache, too fat, etc.) and I bet it’s exactly what you are living!

Changing that inner dialogue does take some conscious effort to flip the script but if you don’t do it, start to accept your life just the way it is and learn to like it.

On the other hand, if you truly want to live a better life then start to believe you can and each time you start to walk down It-Will-Never-Happen-For-Me Lane, instead steer your mind to I-Know-I-Can-Do-This Highway and go for the ride of your life.

Make your thoughts serve you to bring about what you truly want instead of limiting you to what you already have and don’t want. The Law of Attraction, as cliché as some may think, is alive and well and you are living proof of it.

Keep your mind focused on where you want to go and how you want to live, release the fear and worry that go along with lack and wanting. When you are in a state of wanting, you send that vibe out into the world and it will only bring back to you more wanting.

If you get your conscious desires and your internal thoughts in alignment, that harmonious vibration will bring about the kinds of changes in your life that you used to believe would never happen.

We all have a choice as to what we say to ourselves about any given situation, so choose your thoughts wisely for they have the power to make a difference in how you experience your life!

Susan Russo is an author and coach who has inspired people from around the world learn the secrets of finding happiness within. Would you like to learn the secrets?

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A few years back, I was asked to present a series of workshops to some high-school seniors on the subject of Positive Thinking.

It’s a subject that’s near and dear to my heart, but I approached the assignment with some trepidation. The idea of leading a group of seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds for fifty minutes was for some reason more challenging than speaking to adults.

What Exactly is Positive Thinking?

Why is it important? How do you develop it? How do you keep a positive attitude in the face of negative circumstances?

And these kids expected answers. It caused me to do some real soul searching as to what I think a PMA (positive mental attitude) is and how to apply it in our lives.

To me, Positive Thinking means a “can-do” attitude-an attitude that allows one to see the best in all circumstances. It means facing a given situation and looking for the opportunities that almost always lie within. It’s really a matter of focus. It’s a little bit like when you’re buying a new car and you notice all the cars on the road like the one you’re buying. They were always there before, but you just didn’t notice them because you weren’t looking for them. When you’re looking for good, you’ll certainly find it. That’s Positive Thinking.

Positive thinking is not Pollyanna Thinking. Being a “Permagrinner” is almost as bad as being a negative thinker. It’s an unwillingness to see things as they are and ignore the things that could present a danger to us and our well-being.

We need to be realistic and address the problems with which we’re faced. If you’re tending a garden and ignore the weeds, you’ll find your garden over-run by them. You have to be aware and take care of problems. Positive Thinking is definitely not avoidance.

Negative thinking is all too common. It doesn’t take any effort to be a negative thinker. I call them “Stinking Thinkers”-people with Mental BO. You know the kind of people I’m talking about-the kind of people who brighten up a room-by leaving. They’re cynical and depressing to be around. They complain too much and offer too little, if any, help.

Positive Thinking is infectious. Unfortunately, so is negative thinking. Emerson wrote, “A man becomes what he thinks about all day long.” What do you think about? Where’s your focus? Do you dwell on your problems, or do you focus on the way you’d like them resolved? It’s your perspective that determines whether the glass is half full or half empty.

Our attitude affects people more than we may realize. When we approach problems with enthusiasm and high expectations, and when we share our optimism, we cause others to look at things in new and more optimistic ways. We help shift their perspective.

When I’m hiring someone, I place more weight on their attitude than on their skills and knowledge. Skills and knowledge can always be learned. Positive Thinking can be learned too, but I find few people willing to develop it. The belief is often, “that’s-just-the-way-I-am.”

How Do We Develop a Positive Attitude?

One way is to associate with positive people. We may have to change our environment and even choose new friends. This may seem drastic, but you can’t afford to be with people who drag you down. In order to be successful, you have to have a supportive atmosphere.

We can also read good books. You might want to start with Norman Vincent Peale’s classic, The Power of Positive Thinking. He coined the acronym and phrase “PMA.” Any book that is encouraging, inspiring and positive will do.

No matter how good your PMA might be, it takes constant attention. You eat every day, don’t you? Your attitude is like your body; it needs to be nourished. You need to feed it with good, healthy food-positive people, good books and an inspiring environment. Just like you go to work every day, you need to go to work on yourself every day. If you do, you’ll build and maintain a Positive Mental Attitude.

Michael Angier, founder of SuccessNet.org, recently released the New SuccessNet Resource Book– the Top Must-Have Tools, Products, Services and Resources for Running Your Business Effectively

This $27 eBook can be yours now at no-cost. And most of the over 100 resources are FREE to access and use.

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If you haven’t noticed lately, staying positive has become a bit of an art form in today’s society. If you turn on the news, what do you see? As Frank Kern so brilliantly states, mostly Fear and Hate. It’s a perfect example how society has become conditioned to Thrive off negative news. A few months ago Anthony Robbins came out with a brand new reality show called “Breakthrough With Tony Robbins.” It was all geared around people having challenges in life, and Tony helping them empower themselves to overcome their mental challenges. Sadly, that show was cut after the second episode due to low viewership.

Since late 2008 the world has been experiencing some MAJOR mental shifts. Since that time, many people have become more aware (including myself) to check their mindset and what they’re predominantly thinking about. So the big question becomes, how can you keep staying positive when it seems the entire world likes negative news?

Recently I’ve gone through some major shifts in my life. To such a large degree that I’ve seriously had to sit back, analyze my life, and make a major decision on where I need to be placing my focus and attention. Through this experience I’ve learned we are ALL effected on a mental level that is happening, even if you don’t watch the news or read the newspaper. It’s an energy thing. So with that said, Here are three simple steps for staying positive when it seems the entire world is focused on doom and gloom.

Staying Positive Tip #1 – Your Association

Jim Rohn has an absolutely awesome quote that I live by, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” If you surround yourself with negative, I’m not going to change my ways kind of people, you’re going to become exactly like them. Like attracts like. So, the polar opposite applies right! Yes, when you surround yourself with awesome people, you too will become absolutely awesome.

Now, you’re probably thinking how can I create new friends that are empowering? In order for anything new to come into your life you’ve got to make the space in your life. So when it comes to association, it means letting go of previous relationships. Now this doesn’t mean stopping contact with the people, it does mean you’re going to have to invest more time with the people you want to hang around with.

One of the things I love to do is called The Attractor Factor. Write out on a sheet of paper “My Five Closest Friends” and then vertically write numbers 1 -5. Just leave it blank for now, and set the intention this space will be filled with empowering new people. So basically you’ve mentally and physically creating the space for “New.” Then, every time that you build a great relationship with a new empowering friend, simply fill that space with their name. Please remember this is not about what YOU will get out of this, come from a space of giving and you will have more empowering friends than you can ever imagine possible.

Staying Positive Tip #2 – Being Grateful

Did you know that you cannot think positive and negative at the same time? Staying positive is much more than thinking positive, it’s about being in flow and having a great mindset. The best way to replace the doom and gloom negative news is to be Grateful. Whatever you focus on expands, being grateful allows you to invoke so many powerful natural laws of the universe.

I recently setup a brand new Facebook page called The Gratitude Group. I highly recommend you head over there and start seeing all the amazing positive people. Especially taking some time to share with the world what you’re most grateful for today. We’ll see you over there!

Staying Positive Tip #3 – Do Something Awesome Everyday

When you think about this week what did you do that was totally awesome? I don’t mean sky diving or bungee jumping. Maybe your idea of awesome was eating out for breakfast, or sending someone a random postcard of pure gratitude. I encourage you to break free from the doom and gloom by doing something in your life that’s purely awesome everyday. For yourself, or for others.

Staying positive is based on you feeling good, because of the actions you’re taking. Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and bought a incredibly awesome Vegan Fruit Muffin. Ok, it was $2.75 and while I was eating it I felt totally awesome. It’s these little moments of awesome that allow us to feel we are living! Now, I’m not suggesting you eat McDonald’s everyday! But do something that makes you feel good internally, so you can get more of that!

This world is filled with so many opportunities that I want to encourage you to keep staying positive and focus on living an absolutely amazing life. For more tips on staying positive Click Here.

My life is personal development and helping others improve their mindset.

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Self awareness means understanding yourself better. Most of us are not fully aware of what is buried deep in our personality. Self discovery is a continuous process. It has no end. The more and more you discover about yourself, the stronger and stronger will your personality will become. You will think better, act better and achieve better. To improve your awareness of yourself, you have to focus on the following areas.

1. What are your strengths?

Every person born in this world is endowed with a variety of talents and skills. We also learn a lot. Learning is not confined to academic learning. We start learning as a child by observing others. Psychologists call this cognitive learning. This means observing a particular behavior, seeing the result it achieves and reproducing the same behavior when you want the same result. Starting from this basic learning, we absorb a lot of knowledge both knowingly and unknowingly. Though knowledge is valuable and powerful, a surfeit of knowledge sometimes acts like a handicap by preventing us from knowing what we are best at doing. We are good at doing several things. But if we can discover the areas where we can excel, then we become aware of our strengths.

2. What are your weaknesses?

It is a well accepted fact that everyone has areas of weaknesses. The weakness may be a personality defect like shyness and inhibition or an undesirable habit we have acquired. Whatever is the weakness, we have to accept it for a fact. Many people deceive themselves by refusing to accept a weakness or by ignoring it. If you have the fear of public speaking, you should accept it for a fact. If you cannot resist the temptation to drink, you should understand that it is weakness. Rationalizing our weak points will not help us. Once you become aware of your weaknesses, you get the power to work towards overcoming them. As long as you refuse to accept your weaknesses, you will be burdened with them and will never think of getting relieved of them.

3. Know what you like and dislike:

We all have individual tastes. We have likings and preferences. While these may not be rational, there is nothing wrong with our having likes and dislikes. Please remember that it is your individual taste that distinguishes your personality. If every one talks highly of a film and if you don’t like it, you should accept your feelings. There is nothing in your having an opinion different from the majority of people. You don’t have to argue with others. But it is perfectly alright to feel the way you do.

Two things are important in life. Earning money and maintaining good relationships. If you want to be happy and successful, you should focus on these two areas of financial success and harmonious relationships.

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What will be your answer to the question? ‘Who are you?’ You may answer this in various ways. You may answer this question with your name, your profession, your relationship with someone or some other way. You are a resident of town X, an employee of company Y, a customer, a voter, a complainant, a respondent and so many other things. Most of these things have nothing to do with your real self. Self awareness refers to your understanding of your personality, specifically your strengths, weaknesses, desires, ambitions, feelings etc. Self awareness becomes important because this knowledge will help you make choices in your life.

Have you ever accepted something offered to you or asked of you and have later felt that you should not have accepted it? Almost every one has this experience at some time or the other. Having this experience is good for you. It makes you understand the need for understanding yourself better. If you had had self awareness, you would not have accepted something that didn’t go with your wants, tastes or personality. If you are a young man and a beautiful girl asks you to marry her, will you readily say yes? Not likely, even if she were a ravishing beauty. This is because you are aware that beauty is not the only thing to look for in a girl, that you would like to marry. There are people who are momentarily unaware of this and accept the proposal mesmerized by the girl’s beauty. As a result they suffer an unhappy marriage. A similar situation may arise for a girl who may fall for a man’s looks or riches, only to discover too late that he was not the type of husband she had wanted.

Some decisions you make due to lack of self awareness can be reversed. If you take up a job that is not suitable to you, you may change your job though you would have lost some part of your life by spending your time in the job and feeling miserable. But some decisions like marriage will be more difficult to reverse and even if you reverse the decision, the consequences will live with you for a long time.

So, how do you gain self awareness? Sit down, take a note book and write things about you. Start with what you possess, your talents and skills, your knowledge and expertise etc. Then, write down your weaknesses, your likes and dislikes. Keep this list with you. Come back to this quite often. You may have to modify the list as you discover more about yourself and as you change yourself. This exercise will activate your self awareness whenever you have to make choices and help you make the right decisions.

Two things are important in life. Earning money and maintaining good relationships. If you want to be happy and successful, you should focus on these two areas of financial success and harmonious relationships.

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Sometimes its easy to get caught up in life. Running around from one thing to another always striving for the next big thing in life, not really feeling truly happy in the present moment. Sound like you? Here’s how to be happy now, in this very moment… read on…

Now a really super way to bring yourself right into the present moment to be happy right now is to stop and think about what you already have or have already achieved in life. Be grateful for what you’ve got. Simple.

The following exercise is an amazing way to instantly shift your mood whatever the weather and help you to be happy now, right in this present moment.

Stop… Take a moment… Sit down, relax… Breathe deeply…

Relax

Now go through all the wonderful things in your life you are grateful for. Start with yourself first ~ I am so happy and grateful now that I am alive! I am grateful for the air I breathe, the beauty I see, the life that is in me and all around me….

Then go deeper into all the things which you are grateful for about you. Continue this exercise….

Then move onto your friends, family, connections, job, business, possessions, give thanks for all the things you have in your life. However small ~ Be Grateful

In case you are feeling a little low right now and are struggling, put yourself in the right frame of mind, imagine the following:

You have just finished getting ready for an important evening out, a meal, an event, a party, an interview, an important meeting…. make it something personal to you. You have spent ages getting ready, all made up, hair done (suited and booted for the gentlemen reading this) You are about 5 minutes walk from your destination when the heavens open up and the rain starts to pour, you duck into a doorway for shelter right away. There is no way you can walk to your destination in this and show up looking like a drowned rat. “Blast!”

As you glance to the right of the doorway you see a huge golfing umbrella leaning up against the wall, no-one else is around just you… and the umbrella. Perfect! You feel so grateful, just what you needed at the right time, as you put it up and start to continue your walk a car pulls up at the side of you, you hear a familiar voice “Fancy seeing you here, jump in, stay dry, we’re going where you’re going”.

Right now, in that moment how do you feel?

You feel SO Grateful, just what you needed at the perfect time. An umbrella to walk to the car and a ride to your destination – perfect!

Now this is the feeling place you want to be in when you give thanks for all the great things you have in your life.

Be grateful for what you have got. Guess what the more you give thanks the more positive you will feel and more things will show up in your life to be grateful for. Win Win.

If you feel you would like to learn more about me and my work helping to make a positive change to peoples lives please do feel free to visit my website listed below ♥

Thanks for reading, wishing you a wonderful day filled with gratitude:)

♥ Liz Green ♥
~ Inspirational Leader ~ Transformational Mentor
CEO & Founder of Live Your Dream Mentoring

http://www.liveyourdreammentoring.com
Learn how to create the life of your dreams… Then live it!

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“What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.”

Leo Buscaglia

Do you know someone who always seems happy?  Always makes the best of every situation?  Seems to have everything going for him?  And, do you ask yourself, “I wonder what his/her secret is?” Or do you think,  “his circumstances are different than mine”;  “he has a lot of money”; “her husband helps more around the house” ; “her kids don’t have issues”, etc.   Well, I’m going to let you in on a secret.  Money and circumstances have nothing to do with happiness!    The real secret  to happiness is  making  being happy a habit!

There are 2 important things to remember:  First,  you have to stop comparing your insides to someone else’s outsides.  When you look at these seemingly always happy, confident people, it’s easy to think, “She’s got it made.  Everything in her life is great!”  It’s quite likely, that when others look at you, they are saying the same thing.  But, we all know, things aren’t always as they appear.  Like a duck, gracefully skimming along on the top of the water, we often have our internal, emotional version of webbed feet, frantically paddling,  just under the surface and out of sight,  keeping us afloat and moving forward.  Those self-assured, happy people you’re looking at with admiration and maybe a little envy have that going on too!  For the most part, they aren’t too different from you and me!

Secondly, people with a positive outlook choose happiness.  They may not do it consciously (anymore).  It has become a habit.  You probably don’t realize it, but if you respond negatively to situations, it’s probably a habit you have developed.  You don’t consciously think “I’m going to see the negative side of this situation or I’m going to think about how I don’t measure up.”  It’s just your natural, unconscious reaction.  People who choose happiness either developed their habit of doing so growing up, as a result of their environment and role models, or they adopted it along the way and now, it is their unconscious natural way of being.  You can create that habit too.   You can choose happiness.  You can choose to respond to the events in your life in a positive manner.  You can choose to set intentions that create happiness.    When you get up in the morning, you can choose how your day will be. But most of us don’t.   Why not?  Because we think that we don’t have much control over what happens to us.  We live at the mercy of our circumstances.   It is true that you don’t have a lot of control over many of the events of your day.  But you have complete control over how you react to them.

Here’s an example of the difference between an optimist and a pessimist.   The parents of twin 6 year olds were concerned about their sons.  One was an extreme pessimist, the other, a total optimist.  Concerned about the intensity of their outlooks, the boys’ parents took them to a psychiatrist.

First the psychiatrist met with the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. “What’s the matter?” the psychiatrist asked, baffled. “Don’t you want to play with any of the toys?” “Yes,” the little boy cried, “but if I did I’d only break them.”

Next the psychiatrist met with the optimist. Trying to dampen his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist was utterly delighted.  He climbed to the top of the pile, and began digging through the pile with his bare hands. “What are you doing?” the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. “With all this manure,” the little boy replied, beaming, “there must be a pony in here somewhere!”

I had an interesting experience of my own natural negativism recently.  My son came home from school a few weeks ago and told me that one of his middle school classmates had been suspended because he was caught with beer and cigarettes at school.  I immediately began judging this boy, thinking he was bad and dangerous and scary.
Then, I heard that there were issues at home.  His parents have a difficult marriage, there have been reports of abuse, the boy gets very little attention or supervision.  With this additional information, I became compassionate.  I realized that the boy’s actions were a cry for help.  I wanted to reach out and help him.  I saw the situation entirely differently.  It’s amazing how choosing to take a curious approach, or seeking more information or creating a slightly different assumption can make such a difference in one’s thinking and therefore one’s actions and outcomes.  I vowed to make it a habit, before making negative judgments, to ask myself, “What could be going on here that might change how I see this situation?”  What value is there in this seemingly bad scenario?

Think about situations in your own life where you are dissatisfied, angry or unhappy.  Ask yourself, how you might look at this situation differently?  What additional information could you get to gain a broader perspective?  Where’s the pony in all this?

Like all habits, the habit of choosing happiness takes practice.  Set an intention every day and before you know it, you’ll find that seeing the upside of things is second nature.

Related posts:

• Happiness! Future Or Present?
• Thanksgiving: Gratitude and Happiness – 3 Levels
• Happiness is a Choice – Are You Ready to Make That Choice?
• Self Improvement and Limiting Habits
• Focus on Joy to Manifest Happiness