3 Ways To Change Your Attitude

3 Ways To Change Your Attitude

by: Derrick Sorles

I would guess thousands of books and millions of words have been written on the importance of a positive mental attitude. At the center of every book on "Success" the key ingredient or secret to making it all work is a positive mental attitude.

Many professional athletes have figured this out and hire psychologists to help them with their mental attitudes to up their competitive advantage. Here, its your Life By Design / http://officiallifebydesign.com advantage!

But what can you do when your just feeling blah and Nelly Negative just doesn't want to pack up and move along inside your head?

1.) MUSIC-Think about the song(s) or artist(s) that always has the power to move and shift your spirit for the better. If you are like me, certain music has much more power than others. I sort of look at it like pharmacology, and you are self medicating-define your state, and prescribe accordingly!

2.) GRATITUDE- Too often it is easy to find ourselves focusing on what we don't want and what we don't have. It's a surefire way to make you feel lousy and keep you busy, most of us have lots of things we don't want and would like to have! The key here is to immediately shift your thinking when you find yourself caught in this trap.

Sit down and take out some paper, your journal or at your computer keyboard and start making a list of all of the things you are most grateful for. Just free write everything as it comes to mind and commit to staying with it until you feel you've made the shift inside. Usually, an item will come to me and I literally just start to smile. If I focus on just the ones I love alone and how grateful I am to have them in my life, I can't help but to have a complete shift to a more positive mental attitude. Keep building the list as often as necessary.

Play a game with yourself over time and see how many entries you can accumulate! The last time I did this exercise the entry that made me smile the most was "I am so grateful for not having a hairy back!"

3.) EMPOWERING QUESTIONS-I love great questions that have the power to completely change your mental state and what you are focusing on! I even have a section here on the site dedicated to amazing questions. The previous exercise is really your response to the question "What are you most grateful for?" Try asking yourself "What am I proud about in my life right now?"

Again, it's great to write out your answers. As the responses come to you, really focus on what about "it" makes you most proud and how it makes you feel right now. Pay attention to the images in your thoughts and continue to focus on them. You'll be feeling like a million bucks in no time!

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The Law of Attraction - Make it Work for You

The Law of Attraction - Make it Work for You

by: Laurie Hayes


The Law of Attraction responds to whatever vibration you are sending out into the Universe. You will receive more of what you are vibrating whether it is desired or not. This law does not decide whether what it is returning is good for you or not, it simply responds to your vibration.

This morning I got up early because we received more snow last night and I decided to take advantage of the crisp air and opportunity to be alone for a while. I bundled up and headed out with my snow scraper in hand.

While shoveling, I thought about what has transpired in my life this year … where I was 12 months ago, where I am now, and where I want to be in a year.

Earlier this year, I put an intention into the Universe to guide me to my divine purpose. There was something missing that I needed in order to feel complete.

After handing my intention over, I started to visualize myself being surrounded by warm, caring people dedicated to helping me achieve success and sense of purpose, and reminded myself daily to remain open to any opportunity that might present itself.

Each day I woke up “knowing” that my answer would come, and with this knowing, I felt a sense of calmness. I was more relaxed. I smiled more and did not hesitate to speak to strangers and offer them a hand when needed.

I kept my mind open, listened more closely and focused more on giving than on receiving.

The Universe responded in kind.

Many generous, loving people were drawn into my life and together we have shared in a wonderful journey of self-growth, enlightenment and amazing successes.

During the past month, I became caught up in the daily stresses of work. I started thinking, there is never enough time, there is too much to do, I’m all on my own … and on and on …

I adopted the mindset that I was going down and became focused on struggling and racing time. My negative vibration started attracting more of the same and the disparaging results started snowballing.

I created an undesirable cycle of events.

One of the greatest gifts we have is the ability to choose our thoughts, and thankfully, in the middle of the crisp, cool winter air, I realized that I was creating this reality with my negative thinking.

The Universe was merely giving me back what I was sending out.

After shoveling, I decided I must change course to attract desired events in my life. I chose not to focus on work’s daily demands but on life and those who mean the most to me.

I spent the remainder of my day decorating the Christmas tree with my stepson then taking him out for lunch. I gave him my undivided attention and let him know he is important.

I returned to my true purpose. Focusing on others and helping them see their worth in this world.

It is important to remember that you have the power to create your reality and this is managed through your thoughts.

If you are thinking about a lack of something, you will attract more of this. If you are thinking about something you love, you will attract more of what you love and enjoy.

Be aware of what is coming into your life and if it isn’t what you want, review your thought processes and make changes. You have the power.

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P.M.A.

P.M.A.......................

by: Gary Durkin


P.M.A - so what is it? Some people will automatically recognise this acronym - Positive Mental Attitude.

Yadda yadda... blah... blah.... some people think, but PMA should be likened to 'dieting'.

No, I haven't gone completely insane (not quite), but one major failure that many people are guilty of, is to overlook a common theme that links both PMA and dieting.

Instead of considering a weight-loss plan / calorie controlled diet as a short-term temporary measure, it's more effective to adopt a permanent, ongoing lifestyle change. Eat better, eat more fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, less fat, sugar, and so on, exercise regularly and keep doing so, rather than Yo-Yo dieting, your results and long-term benefits are enhanced greatly.

Equally so, trying to temporarily change the way we think, feel, look at life - only to slowly revert back into the old ways, or the 'comfort zone', is as effective as ordering regular fries for a couple of weeks, instead of your usual ‘supersize’ portion - in the hope of getting the 'body beautiful'!

Effective dieting comes from a lifestyle change and ensuring you stick with it. Just as it is with 'attitude'.

So how do you achieve PMA?

There's no magic solution, no wonder-pill, no secret. It's a gradual process, taken in steps, one at a time.

There are a few common ‘sayings’ that can get everyone off to a good start.

“Before you lose your temper… count to ten”

“Take the brake off your brain, before you put your mouth into drive”.

Those are a couple of classics that I’ve overlooked on a few occasions!

But PMA can be far more than that. It’s about belief, will-power, being positive, attitude adjustment. It makes all the difference.

One of the biggest contributors which dictates the success or failure of those trying to quit smoking…. is will power. Feeling positive about school, college or university examinations increases the likelihood of improved performance.

It’s been widely documented that a solid determination to improve or recover, has been an influencing factor to many who are seriously ill or injured.

Having a Positive Mental Attitude doesn’t cure cancer, if only it did. But it certainly improves matters and helps those involved, being supportive and….. positive.

There is a another saying which I would like to share with you……

“Attitudes are Contagious…..make sure YOURS is worth catching”.

Motivational speakers don’t preach depression and negativity - but the complete opposite. And they all know that often it’s easier to remain in the ‘rut’ - than the long, hard struggle to get out, and change….. to change yourself and your outlook on life and others around you.

Take a few minutes to look at small children. Appreciate their naivety and their simplistic and carefree approach to life.

They also have an obvious lack of the pressures, commitments and responsibilities that we may have, they don’t have to work, pay the bills, cook, clean, keep everyone else happy….but we can all still learn a valuable ’Life-Lesson’ from them.

There are few extremely priceless resources that will definitely help achieve PMA.

All of them can be mass-produced, but are often in short supply.

Every single one of these incredible resources will cost you absolutely nothing.

So what are they?
Smiles. (massively contagious)
Laughter. (see above)
A good sense of humor. (see above)
Politeness.
Good manners.
Consideration of others.

And so on.

Remember - All of them can be mass-produced, but are often in short supply.

Can you see where I going with this? Simplicity itself. But effective and efficient.

Just as with dieting, success can be achieved over the longer term, without major cost, or huge mind-blowing changes, especially as many people are resistant to change - so make it gradual, step-by-step.

As all good sales people know, to sell the product, first sell the idea - get the customer to ‘buy in’ to the concept, and your almost there.

To achieve a Positive Mental Attitude, you often will find it necessary to try and persuade others to ‘buy in’……. but first it is YOU who must do so.

I will leave you with one last phrase.

Where it originates - I have no idea. But it is something I encountered a number of years ago, and has been with me ever since. If you take time to think about it, to consider it deeply, it can be quite profound and often enlightening.

You can use it as part of your PMA……….

“Your Life……. Is someone else’s DREAM”.

© Copyright 2005 - All Rights Reserved worldwide.

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Boosting Your Success with Six Easy Happiness Tips

 Boosting Your Success with Six Easy Happiness Tips

by: Christina Winsey-Rudd

In what areas of your life would you like to achieve greater success? State-of-mind (attitude towards life and work) absolutely affects your performance and your outcomes. People who stay in jobs they hate, or relationships and situations in which they are chronically unhappy are not only missing out on the joy life has to offer, but are literally putting their health at risk at the same time.

When coaching clients I ask them to do a rough pre-assessment: on a scale of one to ten, ten being that you are consistently happy with your day-to-day life 90-95% of the time, where do you rank? If the answer is five or six, here are some tips and techniques to boost it up.

Live by your definition of happiness and success? Many people feel an ongoing sense of dissatisfaction with their lives or businesses because they are using someone else’s “happiness measuring stick”. Comparing your life and achievements to those of others, and using their criteria rather than yours is a sure fire way to lose the happiness game.

Take “happiness breaks” using a “fun and joy list”. Many people don’t realize how much more productive they can be by feeding their souls and hearts throughout the workday. Lunch hour not withstanding, 10-15 minute “happiness breaks” are real attitude and brain-boosters. A checklist prevents you from saying “I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself if I took a break from work.”

Become a Pollyanna! Pollyanna, contrary to popular opinion, wasn’t teaching denial, or pie in the sky positive thinking. Rather she perfected a mind-set of learned optimism and of seeing the glass “half full”. Pollyanna’s “Glad Game” turned around an entire town from being gloomy and pessimistic to being a happy, joyful place.

Not only will your sunny outlook help you be happier more of the time, but also your “vibes” will positively affect those around you. If you’re single, keeping a sunny disposition will make your “vibe” much more attractive. People like to be around upbeat people who make them feel good).

If you’re in sales, or are looking to climb a success ladder, you will be much more attractive to your ideal employer or ideal customer if your attitude is obviously an optimistic and happy one.

Have Better Relationships by Living From Both Head and Heart. Being too rigid, and intellectual can really wreck the relationship “happiness quotient”. The people in your life, just like you, want to hear expressed appreciation and to be given more understanding.

Sadly, it seems much easier in our society, for people to express disappointment, criticism and negative observations than it does the positive ones. Speak words of encouragement and appreciation freely.

Ask for acknowledgement when you need it too. People can’t (HEAR THIS – THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN’T) read your mind. When you give and take freely of appreciation, understanding, praise, joy and fun in relationships they are bound to flourish.

On the business side of things, you will be seen as a premier team player when you contribute to your business relationships in this way.

Stay in the here and now. When coaching clients, one of the most frequent things I hear is “When I achieve this goal I will finally be happy.” Life isn’t happening “then”. Life is happening right NOW!

Make a habit of slowing things down. Savor those good people, experiences and feelings in the very moment you are experiencing them. While you are experiencing them and noticing them, inwardly say a thought of gratitude that you have this person, job, experience, feeling, or talent.

Whatever it is that you are enjoying, it will stay with you longer throughout the day if you don’t let it fly by without acknowledgement. At the end of the day, as you review it, if you’ve really practiced this “here and now happiness”, the overall feeling about your day will be a good one.

When negatives come along the fact that you have spent time practicing this “here and now happiness” will make it a great deal easier to wade through it without overreacting.

Quiet your negative self-talk. Many people are completely unaware of the numerous negative things they may say to themselves throughout the day. The fact is that, like criticism of others, negative self-talk never ever helped anyone perform better.

Become your own detective. Carry a little notebook around with you and whenever you are aware of some negative thoughts running through your mind write them down. Then consciously and deliberately refute the negative thought with some positive observations.

What if you were to stop those thoughts as if you were a policeman with a whistle and immediately bring on the flow of positive self-compliments? Pick any and all good characteristics about both your looks and about you as a person begin to acknowledge yourself for them emphatically.

Here again, when you love and appreciate yourself for what’s good, your “vibes” will be good ones and people will like being around you. In fact, they will begin to think and feel about you, the way you do. When you value yourself the world will too!

These are just a few ways you can enhance the quality of your happiness experience and your life. Get creative and begin thinking of your own solutions! They will pay big dividends.

"Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star."

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Life Is A Test?

 Life Is A Test?

by: John Perry


I rarely ever remember a dream. Even when I can remember what I was dreaming about when I have to get up for a drink or bathroom break in the middle of the night, I have forgotten all about it by morning.

However, last night I had a dream that made me analyze my life and my thought processes on a day to day basis.

I was dreaming about taking a test. I am not sure the subject of the test. I do remember feeling under pressure and I was struggling a bit with the content of the test.

Now, I have taken my share of tests in the past and can recall having these types of dreams while in college; but, why now?

I jotted down a few notes before going back to bed and did my best to decipher this brain spark this morning.

I am into several projects right now in which I am under the microscope, so to speak. But, am I? Is this all in my head? Do I bring all this pressure on myself?

Probably.

I try to be the best I can be; mentally, physically, and financially. I try to learn as much as possible to improve my abilities in these areas. This is great as long as I don't spend so much time trying to improve me that it harms my life in these same areas; i.e. stress, family, friends, health, etc.

We all see the "burn-out" in the self-improvement entrepreneur; the sacrifices made in the "important things" in life such as relationships and peace of mind.

Peace of mind should be a top priority for mental, physical, and financial success. Living life as some sort of constant test will hamper this process.

Realizing that progress is a "you vs. you" phenomenon and that you don't have to please someone else on a day to day basis is a great start.

Bryan Tracy, in his audio series from Nightingale Conant entitled "Action Secrets for Personal Achievement," talks about the need for certain people to get the approval of others. He calls this a symptom of Type "A" behavior.

Here are some of the other type "A" symptoms:

Having a sense of urgency to do more and more in less and less time.

Volunteering for more and more work at the office.

Feeling under pressure to get activities accomplished.

Being obsessed with your performance and having high standards for such performance.

The type "A" personality can't relax and enjoy an accomplishment, they feel like they have never done enough.

Compare self with others.

More concerned with things than with people.

Brings home work.

Talks about the boss, what the boss said, what the boss did… wants to please the boss at all times.

Has a sense of hostility towards those he or she feels to be competing against.

Type "A's" cannot admit that they are not in control.

If you fall into any of the above categories, making a decision to change may be a great first step. This decision involves trying to relax and still be productive and effective without the added stress we type "A's" like to impart.

There are two things that have worked in the past for me (and my clients) that I am going to focus on after this "wake–up call."

One is a daily exercise plan. Even when I am on the road, I usually do some exercise daily, but, there are times I get in a rut and don't focus on my planning and execution of a said workout. A daily routine helps relieve stress and will bring out creativity and problem solving abilities like no other activity!

It is a "reality check" for me as well. Things are brought into a better perspective after a good workout, no matter how long the workout is.

This is Stephen Covey's take on exercise (from his book The 8th Habit): "I am convinced that exercise increases our own sense of self-control and self-mastery, which enhances the totality of our lives and truly enlarges the space between stimulus and response."

The second concept is practicing daily solitude. This could be a twenty minute walk, a power relaxation/almost nap, hanging out on a park bench, etc. This is a time to let your mind "go" and let your subconscious work on goals, problems, and/or ideas that are filling your head - a "mind-cleansing" if you will.

I try to do two, one-hour solitude sessions per week to let my subconscious mind take over and do its thing for me. This is a time when I just sit back and take in the world, usually outside in a fairly secluded place without interruptions. I sometimes think about a couple of goals or issues in my life ahead of time, then sit back and let my brain work on things.

I tend to find some answers to problems as well as some pretty great ideas to take back to work with me. They not only help me achieve goals, but relieve stress at the same time. These two activities alone have probably added years to my life and helped me through some potentially stressful times.

Thus, the reason for my dream. I have been in situations recently in which I feel the need to "prove" myself. I am living my life as a series of tests… daily. I have felt out of sorts, not myself, lacking confidence.

All brought on by myself.

Life is not a test. To me, it is a series of learning experiences.

My goal is to strengthen the area between stimulus and response (see quote above and The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey) on a daily basis; mentally, physically, and financially. As that space continues to grow with experience and knowledge, my life and dreams will put a smile on my face.

Thanks for letting me think out loud today.

Sweet dreams.

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