Going Positive

We live in a negative world full of anger, hurt feelings, and grudges. Anyone with a positive attitude comes across odd, if not unbalanced. Negativity, if left unchecked, will rob you of every good thing in your life - relationships, personal well-being, and opportunity.

How do we become positive people in a negative world? It takes a shift in our mindset or world-view called a paradigm shift. I'm not talking about individual thoughts, but the filter through which those thoughts are processed. A decision must be made to become a positive person and embrace a new paradigm for our life. Once you have embraced your new paradigm, it is important to understand the relationship between thoughts, attitudes, words, actions, habits, lifestyle, character, and destiny. Our thoughts become our attitudes which becomes our words which become our actions which become habits which become our lifestyle which becomes our character which becomes our destiny. We need a total makeover of our thoughts, attitudes, and words.

1. Thoughts - We are what we think. We can change our thoughts by exposing ourselves to positive input, rejecting negative thoughts, dealing with our anger, and thinking pro-actively.

While we can't use environment as an excuse to avoid change, we must realize that what we see and hear can influence our thoughts. Choose carefully the people you spend large blocks of time with. Do they excuse themselves from positive action by focusing on problems? Do they have a "can-do" attitude? Are they angry, rude, complaining, or overly critical? Show me who your friends are and I'll show you the direction of your life.

Find people you want to become like. Ask them if you can learn from them and if they would mentor you. Most successful people find great fulfillment in helping others to realize their dreams. I have a friend who has been very successful as a financial trader. He mentors others for free. I know because I'm one of his students. Recently I called him with a problem I was having in my financial trading. I thought my problem was a technical issue. Within two minutes he identified my problem as a defect in my way of thinking and emailed me some material that would help me.

He also seeks out world class traders in the top 5% of their profession and asks them to mentor him. You must realize that these traders are worth billions, but they enjoy helping others who admire and look up to them.

Anger is one of the biggest obstacles to personal development. People hold on to their anger for years and become bitter and focused on the past. I have a solution. Immediately forgive everyone all the time. Don't let the sun set on your anger. Get rid of it. Forgive and release and go forward with your goals and dreams. People who refuse to forgive become bitter and stuck in the past.

Change the way you think about problems. Look at them as challenges. Stop reacting and start responding. A reaction is thinking and saying what you feel in the moment. A response is thinking and saying after careful thought. Respond with pro-active thinking. How can I help? How can I encourage? Can I fix this or who can fix this? Always think solutions. If you can't think of an immediate solution, begin thinking that a solution is possible and your creative juices will begin to flow. Your mind will be freed to work on an answer. I've had answers come to me in the shower or in the middle of the night. Because I thought in terms of possibility, the creative part of my mind went to work on a solution.

2. Attitudes - Attitudes are thought patterns or habits of thought. Ninety per cent of communication is non-verbal. You are constantly broadcasting an attitude whether you are aware of it or not. Attitude is seen in the way we say something, not the exact words. It has been rightly stated that our attitude determines our altitude in life. Attitude alone can drive people away from us or attract them like a magnet.

A mother's attitude sets the atmosphere of the home. A person's attitude can open up doors of opportunity or close them. A husband's attitude can make a wife's life unbearable or enjoyable. A person's attitude will determine how many and what kind of friends they have. Uneducated people with great attitudes have a greater chance of getting promotions at work than do the highly educated with bad attitudes.

Whether you are aware of it or not, your thoughts produce attitudes which either create a positive or negative atmosphere around you.

3. Words - Words are powerful. They shape our world. They determine our future and our quality of life. The U.S.A. is the most influential and the most powerful nation on earth. The existence of our entire nation is based on a constitution which is made up of words. Our laws are made up of words. When the 9-11 attack came, the President got on international television and spoke words. When we get married, we make a life long commitment based on words. When we buy land, we get a deed with words on it. When wars are started and ended, words are spoken.

Choose your words carefully. Are they encouraging or discouraging? Are they helpful or hurtful? Do they bring hope or hopelessness? Are they pro-active?

Negative talkers spew out poison wherever they go. Perhaps they are bitter, unforgiving, and focused on the past. They can't figure out why everyone avoids them. They blame others for not being good friends. They refuse to take responsibility for their thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

Avoid griping, complaining, and criticizing. Don't categorize people and label them. See the best in everyone. See their possibilities and their value. Focus on their potential and help them achieve it.

Do you want to be happy and successful in life? Make a decision today to go positive.