Our Feelings and Attitudes Around 'Happily Ever After'

Our Feelings and Attitudes Around 'Happily Ever After'

by: Skye Thomas

Our feelings and attitudes have a huge impact on our ability to achieve 'happily ever after.' Are feelings and attitudes the same thing or different? Does one cause the other to happen? Which one has more power over how we respond? Does the person experiencing them have any choice in the matter? What if they are in conflict?

Feelings are what they are. We can't force them. You fall madly head over heels in love with someone or you don't. 'You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink' comes to mind as I try to explain feelings. There is no magical way to change how we feel. Our feelings aren't right or wrong, they just exist. Feelings are very powerful and definitely have a control over how we make choices and how we move through life. Think about the money, time, and focus we put into trying to feel good and avoiding feeling bad. It goes against human nature to want to feel bad.

Feelings are based in emotions. Emotions come from the heart. Therefore, I don't think we can change them from within our logical minds. If your girlfriend leaves you, then you feel hurt. You cannot be expected to simply stop feeling hurt. You will feel some level of sadness until you have finished feeling sad. It is possible to distract yourself for awhile, but the feelings will just lay dormant until you allow them time to fully run their course. There's nothing wrong with wanting to distract yourself from the bad feelings of missing your girlfriend, but it will slow down the process. There are constructive things you can do to aid the processing of your feelings. Regardless of how you handle your feelings, you're going to feel what you feel until it works it's way through your heart. You might always miss her and feel a slight tug at your heart when you think back, but the overwhelming sadness will eventually pass. It always does. That's why they say 'time heals all wounds.' You can't maintain any one feeling indefinitely. Emotions by nature are shifting and uncontrollable. They simply are what they are.

What about our attitudes? An entire multi-million dollar industry has been built around the power of a positive attitude. The industry wouldn't have survived and thrived as it has if it wasn't a valid and real concept. Our attitudes are rooted in our belief systems. Our belief systems are chosen by our logical minds. Therefore, it is possible to make a conscious decision to change it. Our minds have complete and total control over what we believe. I don't think I need to bore you with another longwinded speech about the powers of a positive attitude. If you've ever tried it, then you have proven for yourself that it is possible to make an internal adjustment regarding your attitude.

So, which is stronger? Which has more influence over our choices and behaviors? Does one overpower the other? Let's say that you find yourself falling madly head over heals in love with someone. That's a feeling, an emotion. It comes from your heart. However, at the same time, you are entertaining a very pessimistic attitude towards love and relationships in general. The attitude comes from your mind. Which will win out, the feelings of falling in love or the dark attitude? It's hard to say. If you change your attitude, then the feelings of being in love can grow and perhaps become a wonderful source of joy for you. If you hold on tightly to your attitude, then eventually it will wear on the loving feelings and you will eventually stop loving that other person. What if the feelings of love were so amazingly powerful, that they caused the attitude to change and your core belief system about love and relationships changed too? Your feelings can definitely have an effect on your attitude, but more often than not, your attitude wins.

Your attitude is not more powerful because it's more important than your feelings. It's more powerful because it's more stubborn than your feelings. Let's look again at our example where the feelings are positive and the attitude is negative. We've seen people fall madly in love with someone who loved them in return. These same people had bad attitudes about love and relationships in general. Their feelings were not able to overpower their attitude. They believe 'it's never going to work out anyway' and create a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not believing in love, they destroy their good relationship and then feel hurt by the failed relationship. Their minds take that as evidence to further continue with the negative attitude regarding love. The reason the attitude wins the battle more often then our feelings is because feelings are ever-changing and flexible while attitudes are often locked into place and become an unmovable force.

What if the feelings were bad and the attitude was good? If you felt afraid that you might be rejected by the opposite sex, but you had a positive attitude towards love in general because you'd had 'happily ever after' role modeled to you as a child, then you could choose to keep moving forward despite your feelings of fear. Your attitude would win out over your feelings once again.

If your feelings and attitudes match, then you have an inner balance and harmony within yourself. Isn't this the age-old battle between heart and head? Attitude comes from your head and feelings come from your heart. When the two agree you are able to focus and move forward with confidence. When the two are at war you have to decide which is right... the heart's feelings or the head's attitude? Perhaps in sitting quietly and looking inward at our feelings and attitudes from a detached perspective, we can evaluate and chose for ourselves on a case-by-case basis which one should lead us.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.

Our feelings and attitudes have a huge impact on our ability to achieve 'happily ever after.' Are feelings and attitudes the same thing or different? Does one cause the other to happen? Which one has more power over how we respond? Does the person experiencing them have any choice in the matter? What if they are in conflict?

Feelings are what they are. We can't force them. You fall madly head over heels in love with someone or you don't. 'You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink' comes to mind as I try to explain feelings. There is no magical way to change how we feel. Our feelings aren't right or wrong, they just exist. Feelings are very powerful and definitely have a control over how we make choices and how we move through life. Think about the money, time, and focus we put into trying to feel good and avoiding feeling bad. It goes against human nature to want to feel bad.

Feelings are based in emotions. Emotions come from the heart. Therefore, I don't think we can change them from within our logical minds. If your girlfriend leaves you, then you feel hurt. You cannot be expected to simply stop feeling hurt. You will feel some level of sadness until you have finished feeling sad. It is possible to distract yourself for awhile, but the feelings will just lay dormant until you allow them time to fully run their course. There's nothing wrong with wanting to distract yourself from the bad feelings of missing your girlfriend, but it will slow down the process. There are constructive things you can do to aid the processing of your feelings. Regardless of how you handle your feelings, you're going to feel what you feel until it works it's way through your heart. You might always miss her and feel a slight tug at your heart when you think back, but the overwhelming sadness will eventually pass. It always does. That's why they say 'time heals all wounds.' You can't maintain any one feeling indefinitely. Emotions by nature are shifting and uncontrollable. They simply are what they are.

What about our attitudes? An entire multi-million dollar industry has been built around the power of a positive attitude. The industry wouldn't have survived and thrived as it has if it wasn't a valid and real concept. Our attitudes are rooted in our belief systems. Our belief systems are chosen by our logical minds. Therefore, it is possible to make a conscious decision to change it. Our minds have complete and total control over what we believe. I don't think I need to bore you with another longwinded speech about the powers of a positive attitude. If you've ever tried it, then you have proven for yourself that it is possible to make an internal adjustment regarding your attitude.

So, which is stronger? Which has more influence over our choices and behaviors? Does one overpower the other? Let's say that you find yourself falling madly head over heals in love with someone. That's a feeling, an emotion. It comes from your heart. However, at the same time, you are entertaining a very pessimistic attitude towards love and relationships in general. The attitude comes from your mind. Which will win out, the feelings of falling in love or the dark attitude? It's hard to say. If you change your attitude, then the feelings of being in love can grow and perhaps become a wonderful source of joy for you. If you hold on tightly to your attitude, then eventually it will wear on the loving feelings and you will eventually stop loving that other person. What if the feelings of love were so amazingly powerful, that they caused the attitude to change and your core belief system about love and relationships changed too? Your feelings can definitely have an effect on your attitude, but more often than not, your attitude wins.

Your attitude is not more powerful because it's more important than your feelings. It's more powerful because it's more stubborn than your feelings. Let's look again at our example where the feelings are positive and the attitude is negative. We've seen people fall madly in love with someone who loved them in return. These same people had bad attitudes about love and relationships in general. Their feelings were not able to overpower their attitude. They believe 'it's never going to work out anyway' and create a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not believing in love, they destroy their good relationship and then feel hurt by the failed relationship. Their minds take that as evidence to further continue with the negative attitude regarding love. The reason the attitude wins the battle more often then our feelings is because feelings are ever-changing and flexible while attitudes are often locked into place and become an unmovable force.

What if the feelings were bad and the attitude was good? If you felt afraid that you might be rejected by the opposite sex, but you had a positive attitude towards love in general because you'd had 'happily ever after' role modeled to you as a child, then you could choose to keep moving forward despite your feelings of fear. Your attitude would win out over your feelings once again.

If your feelings and attitudes match, then you have an inner balance and harmony within yourself. Isn't this the age-old battle between heart and head? Attitude comes from your head and feelings come from your heart. When the two agree you are able to focus and move forward with confidence. When the two are at war you have to decide which is right... the heart's feelings or the head's attitude? Perhaps in sitting quietly and looking inward at our feelings and attitudes from a detached perspective, we can evaluate and chose for ourselves on a case-by-case basis which one should lead us.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge

Live With An Attitude Of Gratitude

Live With An Attitude Of Gratitude
by: Glen Hopkins

Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.

Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes'. Few people however, would answer, 'no'. These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift that determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude'. For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm

The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and content. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude'.

I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.

"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown

Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on your problems to focusing on their solutions.

Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.

I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!

This article may be reprinted with the following attachment:

Copyright (c) 1999 Glen Hopkins

Having the Attitude I am the Greatest!

Having the Attitude I am the Greatest!

by: Rondell L. Demmings

While trying to ignore my teen daughters rap music a thought came to me. Whoever the rap artist was that she was listening to, is very positive about him self. He was negative about the women in his life, he made negative statements about the police but when it came to himself he was very positive. He used “I” statements, “I am going to be rich by the age of 24.” He visualized all the material items he would like to manifest such as cars trimmed in gold, houses and yachts. In his music he was claiming his success.

As a child I remember Muhammad Ali shouting, “I am the greatest!” No matter what Howard Cossell said Ali would still state he was the greatest! This is the attitude that successful people have. They walk the walk and talk the talk of success. They feel success through their mind, body and soul. They envision what they want and manifest it into reality.

In order to be successful you have to have the attitude of being successful. How are you going to accomplish your dreams of success if you can’t even envision your dreams coming true? You have to feel good about yourself in order to obtain the dream that you are pursuing. Whether it’s a dream of career transition, material gain or just the dream of peace of mind. You have to have the attitude of I am the greatest! In order to achieve whatever your heart desires.

Give Your Attitude A Little Altitude

Give Your Attitude A Little Altitude

by: Michael Dixon

Need a way to make your life a better place to live?

Life is our perception of what it is, not necessarily the reality of what it is.

Let's see if I can explain that. Life can sometimes be great, and at other times, not so great. It all depends on how we are feeling at the time. If we feel good, life is good. If we feel bad, life is a bummer.

The reality is life hasn't changed at all, only our attitude. If we want to improve life we must first improve our attitude about life.

Put a smile on your face and keep it there. It is impossible to feel bad when you are smiling.

• Smile every time you look in a mirror.
• Smile at people when they enter your office, home, or wherever. Smile at those you meet on the street.
• Smile when you answer the phone and throughout the conversation.
• Smile NOW!

Feel your attitude gaining altitude?

When someone ask "How are you?", smile and say "I feel great, and you?" This is very important, especially when you are feeling bad. The more often you say it, the easier it is for you to believe it yourself.

Think about the things that make you feel good and make a list. Now, try to do as many of the things on the list as possible every single day. You won't have time for the things that make you feel bad.

Take time to help someone out. Kindness is its own reward. When you are kind to others, they are kind to you. Smile and they will smile. Spread the smile virus.

Remove "No" from your vocabulary, right along with "can't, won't, shouldn't, wouldn't, etc. Get the picture? Now you have to say yes.

Still feel bad?

Go for a long walk, smiling and greeting everyone you meet. I guarantee you that by the time you return, you won't feel bad any longer.

I'm smiling as I say, "Have a great day!" :-)

Work Attitude Ethics For Progress

Work Attitude Ethics For Progress
by: Pierre du Plessis

This "fruit for thought" article is for all human beings, who somehow find themselves in the role of breadwinner and striving to improve their living standards.

© This article may be re-published only in ezines, magazines, newspapers and web sites, as long as it remains unchanged, together with the accompanying signatures and this copyright notice.

The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.

The answer on how to cultivate good work ethics is simple. Make yourself one of the linking pins in your organisation. A linking pin is someone to whom everybody turns to, to get information and advice from. It is also someone who can link persons, sections and departments for better co-operation. But most important of all, it is someone who can exert influence upwards, downwards and sideways in the organisation structure. In other words you must be able to influence people around you to carry out the wishes, policies and strategies of top management, by earning respect through your display of expertise and thoroughness. You must also be able to represent the valid wishes and needs of lower levels to top management. You can become a linking pin by striving to attain the following traits:

Cloak yourself with expert knowledge in your technical field of operation.

If you are an electrician, do not only be satisfied with your qualification. Try to gain more in depth expertise in this technical field of yours, to distinguish yourself from other electricians.

If you are an accountant, avail yourself of in depth knowledge about bookkeeping practices by studying or reading up on subjects pertinent for your field of technical expertise.

You can bluff your way during interviews, but once you have been appointed, people expect from you to perform. This is where the cookie crumbles or you succeed. The point is you must not only perform at an average level, but you must display exceptional or above average expertise, so that others can start to rely on your opinions and advice.

Produce accurate work.

Cultivate a habit to carry out your work correctly with a minimum of mistakes. Sloppiness or tardiness must definitely not be present in your attitude, personal appearance or any of your work outputs, be it notes, memo’s, letters, spreadsheets, conversations or anything related to your work.

Imagine what will happen if debits and credits are being processed the wrong way around in a financial department. It will have disastrous consequences. Strive for professionalism in what you do.

Be quicker than most.

This is one of the best ways to demonstrate your superiority and efficiency. By executing duties and tasks speedily, you are being more productive and can entice more important tasks your way and thereby not only increase your merit ratings, but also your ultimate job rating. If you can perform your duties speedily, do not wait and stay idle, but present yourself to your superior for more work. Find a balance to be both quick and accurate.

Display awareness of productivity.

This must start with your own self-evaluation. Ask yourself constantly if you are giving more back to the organisation in value, than what you are being paid every month. Although not easy to calculate, just thinking about it may have enough of an impact. Just imagine for a moment if your organisation were to be solely dependant for profit on the output of human beings only. In other words nothing to sell or produce but labour output. If you can do more, it reflects directly on profit. Luckily a lot of organisations have machines that make up in productivity for what is lost by unproductive employees. But being more productive in what you do as a human being, can contribute significantly to the profits of any organisation. As salaries are one of the highest cost elements in any organisation, this is one of the first cost elements that come under scrutiny during times of cost reduction efforts. You have to show your worth in order not to be included in downscaling of the labour force. But more positively, you have to show your worth to be counted in for consideration for promotion.

Get rid of time wasters.

Arriving late for work, stretching of tea and lunch breaks and elongated private conversations on the phone, are not only wasting your valuable time, but are a reflection of your poor awareness of productivity. Private conversations on the telephone are one of the most abused methods of stealth stealing from your employer. If you cannot be trusted on the use of the telephone, what else can you be trusted with? Are you a role model for getting rid of these time wasters or for abusing it? Are you earning respect for your ethical conduct in eradicating time wasters or are you just one of the crowd? If you discipline yourself and others around you on the economical use of time, you are on your way to earn a respected leadership role. Others must detect a sense of urgency in your execution of duties to begin to respect and follow your example. Do you want to be a follower or a leader? Do you want to stay obscured in the crowd for the rest of your life or do you want to be recognised? There is such a thing as telephone ethics, you know. If you are prepared to pay for your use of the employer telephone, you are not abusing it. Do you really know what you are costing your employer for using the phone? You are not supposed to use it for private purposes in the first place. It is a privileged instrument entrusted to you to help you in your work and not to cause financial loss to you employer.

Be open-minded and ready for organisational changes.

Whenever changes are announced, be positive and display a leadership role in executing the new policies and strategies. If you participated in the planning of the changes, then you were forewarned. But even if you experience unexpected changes, be first to look out for positive reasons for such changes and to influence others around you to accept it with positive attitudes. Defending superiors and higher management will increase your leadership status and trustworthiness. In a political sense it will display your role as siding with management against the disgruntled crowd.

Arrange and organise your paperwork.

A good filing system allows you to retrieve required documents and information fast for own use or for use by other parties. It is a reflection of your efficiency and your ability for sound logic thinking. If you surround yourself with paperwork to impress on others how busy you are, you are making the mistake of your life. It can be interpreted in many different ways, like you cannot cope with the workload, you cannot delegate, you spend too much on time wasters, you are too slow and worst of all you cannot manage yourself or others. If you cannot get rid of papers, you will not find the time to attend to the needs and development of your subordinates. You will also not find the time to liase with colleagues or to discipline your section or department. You will be a walk over and ripe for being misused by subordinates not respecting you. Rather be a reliable source of information with the time for training your subordinates and others. Clean up your desk to make time for others.

Read up on the principles of supervision and management.

Familiarise yourself with the knowledge on how to be a good supervisor or manager. If you can display management capabilities, you will sooner be identified for promotion. It is better to be promoted for your managerial capabilities than for your technical proficiency. It will allow you to perform your managerial duties better. Apart from being technically proficient, prepare yourself in advance for possible promotion. Make yourself ready and available for your employer and the future needs of your organisation.

Confidential information.

Your treatment of confidential information is going to be a good gauge of your character. You only have to make one mistake in this area, not to be trusted ever again. If you have a problem in this area, rectify it quickly. Your superiors and employer have to trust and rely on your discretion with confidential information. Some information must be kept confidential or secret until it is time for disclosure.

You must proof your ability for discretion with this type of information, so that they know they can trust and rely on you. Let them know and understand that you are part and parcel of management.

Show initiative.

Make suggestions to improve methods of work and systems. See problems as opportunities for improvement. Do not just report problems, but analyse it wisely and make recommendations for improvement. Recognise opportunities for improvement and development and utilise it.

Be honest, open and direct.

Harboring a secretive attitude of slyness with hidden agenda’s, will not remain a secret for long. Other persons will eventually detect it and despise you for it. You can just as well fire yourself, because that is where you will end up. Nobody will trust you after you have been exposed. Be open and direct in your communications and handling of conflict situations. Do not be afraid to air your opinions, as long as it is genuine and true. Truthful mistakes can always be remedied later on.

Summary:

Life is ever so short that nobody can really afford to remain average in the obscured crowd of nobodies. Make yourself stand out as someone with strong principles and work ethics, so that others can rely on your strengths. Qualifications alone, without work ethics, are totally worthless. Make the following words part of your life and your philosophy on your outlook of work:

Tenacity – keep on trying

Conscientious – keep on thinking about ways to finalise and improve your work

Humorous – make life bearable and enjoyable

Urgency – you must finalise your work with speed and accuracy

Trustworthiness – proof yourself to be a reliable and dependable person

Openness and honesty – be a person of honour and proud of yourself

The Power of a Positive Attitude

The Power of a Positive Attitude

by: Shannon Herod

You wake up in the morning sleepy and fatigued; the day has to start but you do not want it to. You stumble around; stub your toe on the dresser and step on the dog. What do you do, get mad and waste the day with anger or get excited because you woke up this morning and the day is going to be awesome.

Unfortunately, most of us fill our day with negativity from the moment we get out of bed. Then we wonder why our day is not the best it can be. Attitude affects every aspect of your life- even your on-line business- so why not have a great attitude. The good news is you control your attitude, not me not circumstances, and you do. Every time you get excited about your day, you made the choice to be excited. When you walk through your day with negativity it was a choice you made.

Make The Right Choice

Making the choice to stay positive is an easy task but it takes commitment and will not happen over night. It is learning to find the positive in every situation and retraining your sub conscious mind to think in the positive instead of the negative. Unfortunately, we are bread to think negatively from the time we can walk but we can retrain ourselves to be the positive motivator that takes charge and wins in life.

Read on to learn the techniques I use to maintain a positive attitude.

Make A Goal To Change

People often ask me why I am so happy all the time and I tell them because I made a goal to control my attitude. Setting a goal to make a commitment to change your attitude is the foundation that must be laid. If you need help on how to set a goal, you can read my article on goal setting at: http://www.Dreams2freedom.Com/myarticles1.html.

Affirmations

Affirmations are the key to maintaining a positive attitude. An affirmation is a positive statement said in the present tense with conviction. For example, I am a money magnet, money flows to me easily and effortlessly or I am an extremely positive person at all times. I made a list of seven affirmations that I say twice a day every day and I recommend you do the same. I say my affirmations every morning in the shower and at night before I go to bed and when ever i fill negative about something, this way they will be imbedded in my sub-consciousness through out the day.

Fight A Negitive With A Positive

Every time you find yourself thinking negatively, turn it in to a positive thought and repeat it ten times. It takes 10 positive thoughts to cancel out one negative thought. Every thing can be put into a positive; for example, you are stuck in rush hour traffic and you want to get home to see your family. This is an easy situation to get negative about but instead make it a positive by saying this is awesome, I now have time to clear my head from work so when I get home I can give my family my full attention. Now when you get home you are in a great mood and ready to play with the kids instead of being grumpy.

Follow through on what you just read and you will be surprised at how much better life and business will be. This will be a tough road but is any thing worth achieving easy!

Copyright © Shannon Herod
http://www.dreams2freedom.com

The Adventure Attitude

The Adventure Attitude

by: Cheryl Perlitz

Of the 60,000 people who lived to be over 100 in the United States in 2002, the single most important characteristic they had in common was their ability to be positive in the face of change. They were able to look at things objectively, put them in perspective and move on. They didn’t try to control the uncontrollable. Surviving, thriving and living a long happy healthy life may just depend on your ability to develop the Adventure Attitude.

The adventure attitude is about taking the challenges in your life and making the choice to look at them as an adventure. As a mountain climber, I see mountains as powerful, awesome, and majestic wonders of nature, that beckon us to accept the challenge of the climb. Climbing the mountain is about trying new things, seeking new adventure, and expanding your life. The adventure attitude allows us to climb our personal mountains with positive attitude, energy and creativity. It allows us to see possibilities in the impossible, find solutions to problems, and send us in a new direction.

THE ADVENTURE ATTITUDE IS:

BEING POSITIVE IN THE FACE OF THE NEGATIVE. We can choose to see our glass half empty or half full. We can look at setbacks with a sense of wonder instead of a sense of scorn and try to see where the new path will lead us.

LIVING IN THE MOMENT WITH PASSION AND ENERGY. In mountain climbing focusing on the path we are taking step by step allows us to notice all the small things we encounter along the way. If we slow down and appreciate each moment, each moment has more meaning. It allows us to live life to the fullest.

ALWAYS BEING OPEN TO LEARNING NEW THINGS. The more we learn, the more we seek to learn. The world opens up when we are learning. Curiosity that leads to new learning awakens the passion in your life.

ACCEPTING THE MOUNTAIN AND THE CHALLENGE as an opportunity for positive change. Stretching yourself out of the comfort zone mentally and physically makes the comfort zone that much larger and allows you to stretch even more. The world outside the comfort zone is a world of immense possibilities that opens little by little as you challenge your personal boundaries.

THINKING LIKE A CHILD. The adventure attitude is about looking at life much like a child looks at it. As a child reaches for something he wants, he is excited and positive; rarely discouraged by defeat. He is flexible enough to change focus and sees possibilities in every direction. His options are open. He isn’t afraid to make mistakes or concerned about pleasing someone else. The fire in his eyes and energy in his step tell it all. Life is a fun game, and anything in his path can become part of it.

HAVING FAITH that you will get the support that you need when you need it. AND YOU WILL…. From friends, family, and God. All you have to do is trust, let go of control, and ask for help when you need it.

THE RESULT OF LIVING WITH THE ADVENTURE ATTITUDE IS PERSONAL BALANCE, JOY, AND A LIFE OF POSSIBILITY.

Copyright © Soaring 2004 by Cheryl Perlitz
All rights reserved

Positive Mental Attitude

Positive Mental Attitude

by: Amadou Moustapha Sall

Look at this glass on the table in front of you. Is it half-full or is it half-empty?

Now, do you realize that it is entirely for you to decide what the answer to this question is going to be.

The choice is yours.

So, the very same reality can be seen in totally opposite ways: in a positive way, and in a negative way.

And there is always a positive side to any thing, any situation, any event, any person.

Look at the world in a different way. Try to find out that positive side. At first, you might literally have to dig it out, but after some time, it automatically appears to you. In fact, you eventually only see the good side.

Everything is beautiful, "everybody's beautiful, in their own way", as the song goes.

Our 3-step positive mental attitude formula. In any situation, however apparently bad:

1. Keep cool and coolly examine the situation. Turn it upside down, inside out, downside up and outside in.

2. Suddenly you realize it could have been worse. Find out how and why it could have been worse.

3. Finally, the good side of it will just appear to you. This can happen gradually or in a flash. It all depends on parts 1 and 2.

Soon you'll see all things and all people in a positive way

What you call "failure" is in fact simply a new opportunity to try again and do better than if you had "succeeded" in the first place.

Now, have you noticed that a rich person has more of a chance of getting a bank loan than a poor person? In other words: you must have money to be given MORE money!

In the same way, if you are a "happy person", you'll get MORE happiness.

As the great American poet Theodore Roethke said: "The right things happen to the happy man"

Don't worry, whatever type of person you are, you can easily turn yourself into a "happy person".

I can almost see your wry, "easier-said-than-done" smile.

But please, just try our 3-step formula and soon, very soon, in fact much sooner than you think, you'll take up a sturdy and radiant Positive Mental Attitude to life and THAT is the only key to wellness, happiness, and a longer life.

How to Adopt a Loosing Attitude

How to Adopt a Loosing Attitude
by: Jackie Stanley

We have all heard the expression, “Where your heart is?, your treasure will be also.” Allow me to modify this tried and true wisdom, to create an equally valid point: “Where your thoughts are, your hips will be also.” What do I mean by this? Try this experiment: Take a few seconds to write the first the five words that pop into your head in response to this question: How do I describe myself?

For example, you have responded with words like these, “fat,” “old,” or “ugly”. When you’ve finished writing down your five words, go look at yourself in a full-length mirror. I will be willing to bet you a diet coke that what you see in the mirror is exactly the same as who you think you are. If you think of yourself as fat, unworthy and lazy, that is what you will see. So if you learn to think differently about yourself, you will experience yourself in a new way.

How might you begin to think differently about yourself? You can begin tomorrow, by spending the entire day telling yourself how wonderful you are.

Every hour, stop what you are doing and spend 5 minutes engaging in a positive attitude adjustment. Focus on all the things – or at least one thing – that you really like about who you are. Even if a particular trait seems insignificant, give yourself permission to feel good about it. Tell yourself it is okay to embrace your limitations and run with your strengths. Think about times in your life when you showed up and really let your light shine.

Before you go to bed tomorrow night – after having spent the whole day giving yourself positive feedback – look again at yourself in the mirror, and I can virtually guarantee that you will look 10 pounds lighter.

Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life

Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life
by: Mike Moore

If we are the products of our attitudes then it is important for us to examine our attitudes, both positive and negative, to discover the impact they are having on our lives. This is even more important if we are determined to maximize the potential that is ours, a potential which, in the vast majority of us, remains grossly underdeveloped.

Positive attitudes release a power to achieve that will astound you, while negative attitudes severely hamper our becoming the people we are capable of becoming. It become the central task of anyone interested in actualizing their enormous potential to become involved in the process of attitudinal transformation.

Attitudinal transformation takes time, effort and determination but it can be done. Don't expect perfection, just progress. It took a long time to develop negative attitudes and it will take time to transform them. It is also important not to concentrate on more than one or two negative attitudes at once. If you overload your agenda for change you run the risk of becoming discouraged and giving up.

Once you have identified the negative attitude you wish to transform, commit yourself to the process of becoming conscious of that attitude cropping up throughout the day. You will be surprised at how quickly you will become aware of your target attitude. When you are focussed on the attitude, visualize it leaving your body and flying off into the great beyond. Now replace it with a positive attitude and give yourself the suggestion that from now on this will be your dominant thought pattern. Whenever your old negative attitude creeps back into your mind engage this process of thought replacement. Soon the new attitude will become dominant and you will find yourself enjoying its positive power in your life.

Be gentle with yourself when you fall back into the old pattern of thinking. Believe that the change you desire will come more frequently and it will. It might help to remember that human beings use between 2 and ten percent of their mind's potential so you have a huge reservoir of unused potential to help you over any periods of discouragement.

Don't forget to continue to use humour to keep your spirits up and put the entire process in perspective. HUMOUR MAKES GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.

This is an excerpt from Mike Moore's book EMBRACING THE MYSTERY http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?artcity2

About The Author

Awaken The Sleeping Attitude Within You!

Awaken The Sleeping Attitude Within You!
by: Richard Vegas

I have made the statement numerous times that; "You are the most important living person." Take some time and think about yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how long you can stare without walking away. If less than five minutes, then you need an attitude adjustment.

One In A Million!

Think about it, in all of history there has never been another person exactly like you. That's scary. No, I'm just kidding. You are very unique, you are very personal, and you are very emotional. What makes you so unique? It's the sleeping giant that inhabits you.

Actually, you have two giants inside you and they are; your consciousness and sub-consciousness. The conscious giant only benefits you when you are awake. The sub-conscious or the great sleeping giant is our 24/7 buddy.

What this means is; we are the product of our environment, our physical body, heredity, and our particular place in time and space. We have the power within us to harmonize with our entire environment and to direct our thoughts, and control our emotions which will ordain our destiny.

You Are A Mind With A Body!

Sounds like something from a Boris Korloff movie. But, that's exactly what we are. And, it is the greatest design in history. Our mind is made up of these two giant powers that are designed to work in harmony with all the elements of our environment.

The problem is; when these two powers inside of us are not working harmoniously together, we experience frustration and anxiety. The conscious mind is always trying to be the bully and have his way. The sub-conscious is a quiet gentleman and always trying through very soft urgings, to get us to listen to him.

Well, what do we do? The best answer is to pay attention to both, and not do anything wrong. Yeah, right! Seriously, your body can't do anything without your conscious mind having first set the stage, so, the most important thing is to listen to both and then take action.

As the movement takes place, circumstances and results, or the lack of, will tend to direct our decisions from there. As more information is gathered we will be more certain of whether we have made the right move. If not, make adjustments in our actions.

The Burning Question!

The problem is; we know how to listen to our conscious mind, but, most of the time, we don't know how to listen to our sub-conscious mind. And, it's the sub-conscious, where the giant sleeping attitude is formed that drives the action. And, without the right attitude behind the action, you'll be a few fries short of a happy meal.

The sub-conscious is the emotional powerhouse behind whatever we do. Remember, emotions are just "feelings"; the way you "feel" about something. The sub-conscious can make our actions feel like we're riding on a cloud, or gritting our teeth through the whole ordeal.

We have all done things that we did joyfully, and we have all done things that just chapped our rear.

Get To The Bottom Of It!

Well, what was the reason we got so chapped on one and did the other so happily? Was it the "act" itself? Nope, the action itself had nothing to do with it. For every action you hate, I'll bet we can find someone that loves it.

What happened was, and this is a simplified example; the conscious mind makes the decision we must do something. Then the sub-conscious tells us how to feel when we do it. Now, here is where the war begins.

The conscious mind does not like unpleasant feelings. And, the conscious mind gets all bent out of shape when the sub-conscious serves us up a platter of ugly feelings. Then our conscious mind gets angry and blames the job or "action" we're performing. So, we conclude, we don't like this activity. It's not the action, it's the feeling we don't like.

Not To Mince Matters!

But, the sub-conscious mind couldn't care less. After all, it never gets blamed for anything. It is just doing what it has been previously programmed to do. So "we", being the mind with a body, think it's the "action" that is disgusting.

So, we grit our teeth and do the unpleasant action; All the time thinking I detest having to do this. No, it's not the action you detest, it's the feeling you don't want. Remember, somewhere, somebody, would love to do it.

I know what you're thinking, so let them do it. Well, that's a possibility, if you can find someone who will do it for you. But, if you can't, you only have two choices. Either do it grudgingly, or "reframe" the action in your sub-conscious so the next time it will serve up a platter of happy feelings. The sub-conscious doesn't care.

The Door Of Opportunity!

How do I reframe this idea in my sub-conscious? I'm glad you asked. One good way is to look for someone who likes doing this and ask them; what is it they like about this action? If you can't find someone, then use a daily affirmation to convince the sub-conscious to feel positive emotions and send those emotions to the conscious.

Example: I love "whatever". And, from now on I will feel happy and energized when I do it. And, every time I think about "whatever", positive emotions will become permanent in my mind. Do not say things like this; I will "not" feel ugly, bad, depressed, etc. . . The sub-conscious tends to ignore the "negatives" and then reframes and reinforces the rest of the affirmation.

Now beware, the sub-conscious is not going to serve up a dose of positive emotions on day one and make you feel like tip-toeing through the tulips. By the same token, it will not refuse to change either. It just has to be persuaded convincingly that the conscious mind wants to feel differently. And, depending on how much you really detest this action, could take varying amounts of time to change it.

Most any emotion can be changed in thirty days with this affirmation technique. It is amazing, but you can actually love something thirty days from now that you detest today. Don't tell me you don't believe it, because I'll bet there is someone reading this that never thought they would love vegetables. When I was a kid I thought I would live off hamburgers the rest of my life.

Egg On My Face!

Why, I used to cuss vegetables. I thought they were a Chinese conspiracy sent over here to make Kudzu vines grow in my belly. And, wouldn't you know it, today, I'm a vegetarian. Go figure!

Richard Vegas ©

Attitude In Business

Attitude In Business

by: William C. Wilson Sr.

Is your attitude pulling you down? Are you an optimist, glass half full, or a pessimist, glass half empty?

We have all experienced ups and downs in life. How we deal with them is what is important. How do you handle them? Do you say this business is not going to work? If so, you’re letting your attitude get in the way! When we set our minds to the negative side, we are bound for failure.

Think about the most successful person you know! Ask yourself this, how did that person become successful. Was it because they took every failure and said, “I quit, this will never work.” Of course not, they analyzed what went wrong, learned from it, and made sure they did not make that same mistake twice. There attitude was not to fail!

“The satisfaction and happiness you derive from life depends on your aims, attitude, and actions. Those who wait for life to supply satisfaction and happiness usually end up with boredom and sorrow instead. “
Dennis Gaskill

Take a moment and answer these questions.

1. Do you believe the only way to prosperity is to work harder?

2. Do you believe I cannot be my own boss? It will never work for me.

3. Do you believe that others are to blame for your failures?

When I was young, my Dad drilled into my head that there is no such word as can’t. He taught me a valuable lesson.

1. When I have a positive attitude, I can be successful in anything I desire to do. “Positive any thing is better than negative nothing.” Elbert Hubbard

2. Take responsibility for my own actions.

3. Do not blame others for my failures, learn from them, and then try again.

So, how can you change your attitude?

Be aware of your thoughts at all times. Concentration is the power to over come those negative thoughts. Your feelings are what you make them. If you focus on what is missing in your life, you will prolong that lack. Instead switch your thoughts to something positive, reflect about some thing good in your life. Be positive! Be definite!

Just by changing your thoughts, you can change your attitude. Realize that you already have the power in within you to change.

What you can visualize you can achieve! Imagination is one more key to changing your attitude. In the book, Your Psychic Potential, M. J. Abadie states, “By understanding you have no limits, and by letting your imagination soar, you contact that part of you that knows you lack absolutely nothing, that all things are possible to you.

Believe in your ability to change! Need I say more?

To change your attitude it will take toil and endurance. YOU CAN DO IT!

I am sure we have heard that adage, “Life is what we make it.” It is true, life is what we make it! To succeed in any part of our lives, whether it is in business or your personal life, we have to have a positive outlook, no matter what might come! Being negative will pull you down into despair! Which one will you chose?

“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
Ziggy Marley

Nine Ways to Transform You From Mediocre to Magnificent

Attitude Adjustment 101: Nine Ways to Transform You From Mediocre to Magnificent

by: Susan Young

“Work on your career and you’ll make a living. Work on yourself and you’ll make a fortune.”

- Jim Rohn

Regardless of the number of college credits or degrees you have, the truth is that much of your success is determined by your attitude. Education is worthwhile but a good attitude is priceless. If you search for a college that has a concentration of study entitled “Attitude,” you will come up empty handed. Yet, the world would be a better place if we could all major in “Attitude.”

If attitude is not taught in school, then how come some people have great attitudes and others don’t? More important, how can you change from a mediocre attitude to a magnificent one?

First, to adjust your attitude, you must be brutally honest with yourself and take responsibility for your attitude. You are the only one who can change you. Be accountable for who you are and how you behave. Tell yourself that blame is unacceptable.

Second, recognize warning signs like negative thoughts, blame and pessimism. Your mind is like a computer; the beliefs you put in (input) create the actions you take out (output). For example, if you tell yourself that you are “just okay,” you will be “just okay.” What you think about, you will become.

Third, use positive affirmations. Tell yourself every day that you are an outstanding person capable of achieving your goals. When the woman at the coffee shop in the morning asks how I am, I flash a big smile and reply “I’m great” or I’m outstanding.” Replace negative and mediocre with excellent and amazing. Stand up taller each morning. Breathe deeply to allow air into your diaphragm. Smile more, even at people you don’t know. Live a new level of excellence every day. Reach higher.

Fourth, your subconscious mind operates on images and pictures. Before you go to sleep, envision your ideal day. What are you doing? What are you wearing? Who are you with? Are you in a meeting, confidently speaking before your boss and colleagues? Are you on the beach playing with your children and spouse? See and feel yourself in this moment as a huge success. Do you want a new house, job or relationship? Imagine it as if it already happened.

Fifth, write down your goals. The subconscious mind kicks into action when you put your goals in writing. List three short-term and three long-term goals. Then, give your dreams deadlines (a date of accomplishment) and outline the steps you will take every day to reach your goals and dreams.

Sixth, put your head down and focus. Successful people do not spend time with negative water cooler gossip and time wasters. Set your goals and get to work.

Seventh, think about a successful person you admire. What are his or her personality traits, characteristics and values? Chances are the person who came to mind is successful because he or she decided to be positive and upbeat, to expect great accomplishments and to focus on doing whatever it takes to achieve his or her goals. Surround yourself with cheerful successful people.

Eighth, avoid “naysayers” who shoot you down, speak negatively or have poor work and personal habits.

Ninth, practice these ways to adjust your attitude for at least 21 days. That’s how long it takes to form a new habit.

President John F. Kennedy said, “The human mind is our most fundamental resource.” Your mind is a fertile garden that will grow whatever you plant in it. What seeds are you planting in your mind? Are you planting seeds of opportunity and growth or weeds like cynicism and mediocrity? Life is better when you have a good attitude. So go ahead and give yourself the chance to move from mediocre to magnificent. We all have the tools. The key is to use the resources that we have to become totally amazing!