Negative and positive attitudes can both be caused by something. And you can look around and see plenty of places to put (or lay) the blame. Tyrants in control of many (or most) of the nations. Self-serving, thieving politicians. Ubiquitous drugs, legal and illegal. And the list goes on.
But I believe negative and positive attitudes are actually your fault.
Because, ultimately, YOU decide how you’ll react to the problems in the world. And you get to choose which side of the attitude spectrum you’ll show to the world.
My suggestion, and you can totally ignore me if you think my tips are just too simpleton, is to choose positive. Because when you choose to be positive, you’ll almost immediately be different from almost everyone. And, for the most part, that’s a mighty good thing.
Here are some tips I shared a few years ago. And they’re still great recommendations:
- Show your teeth. What?! I just mean that you need to smile. When I was a young kid my dad was an avid runner. I wanted to go with him, but it was difficult to keep up. He told me to smile as I was running, and it would keep my attitude more positive. I didn’t believe him, and it felt goofy, but I did it, and it worked.
- Focus on what you do; not what you don’t. When things don’t go so well on any given day, it’s easy to start focusing on what you did wrong. That’s OK to a point, but only as long as you learn from your mistakes. Sometimes it’s not a mistake. Sometimes it’s just a difference in perspective. Keep in mind…you’re a professional; you’ve worked hard to learn what you know, and just because someone doesn’t agree makes no difference.
- Speak “up”. The words that come out of your mouth aren’t just heard by others. You hear them, too. Make sure that your words are uplifting whenever possible.
- Eat better. Just as the words coming out of your mouth can affect you; the food going in can, too. If you’re filling your “tank” on sugars and caffeine to keep going, before you know it you’ll have a larger tank. And it’s even more difficult to stay positive when that happens.
- Filter the news. While it’s good to stay informed, it’s not beneficial to hear each and every day about the countless crimes and misdemeanors. In fact, you don’t have to hear about them to know they happened, so get a dose of information from your various sources, and then read a good book or work on your next project.
- Move it. OK; I know you hear this everywhere you look or listen, but it really does help your positive outlook. Get away from your desk or TV or whatever it is you sit in front of too much. Even if you take a walk around your neighborhood, you’re getting oxygen into your blood. And oxygenated blood goes to your brain, and you know what your brain does.
- Love. You really never have to look far to find someone to love. I don’t mean the kind of love you find on the cover of the newsstand magazines. I mean the giving kind of love. If you don’t have a wife or husband or potential, you can still love your fellow human being. Love them enough to say an encouraging word now and then. When you do that, you’ll be working on suggestions 3 & 7 at the same time.
Combine and or all suggestions and get positive. The world needs YOU.
I look for Everlasting holy clues
To steel myself through all this negative news
I dream the Everlasting wide-eyed stuff,
But I’m still aware that dreaming’s never enough.
(from the song “Everlasting and Everywhere” off the Do Right collection)
Stay tuned,
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