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	<title>Powerful Positive Thinking &#187; positive thinking</title>
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<title>Powerful Positive Thinking</title>
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		<title>Pondering Positivity</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/852/pondering-positivity/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/852/pondering-positivity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:45:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mitchell moore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[norman vincent peale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peter mcwilliams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Power Of Positive Thinking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=852</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How you face life each day largely determines how you feel about your day. If you have a positive approach to life and to yourself, even your toughest days will feel tolerable. Thinking positively is the key to living a satisfying, fulfilled life. Mitchell Moore&#8217;s Famous Quote About Positivity Mitchell Moore is believed to have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 5px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3473590729_373428a686_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Positivity" width="208" height="240" /><br />
<small></small>How you face life each day largely determines how you feel about your day. If you have a positive approach to life and to yourself, even your toughest days will feel tolerable. <em><strong>Thinking positively is the key to living a satisfying, fulfilled life.</strong></em></p>
<h2><strong>Mitchell Moore&#8217;s Famous Quote About Positivity</strong></h2>
<p>Mitchell Moore is believed to have once said, &#8220;Attitude is everything.&#8221; In other words, how you approach your day or a situation determines how that day or situation will go. Thinking positively is a fairly simple personal rule to remember. However, putting it into practice in your daily life can be more challenging</p>
<h2><strong>Peter McWilliams&#8217; Thoughts on Positivity</strong></h2>
<p><em><strong>&#8220;The road to positivity is strewn with the abandoned vehicles of the faint-hearted.&#8221;</strong></em> <strong><a title="Who's Peter McWilliams ?" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_McWilliams" target="_blank">Peter McWilliams</a></strong> made this astute observation about the challenges of thinking positive. To translate this idea into everyday English: To be positive, you must persevere.<br />
<span id="more-852"></span></p>
<h2><strong>Norman Vincent Peale and </strong><em><strong>The Power of Positive Thinking</strong></em></h2>
<p><a title="Who's Norman Vincent Peale" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Vincent_Peale" target="_blank">Norman Vincent Peale</a>, author of <em>The Power of Positive Thinking,</em> formulated several fascinating thoughts about approaching life in a positive way. He said, &#8216;&#8221;We tend to get what we expect.&#8217;&#8221; One interpretation of this saying is that whatever we expect or believe will occur will indeed come to pass. So, if you believe that you&#8217;ll do well on a work project, you will. If you expect not to do well, then you likely won&#8217;t.<br />
Dr. Peale also said,<em><strong> &#8220;Change your thoughts and you change your world.&#8221;</strong></em> The beauty of this statement is that it gives incredible hope. The implication is that if you can take hold of your thoughts, you can think your way into success. Positivity rules again.</p>
<h2><strong>Positivity: Illustration and Discussion</strong></h2>
<p>Consistently thinking positive can be challenging. Maybe your self-confidence isn&#8217;t as strong as it could be. If this is the case, you may need to take a leap of faith to think positively. Perhaps you ponder, &#8220;But what if I make a fool of myself?&#8221; or, &#8220;Maybe my co-worker is smarter than I am.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Consider this illustration:</strong></p>
<p>You&#8217;re up for a promotion at work. How will you think about the situation? What do you believe about yourself as it relates to the possibility of receiving the promotion? Here are three ways to approach this matter:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Assume 	you won&#8217;t be selected for the job.</strong> After all, you didn&#8217;t get 	straight A&#8217;s in school. And that new Vice President hardly ever 	speaks to you. You think you won&#8217;t be chosen.</li>
<li><strong>Decide 	you don&#8217;t care either way.</strong> Whether you get the promotion or not 	isn&#8217;t important. It doesn&#8217;t matter. This way of thinking 	demonstrates the easy way out. You don&#8217;t have to put any emotional 	energy into something when you don&#8217;t care.</li>
<li><strong>Dare 	to think you&#8217;ll be selected to receive the promotion.</strong> You 	believe you&#8217;re smart enough to be chosen. And you know that you work 	hard, so others probably see that you&#8217;re a good candidate. You&#8217;ve 	decided to think positive!</li>
</ol>
<p><em><strong>How can you come out of this situation feeling fine, no matter what happens?</strong></em></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s consider each approach to the possible promotion.</p>
<p><em><strong>Most likely, if you respond like #1 and don&#8217;t receive the promotion, you won&#8217;t feel very positive.</strong></em> After all, not getting the promotion will now serve as confirmation of what you believe about yourself, that you won&#8217;t be successful. However, even if you do get the promotion, you may believe you don&#8217;t deserve it. Because of a negative approach, you may feel unhappy even if you get what you want.</p>
<p><em><strong>If you react as in #2, then you don&#8217;t care either way.</strong></em> You&#8217;ve convinced yourself that nothing is important enough to invest in it. Your life goes on the same. When you don&#8217;t care about something, the end result is irrelevant. However, if the end result truly doesn&#8217;t matter, you may not particularly enjoy getting the promotion if you actually do. You&#8217;ve deprived yourself of joy by completely detaching from the situation.</p>
<p><em><strong>But if you react like #3, you go into the situation feeling hopeful, excited, and energized.</strong></em> If you&#8217;re chosen, you&#8217;ll be reinforced for your positive thinking and re-energized for the work ahead of you.</p>
<p>Even if you aren&#8217;t selected, you&#8217;ll only experience brief disappointment. After a short letdown, you&#8217;ll remind yourself that with your intelligence and perseverance, something good will soon come along. <em><strong>You simply can&#8217;t lose by approaching life&#8217;s events with positive thinking.</strong></em></p>
<p>Pondering <strong>positivity</strong> is worth your time. When you aren&#8217;t sure about how to think about a situation, remember Norman Vincent Peale&#8217;s quotes on approaching life in a positive way. Consider Peter McWilliams&#8217;s point and Mitchell Moore&#8217;s famous quote. Attitude truly is everything; with enough positivity, you can change your life.</p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Alone Over the Holidays? How to Stay Happy and Productive</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/760/holidays-stay-happy-productive/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/760/holidays-stay-happy-productive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:39:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Break]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Divorcees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Few Days]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Full Of Joy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday Memories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday Season]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laughs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Many People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Network With Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nursing Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Options]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People In Need]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soup Kitchen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Volunteer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Widows]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=760</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Being alone over the holidays can be a positive experience. Instead of being sad and blue, you can find ways to stay happy, productive, and full of joy during the holiday season. Whether you do things for yourself or for other people, there&#8217;s much about the holidays that can keep you from feeling alone in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 5px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/105/317069200_6b17301cf3_m.jpg" border="0" alt="alone over the holidays" width="240" height="173" /><br />
Being alone over the holidays can be a positive experience. Instead of being sad and blue, you can find ways to stay happy, productive, and full of joy during the holiday season. Whether you do things for yourself or for other people, there&#8217;s much about the holidays that can keep you from feeling alone in the world.</p>
<p>When planning your holiday, reflect carefully about the kinds of things that you might enjoy. Perhaps you could volunteer to help others or go away on a holiday so you aren&#8217;t around your home and have a lot of new sights to distract you. No matter what you choose to do, know that <em><strong>you have plenty of options if you&#8217;re alone over the holidays.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong><span id="more-760"></span></strong></em><strong>Consider these options:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Take a trip to somewhere 	exotic.</strong> When you travel, there&#8217;s always something new to see. 	Being alone is okay, because you&#8217;re busy learning and doing new 	things. Even if you stay close to home or are only gone a few days, 	the break can be very refreshing.</li>
<li><strong>Volunteer your time to people 	in need.</strong> Whether you read to children, visit the elderly in a 	nursing home, hand out food at a soup kitchen, or give of your time 	in some other way, you&#8217;ll quickly see that you have much to be 	thankful for. The people you help will appreciate you, as well.</li>
<li><strong>Be a blessing to as many people 	as possible.</strong> What can you do for that struggling coworker, the 	person who just missed his flight, or someone else who&#8217;s alone 	during the holiday season? There are plenty of ways you can help 	people other than volunteering anywhere specific. Look for ways to 	help others wherever you go.</li>
<li><strong>Network with others who are 	also alone.</strong> If you can find a group of widows, divorcees, or 	others without family close to them over the holidays, get together 	with them. What starts out as commiserating may turn into a lot of 	laughs. Create great holiday memories that you can hang onto all 	year long.</li>
</ol>
<p>You can celebrate the holiday in whatever way you choose when you&#8217;re by yourself. That&#8217;s very empowering, when you look at it from a positive perspective. <em><strong>What you do with your time will greatly affect how you feel over the holidays and into the New Year.</strong></em></p>
<h2><strong>Alone Time Can Be Positive</strong></h2>
<p>When you&#8217;re spending time with others, remember that some alone can also be good for your mind and soul. Spending time by yourself and learning to be happy in the quiet times of your life can help you move forward in understanding yourself and others. When you do that, you find peace easier than you would if you avoided dealing with your alone times.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s okay to be lonely sometimes! It&#8217;s even possible to be lonely around a bunch of people, or to be lonely and happy at the same time. Loneliness is an emotion. You can acknowledge it as a natural human attribute and then work towards focusing on other things that are important to you to help distract you from the lonely feelings.</p>
<p>Your time alone, balanced with time spent with others, can lead to a full, rich life in which you&#8217;ll accomplish much. You&#8217;ll feel better about yourself and others and have more to give back, even during this holiday season.</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: Pink Sherbet Photography</small></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Simple Strategies to Harness the Power of Positive Thinking</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/706/power-positive-thinking/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/706/power-positive-thinking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:53:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[positive affirmations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Accomplishment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destiny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doorway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Driving Force]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gurus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Negative Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Outlook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prosperity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=706</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Simple Strategies to Harness the Power of Positive Thinking Every self-help guru on the planet will tell you that the way to experience happiness, prosperity, and health is through the doorway of positive thinking. And while that&#8217;s easy to talk about when all is going great in your life, it may not be much comfort [...]]]></description>
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<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Simple Strategies to Harness the Power of Positive Thinking</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Every self-help guru on the planet will tell you that the way to experience happiness, prosperity, and health is through the doorway of positive thinking. And while that&#8217;s easy to talk about when all is going great in your life, it may not be much comfort to you if things are crashing and burning all around you.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But the self-help gurus are right about the power of positive thinking. You can begin to take control of your thoughts and guide them in the direction you want your life to go. Your thoughts are the driving force toward your destiny.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Use these simple strategies to head toward the happiness you crave:</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1. Smile and be thankful. Much of what you experience in life depends on what you pay attention to. Each day, some things will go right and some things will go wrong. If you pay more attention to the things that go right and dwell on those things, you&#8217;ll experience more happiness.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Smile and greet everyone you meet warmly. Smiles are contagious, and you&#8217;ll instantly begin to feel a difference inside yourself.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Pause throughout the day to think about things that you are grateful for. The more you practice gratitude, the better you&#8217;ll feel about life and about yourself.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2. Surround yourself with positive people. Most people who soar to incredible heights of accomplishment in their lives do so because they surround themselves with positive, encouraging people. It&#8217;s hard to have a positive outlook when everyone around you is complaining all the time.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* If you surround yourself with people who routinely seek the good inside of you, you&#8217;ll begin to do the same. Spend less time with negative people and more time with those who speak words of support into your life. If you do, you&#8217;ll experience greater power, self-confidence and joy.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">3. Think constructively. For positive thinking to truly make a difference in your life, you must replace negative thoughts as they occur. Most important, however, is the need to get whatever benefits you can out of the negative thought before you erase it from your mind.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Instead of ignoring your negative thought and hoping it will go away, ask yourself if the critic inside of you is trying to teach you something valuable. Take note of the lesson, and then quickly discard the negative thought. Replace it with a positive perspective on the same situation.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Whenever you experience negative thinking, ask yourself: &#8220;What else could this mean?&#8221; If someone treats you unfairly, it could mean that they don&#8217;t like you very much. But it probably means they&#8217;re just having a bad day. How can you help? Do you see how this question can change your entire outlook?</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">4. Use positive affirmations. Often, when faced with a stressful situation, we resort to a pattern of thinking and behaving that has become a habit. How do you create new habits that support your success instead of sabotaging it? Positive affirmations are the key.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Write out the things you want in life and the qualities you want to possess. Write these statements in the present tense, and use positive language. Repeat these statements to yourself over and over again. Do this every day, and before long you&#8217;ll strongly believe the words of the affirmation you&#8217;ve created for yourself.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* If a habit of thinking is holding you back, what&#8217;s stopping you from creating a new habit? Try this today and experience its power for yourself.</span></div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The negative thoughts of the critic inside of you serve a valuable purpose. Things aren&#8217;t always rosy, and it&#8217;s important to learn from your experiences so that you don&#8217;t make the same mistakes. However, you can begin to harness the power of positive thinking today. Apply these simple strategies to move closer to the joy and success you deserve.</span></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a title="power positive thinking" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/4548016109/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 5px; border: 0px initial initial;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4548016109_531d4cb571_m.jpg" border="0" alt="power positive thinking" width="158" height="240" /></a></span></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Power of Positive Thinking </span></h1>
<address><span style="font-style: normal;"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /> </span><a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">photo</span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> credit: Pink Sherbet Photography</span></address>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><small><a title="Pink Sherbet Photography" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/4548016109/" target="_blank"></a></small>Every self-help guru on the planet will tell you that the way to experience happiness, prosperity, and health is through the doorway of positive thinking. And while that&#8217;s easy to talk about when all is going great in your life, it may not be much comfort to you if things are crashing and burning all around you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">But the self-help gurus are right about the </span><strong>power of positive thinking</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">. You can begin to take control of your thoughts and guide them in the direction you want your life to go. </span><em><strong>Your thoughts are the driving force toward your destiny.</strong></em></p>
<p><em><span id="more-706"></span></em></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Use these simple strategies to harness the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">power of positive thinking</span> and heading toward the happiness you crave:</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">1.</span> <strong>Smile and be thankful</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Much of what you experience in life depends on what you pay attention to. Each day, some things will go right and some things will go wrong. </span><em><strong>If you pay more attention to the things that go right and dwell on those things, you&#8217;ll experience more happiness.</strong></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Smile and greet everyone you meet warmly. Smiles are contagious, and you&#8217;ll instantly begin to feel a difference inside yourself. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Pause throughout the day to think about things that you are grateful for. The more you practice gratitude, the better you&#8217;ll feel about life and about yourself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">2. </span><strong>Surround yourself with positive people</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Most people who soar to incredible heights of accomplishment in their lives do so because they surround themselves with positive, encouraging people. It&#8217;s hard to have a positive outlook when everyone around you is complaining all the time. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* </span><em><strong>If you surround yourself with people who routinely seek the good inside of you, you&#8217;ll begin to do the same</strong></em><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>.</strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Spend less time with negative people and more time with those who speak words of support into your life. If you do, you&#8217;ll experience greater power, self-confidence and joy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">3. </span><strong>Think constructively</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">. For positive thinking to truly make a difference in your life, you must replace negative thoughts as they occur. Most important, however, is the need to get whatever benefits you can out of the negative thought before you erase it from your mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Instead of ignoring your negative thought and hoping it will go away, ask yourself if the critic inside of you is trying to teach you something valuable. </span><em><strong>Take note of the lesson, and then quickly discard the negative thought</strong></em><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>. Replace it with a positive perspective on the same situation.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Whenever you experience negative thinking, ask yourself: &#8220;What else could this mean?&#8221; If someone treats you unfairly, it could mean that they don&#8217;t like you very much. But it probably means they&#8217;re just having a bad day. How can you help? Do you see how this question can change your entire outlook?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">4. </span><strong>Use positive affirmations</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>.</strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Often, when faced with a stressful situation, we resort to a pattern of thinking and behaving that has become a habit. How do you create new habits that support your success instead of sabotaging it? Positive affirmations are the key.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* Write out the things you want in life and the qualities you want to possess. </span><em><strong>Write these statements in the present tense, and use positive language</strong></em><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Repeat these statements to yourself over and over again. Do this every day, and before long you&#8217;ll strongly believe the words of the affirmation you&#8217;ve created for yourself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">* If a habit of thinking is holding you back, what&#8217;s stopping you from creating a new habit? Try this today and experience its power for yourself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">The negative thoughts of the critic inside of you serve a valuable purpose. Things aren&#8217;t always rosy, and it&#8217;s important to learn from your experiences so that you don&#8217;t make the same mistakes. However, you can begin to harness the <em>power of positive thinking</em> today. Apply these simple strategies to move closer to the joy and success you deserve.</span></p>
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		<title>14 Simple Ways to Add Happiness to Your Day</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/702/14-simple-ways-happiness/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/702/14-simple-ways-happiness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:37:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Present Moment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[15 Minutes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Afternoon Nap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aromatherapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Best Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competition Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Couple Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hot Bath]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Little Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature Hike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phone Call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Popcorn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scented Candles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smoothie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Something Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Starbucks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stars At Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ups And Downs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warmth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Worries]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=702</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every day has its ups and downs, but sometimes you might find more downs than ups! Rather than waiting around for things to change, you can make an active effort to add a little happiness to your day. Sometimes you may need to make a big effort, but most of the time all you have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a title="Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.  ~Author Unknown" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65069067@N00/4258862751/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4258862751_f1d9d7a4f7_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.  ~Author Unknown" width="240" height="161" /></a> Every day has its ups and downs, but sometimes you might find more downs than ups! Rather than waiting around for things to change, <em><strong>you can make an active effort to add a little happiness to your day.</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Sometimes you may need to make a big effort, but most of the time all you have to do is something subtle and simple to completely change how your day turns out.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span id="more-702"></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Here are some easy ways to add happiness to your day:</strong></h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Watch a movie.</strong> Curl up with 	a big bucket of popcorn and your favorite movie. Leave all your 	worries behind you as you engage in an activity that you&#8217;re sure to 	love.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Watch your kids or loved ones.</strong> Instead of focusing on yourself, take some time to place your 	attention on the people you love. Simply observe them and <em><strong>think 	about how much you appreciate the fact that they&#8217;re in your life.</strong></em></p>
</li>
<li><strong>Call your best friend.</strong> A 	phone call with a close friend is a great way to pass some time in a 	way that is comfortable and familiar to you. You can think about old 	times or enjoy planning something fun for the future.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Go out for ice cream.</strong> While 	it&#8217;s not a good idea to indulge all the time, it&#8217;s definitely okay 	once in a while. Grab your favorite treat whether it&#8217;s ice cream, a 	smoothie, or even Starbucks.</p>
</li>
<li><strong>Enjoy nature.</strong> Take in 	nature by watching the world around you. You can do this by going on 	a nature hike or even just observing the beauty of the stars at 	night.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Take a hot bath.</strong> This is a 	great way to bring happiness to your day, especially if you&#8217;ve found 	the day stressful. <em><strong>Light some scented candles</strong></em> to 	include the benefits of aromatherapy to the relaxing warmth of the 	bath.</p>
</li>
<li><strong>Play a sport.</strong> Gather your 	friends and have a friendly competition. Sports are a fun way to get 	some exercise and relieve stress.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Take a nap.</strong> An afternoon 	nap may be just what you&#8217;re looking for. <em><strong>Even 15 minutes of 	shut-eye can help you feel more energized and happy.</strong></em></p>
</li>
<li><strong>Snuggle with your partner.</strong> Take the time to appreciate your partner and snuggle up for some 	couple-time. It&#8217;s a great way to reconnect, especially if you&#8217;ve 	been really busy.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Be lazy.</strong> Sometimes you 	might not feel as happy as you&#8217;d like because you expect too much 	from yourself.<em><strong> </strong></em>Take some time to simply be lazy, with 	no responsibilities, and give yourself time to recoup.</p>
</li>
<li><strong>Listen to your favorite song.</strong> Your favorite song is bound to brighten up your day. Bring out your 	iPod or music player and start cranking up the tunes.</li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Make casual conversation.</strong> Strike up some lively conversations with strangers. If you&#8217;re 	friendly and happy towards them, they&#8217;ll likely be the same to you.</p>
</li>
<li><strong>Be thankful.</strong> Reflect on all 	the things that you&#8217;re grateful for in your life and write them 	down. You might be surprised at how long your list is! <em><strong>Sometimes 	changing your focus to what&#8217;s going right in your life is all you 	need to turn that frown upside down.</strong></em></li>
<li>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Enjoy time with your pets.</strong> Pets are part of the family too. Snuggle up with your pet for some 	quality time together.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Always remember that the list is endless when it comes to ways to brighten your day. Be creative and try new activities that you might like. Most importantly, <em><strong>seek a way to enjoy each moment,</strong></em> and your life will be filled with new happiness.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="pasotraspaso" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65069067@N00/4258862751/" target="_blank">pasotraspaso</a></p>
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		<title>How to Boost Your Self-Confidence With Positive Self-Talk</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/686/how-to-boost-your-self-confidence-with-positive-self-talk/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/686/how-to-boost-your-self-confidence-with-positive-self-talk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:32:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Altitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destiny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise Back]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Face]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greatness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Reinforcement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive self talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Assurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Doubt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Fulfilling Prophecy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Image]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Willpower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yogi Berra]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=686</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yogi Berra once said that ninety percent of the game is mental. He was talking about the game of baseball, of course, but your attitude determines your altitude in every area of your life. Your thoughts determine your destiny! A can-do attitude and a healthy dose of self-confidence is all you need to succeed. You, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Yogi Berra once said that ninety percent of the game is mental. He was talking about the game of baseball, of course, but your attitude determines your altitude in every area of your life. <em><strong>Your thoughts determine your destiny!</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A can-do attitude and a healthy dose of self-confidence is all you need to succeed. You, too, can be one of those go-getters who achieve great things.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A little positive reinforcement can go a long way in boosting your self-assurance. <em><strong>Self-talk that supports your goals will have a greater impact on boosting your overall self image than the opinions of others.</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>You are the Master of your Fate</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong><span id="more-686"></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Do you feel that your life is lacking in some area? If you&#8217;re experiencing challenges romantically, professionally, or in any other area of life, know that <em>you</em> are the key to changing it. Instead of placing blame on yourself and feeling defeated, realize that <strong>you are your greatest chance to effect change that leads to success in any aspect of your life.</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>You Can Do It</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Are you plagued with self-doubt? Do you feel like you&#8217;re not up to the challenges that life throws your way? In reality, your spirit is capable of achieving greatness when you exercise your willpower and back it up with positive, encouraging reinforcement. If you believe that you can succeed, and put in the effort, you <em>will</em> succeed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">One of the problems with doubt in your own abilities is that it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. You think you’re going to fail and so your mind sets out to reinforce that idea. Your <em>thoughts</em> lead to <em>actions</em> that produce detrimental results.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">But this can work the other way, too. <em><strong>By telling yourself that you can succeed, you create a self-fulfilling prophecy that supports your success.</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Positive Reinforcement is Optimistic</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">When you believe that you can succeed, you&#8217;ll feel more confident to take the steps that are required to overcome the challenges you face. With positive reinforcement, even failures become opportunities to learn and grow.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><strong>You can replace the voice in your head that causes you fear with one that pushes you forward by focusing on the good within yourself.</strong></em></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Convince yourself that you&#8217;re capable of greatness by replacing negative thoughts with more productive self-talk. Then, when you <em>do</em> achieve your goal or overcome that challenge, you&#8217;ll have an additional dose of confidence that will spur you on to greater success.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><strong>Cue the Music!</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">For big challenges, support yourself as much as possible. In addition to speaking words of encouragement to yourself, consider playing some music to pump you up. Whether it’s the theme to <em>Rocky</em> or Europe’s <em>The Final Countdown,</em> music can boost your self-belief and ease your worries.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If you don&#8217;t have an MP3 or CD player handy, hum your favorite songs while you prepare. Inspirational tunes can make you feel like you can take on any challenge.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Your mind plays a large part determining the level of success you experience. Tell yourself that you <em>can</em> do it. <em><strong>Positive self-talk will increase your confidence in your own abilities.</strong></em> When you add the drive and willpower, you can achieve anything you want in life!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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		<title>How to Change Your Attitude with Positive Self-Talk</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/614/how-to-change-your-attitude-with-positive-self-talk/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/614/how-to-change-your-attitude-with-positive-self-talk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 May 2010 07:42:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[being positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude Adjustment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefit Of The Doubt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Break]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hopes And Dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How To Change Your Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Images]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mistake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Negative Moods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Negative Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Negativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opportunity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive self talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Subconscious Level]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Upbeat Attitude]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[hana-code-insert name='content' /] If you find that you often slip into negative moods, you&#8217;re probably thinking that an attitude adjustment might help you. After all, a positive attitude not only helps you stay happy, but also enables you to accomplish your hopes and dreams. One of the best ways to improve your overall attitude is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">[hana-code-insert name='content' /]</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If you find that you often slip into negative moods, you&#8217;re probably thinking that an attitude adjustment might help you. After all, a positive attitude not only helps you stay happy, but also enables you to accomplish your hopes and dreams.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">One of the best ways to improve your overall attitude is to take every opportunity to say positive things to yourself. What you communicate to yourself through words, thoughts, and images are interpreted on a deeper level than you may realize.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">When you engage in positive self-talk, you can connect with yourself on a subconscious level. This is <em>also</em> true of negative self-talk. If you&#8217;ve found it difficult to break a circle of negativity, it&#8217;s because you&#8217;re feeling negatively on a subconscious level.<em><strong> </strong></em>Positive self-talk can help turn this negativity around.</p>
<h2><strong>How You Can Engage In Positive Self Talk</strong></h2>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The first step in adopting a more upbeat attitude is to notice when you&#8217;re using negativity. There might be times when you&#8217;re being negative without even realizing you&#8217;re doing it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In the beginning, spend a day or two just being an active observer of your overall speech and thoughts. How do you talk about yourself? How often do you have a negative thought about yourself? Do you mentally beat yourself up when you make a mistake?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">After you discover negativity in the way you&#8217;re talking to yourself, it&#8217;s time to take a step to correct it. First, <em><strong>try eliminating the negative. </strong></em>You can also try using different manners of speech with yourself. Instead of being so hard on yourself, give yourself the benefit of the doubt and be truthful.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You can then focus on replacing negativity with positive things you <em>want</em> to hear. In a situation where you would&#8217;ve ordinarily been negative, take the time to think of something you should be praised for instead.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You can even use a journal to record ideas of positive things you can say to yourself. Refer to it often and then use those ideas to combat negative thoughts.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><strong>You&#8217;ll also benefit from using more positive speech in general,</strong></em> even when you&#8217;re not talking in reference to yourself. Get in the habit of seeing the positive side of every situation. Seek solutions to your challenges and find the silver lining. These actions will help you focus on positive aspects.</p>
<h2><strong>Using Positive Self Talk Every Day</strong></h2>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Once you get a hang of it, you can begin to bring positive self-talk into your life every single day. At the end of the day, compare how you feel to one of your previous days without positive self-talk.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><strong>Consciously think positive thoughts during as many moments as you can,</strong></em> even the ones that seem mundane, like when you&#8217;re brushing your teeth. You can seize that moment and make the most of it!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">When you feel overcome with stress or fear, force yourself to take a step back and reevaluate your thinking. Tell yourself to relax and remind yourself that you&#8217;ll get through it no matter what.</p>
<h2><strong>How Positive Self Talk Can Shift Your Attitude</strong></h2>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Positive self-talk can shift your attitude by changing your beliefs on a subconscious level. If you focus on a certain belief long enough, eventually the message will get through.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The benefits of a possible attitude are endless. You&#8217;ll enjoy having less stress in your life and more drive to achieve. You&#8217;ll feel happier. And it all starts with positive self-talk.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">While you&#8217;re working on improving your attitude,<em><strong> look to affirmations for help.</strong></em> For example, if you truly want to have a great day, tell yourself that you&#8217;re <em>already</em> having a great day and believe it. Affirming the positive welcomes even more positive things into your life. With all this positivity, at some time or another, you&#8217;ll realize that your negative attitudes are gone for good!</p>
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		<title>9 Ways to Beat the Blues</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/582/9-ways-to-beat-the-blues/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/582/9-ways-to-beat-the-blues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:45:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[being positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beat The Blues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bruce Mckay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Close Friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company Of Others]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwelling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Find People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifetime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Journey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People Chat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Present Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reason]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solo Adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Those Blues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[True Activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=582</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[photo credit: Bruce McKay The blues might find you when you least expect it. It&#8217;s a normal part of life to feel down from time to time. But there&#8217;s no reason for you to continue feeling that way. You have the power within you to beat those blues! All you really need is the drive to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Teslin at Dusk" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38966472@N00/4409571464/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4409571464_a27466f35e_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Teslin at Dusk" width="240" height="148" /></a><br />
<small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="Bruce McKay" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38966472@N00/4409571464/" target="_blank">Bruce McKay</a></small></p>
<p><small><a title="Bruce McKay" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38966472@N00/4409571464/" target="_blank"></a></small>The blues might find you when you least expect it. It&#8217;s a normal part of life to feel down from time to time. But there&#8217;s no reason for you to continue feeling that way. <strong><em>You have the power within you to beat those blues!</em></strong> All you really need is the drive to get rid of them. The rest is all just a matter of how.</p>
<p><span id="more-582"></span></p>
<h3>[hana-code-insert name='content' /]</h3>
<h3><strong>Consider trying the following ways:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong></h3>
<ol>
<li><strong>Avoid wallowing in your problems</strong>. If there&#8217;s a specific thing that&#8217;s causing you to feel down, avoid dwelling on this issue. Take action to resolve the challenge. If this is too difficult at the present time, then concentrate on something else. Shift your mind over to something that makes you happy.</li>
<li><strong>Keep busy with things you enjoy</strong>. If you have free time, why not fill it up with things you like? Go with the tried and true activities that you enjoy doing. Chances are that you&#8217;ll have a smile back on your face in no time.</li>
<li><strong>Seek out the company of others</strong>. You may get the blues because you feel lonely. There&#8217;s probably somebody out there that you can spend some time with, even if it&#8217;s not one of your close friends. Come up with an activity that you both enjoy doing or just sit and chat.</li>
<li><strong>Pursue a new hobby</strong>. Are you feeling blue because you&#8217;re bored? Start a new hobby that you&#8217;ve always wanted to try. You might even embark on a new lifetime of enjoyment through this new activity.</li>
<li><strong>Take a class</strong>. Pick a subject that you have interest in and sign up. If you get yourself jazzed up about a new class, you&#8217;ll likely leave your blues behind in the process.</li>
<li><strong>Meet new people</strong>. You can find new people to chat with everywhere. You can even do it without leaving your home by finding likeminded people online. Meeting a new friend that you connect well with will certainly improve your mood.</li>
<li><strong>Start new adventures</strong>. Try something new with your friends. If you prefer to be alone, you can always go on a solo adventure. Let your mind go wild with fun ideas. Your blues will dissipate as you begin planning an exciting new journey.</li>
<li><strong>Activate your muscles</strong>. You can beat the blues just by becoming more active. Even taking a walk in the fresh air can improve your mood. Your blues mindset might tell you that you don&#8217;t feel like it or you&#8217;re too tired, but chances are that once you get moving, you&#8217;ll be glad that you went out of your way to get some exercise.</li>
<li><strong>Get in touch with your spiritual side</strong>. Even if you&#8217;re not a religious person, you can contemplate the answers to life&#8217;s big questions. When you focus on the big picture, sometimes your own challenges don&#8217;t feel as large anymore.</li>
</ol>
<p>Try these strategies the next time the blues bring you down. Just one of these tips may be just the thing to help you turn that frown upside down!</p>
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		<title>How to Raise Your Self-Esteem Through Self-Talk</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/565/how-to-raise-your-self-esteem-through-self-talk/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/565/how-to-raise-your-self-esteem-through-self-talk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:21:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[being positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self Esteem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benefit Of The Doubt]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=565</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[photo credit: wetfeet2000 Your self-esteem level can be precarious. It can go up or down at any point depending on such inane things like whether you&#8217;re late to work, how your day is progressing, or what your boss just said to you. One minute you can be on top of the world and the next [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="3-9-10" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88666718@N00/4420524438/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2756/4420524438_4839e32a9e_m.jpg" border="0" alt="3-9-10" width="195" height="240" /></a><br />
<small><a title="Attribution-ShareAlike License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="wetfeet2000" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88666718@N00/4420524438/" target="_blank">wetfeet2000</a></small></p>
<p><small><a title="wetfeet2000" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88666718@N00/4420524438/" target="_blank"></a></small>Your self-esteem level can be precarious. It can go up or down at any point depending on such inane things like whether you&#8217;re late to work, how your day is progressing, or what your boss just said to you. One minute you can be on top of the world and the next minute shot down to the depths of self-doubt.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s no wonder that your self-esteem must be nurtured, but sometimes it&#8217;s hard to figure out how to do it in a way that&#8217;s best for you. Self-talk is the answer! <strong><em>What you say to yourself can make the difference between success and failure.</em></strong></p>
<p>Unfortunately, people tend to be their own worst critics. This just means that you&#8217;re more likely to be much harder on yourself for making a mistake than you would be for a family member or even a stranger. This doesn&#8217;t have to be the way you treat yourself.</p>
<p>When you talk to yourself, say something you <em>want</em> to hear! Encourage and congratulate yourself even for the little things. When your self-talk is positive, your self-esteem can soar and <strong><em>you can maintain a healthy self-esteem through anything life can throw at you.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span id="more-565"></span></em></strong></p>
<h2><strong>Eliminate the Negative</strong></h2>
<p>[hana-code-insert name='content' /]</p>
<p>The first thing you&#8217;ll want to do is analyze your current self-talk patterns. What are you saying to yourself?</p>
<p>Identify the instances where you&#8217;re negative. You might be telling yourself that you can&#8217;t accomplish something. You may be beating yourself up because you made a mistake. Or you may just be generally discouraging to yourself. Those negative patterns are wake up calls for you to start talking to yourself with tender loving care.</p>
<p>In order to raise your self-esteem, <strong><em>you must first erase your negative self-talk.</em></strong> Give yourself the benefit of the doubt, and start treating yourself with understanding. If you feel like you haven&#8217;t accomplished enough, shift your focus over to what you <em>have</em> accomplished.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, you&#8217;ll begin to feel proud of yourself instead of discouraged. It&#8217;s just one step closer to being happy and comfortable with who you are!</p>
<h2><strong>Be Positive</strong></h2>
<p>After you&#8217;ve identified where you&#8217;ve been negative in your life, you can concentrate on the positive aspects. You have opportunities all the time to treat yourself right, and you can take advantage of them with the help of positive self-talk.</p>
<h3><strong>Consider the following tips:</strong></h3>
<p>1.      <strong>Congratulate yourself.</strong> When you&#8217;ve done a job well, take the time to congratulate yourself. It&#8217;s important to <strong><em>give yourself a pat on the back every now and then. </em></strong>Even if you haven&#8217;t accomplished anything huge, you&#8217;re certainly making progress. Reflect on how good it makes you feel.</p>
<p>2.      <strong>Use affirmations.</strong> One way to bring positive energy into your life is to use positive affirmations. Affirmations are short positive statements that are written in the present tense. Say them to yourself often as a reminder of what a great person you are (because you are!).</p>
<p><strong><em> ·      <strong><em>Affirmations have such a powerful ability to influence the mind</em></strong> that you should take advantage of them and practice with them every day.</em></strong></p>
<p>3.      <strong>Believe in yourself.</strong> Someone else can tell you that you&#8217;re good enough to accomplish anything, but it&#8217;ll never make a difference if you don&#8217;t believe it yourself. It&#8217;s the motivation and belief in yourself that will always pick you back up when you fall.</p>
<ul>
<li>Everyone deals with failure from time to time, but remember that it&#8217;s a learning experience too. Maybe you&#8217;ll learn something during a &#8220;failure&#8221; that gives you the knowledge to finally succeed. Consider it a gift in disguise!</li>
</ul>
<p>When you take the time to be positive and patient with yourself every day, you&#8217;ll raise your self-esteem. Allow yourself to be human, focus on the positive, and you&#8217;ll go far.</p>
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		<title>Improve Your Life with Positive Self-Talk</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/539/improve-your-life-with-positive-self-talk/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/539/improve-your-life-with-positive-self-talk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:53:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[being positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Optimism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive affirmations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thinking]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Michael Brownlee]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beingpositive.net/?p=539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[photo credit: Michael Brownlee How you think about yourself makes a big difference in how you feel. You can avoid feeling down or upset if you know what to say to yourself and how to say it. Even during difficult times, you can find moments of joy and blessings to talk to yourself about. No [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="DSC_0070" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19118678@N00/3762608650/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 5px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2504/3762608650_1de8ef3995_m.jpg" border="0" alt="DSC_0070" width="240" height="161" /></a><small><a title="Attribution-ShareAlike License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="Michael Brownlee" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19118678@N00/3762608650/" target="_blank">Michael Brownlee</a></small></p>
<p>How you think about yourself makes a big difference in how you feel. You can avoid feeling down or upset if you know what to say to yourself and <em>how</em> to say it. Even during difficult times, you can find moments of joy and blessings to talk to yourself about.</p>
<p>No matter what you want to do in life, self-talk can help you accomplish your dreams, goals, and desires. <strong><em>Believing in yourself is a strong component of moving forward into the life you really want and deserve. </em></strong>Positive self-talk can bring you this belief and instill within you the confidence to succeed.</p>
<p><span id="more-539"></span><strong>Discover the Beauty in Your Life</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>When you face serious challenges in your life, being unhappy and speaking negatively to yourself won&#8217;t change anything for the better. Instead, seek out joy in positive affirmations of your continued worth.</p>
<p>The problems you may be facing have <em>absolutely nothing</em> to do with your value as a human being. <strong><em>Remind yourself of your great value!</em></strong></p>
<p>Positive self-talk is not about being unrealistic or lying to yourself. It&#8217;s about seeing the beauty and value in yourself and others. <strong><em>Each one of us has something we can give</em></strong> and we each have a purpose and a reason to be here.</p>
<h2><strong>Using Positive Self-Talk Each Day</strong></h2>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>How do you take advantage of positive self-talk? When it comes to talking to yourself, there are no specific rules. You can focus on anything about you or your surroundings that&#8217;s positive.</p>
<p>Avoid letting negative or upsetting thoughts creep in. Things might not be going your way at any particular moment, but there are better days ahead, and the fact that you&#8217;re alive is something to be positive about!</p>
<p><strong>Here are some tips to help you get started using positive self-talk to bring about a joyful, fulfilled life:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Remember something others like about you.</strong> Recall a positive comment someone made about you in the past. Even if you don&#8217;t see the reason for the compliment, someone else obviously did. Use that to your advantage to remind yourself of your great qualities and talents.</li>
<li><strong>What do you like about yourself?</strong> Start small, if you prefer. You don&#8217;t have to think or feel (or say) that you&#8217;re perfect, but pick <em>one thing</em> that you like about yourself, or that you can accept about yourself, and be pleased with that.</li>
<li><strong>Speak out loud.</strong> Sure, you might feel a little silly at first. You don&#8217;t have to do it when anyone else is around, but say your affirmations aloud whenever you can. That way you <em>hear</em> the good things about you, too.</li>
<li><strong>Set aside time to practice your positive self-talk.</strong> If you don&#8217;t put it into your schedule, it&#8217;s easy to forget about it or decide that you&#8217;ll get to it later. <strong><em>Make it a priority,</em></strong> so it becomes a part of your daily routine.</li>
</ol>
<h2><strong>The Benefits of Positive Self-Talk</strong></h2>
<p>The benefits you&#8217;ll get from positive self-talk will depend on your commitment to it. If you practice it each day, it&#8217;ll become second nature to you. <strong><em>When others say negative things, it&#8217;ll be less likely to take root in your mind,</em></strong> since you&#8217;ll already be filled with positive information about your worth.</p>
<p>Regardless of what stage of life you&#8217;re in, there&#8217;s always room for more happiness. Even in the face of despair, there are opportunities for great joy and growth. Avoid missing out on those opportunities because you don&#8217;t see your worth as a person. Instead, <strong><em>you can expect the best because of your positive self-talk.</em></strong></p>
<p>Positive self-talk can help you rise higher in your career, family life, spiritual life, and any other area that matters to you. Friends and family members will notice your new-found confidence, and so will your co-workers, boss, and others. You just may find that positive self-talk leads you to some amazing new opportunities!</p>
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		<title>8 Ways to Boost Your Optimism</title>
		<link>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/532/8-ways-to-boost-your-optimism/</link>
		<comments>http://powerfulpositivethinking.com/532/8-ways-to-boost-your-optimism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:41:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Franck Pasquet</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Optimism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive affirmations]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[photo credit: quinn.anya Your outlook in life is so important, and yet many people never give it much thought. If you&#8217;re optimistic, you&#8217;ll open doors for yourself and lead a happy life. However, with a negative mindset, you could end up in places that you never intended to be. This isn&#8217;t some fairytale ideal; it&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Big words" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53326337@N00/3394038122/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 5px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3394038122_39bcde2976_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Big words" width="233" height="240" /></a><br />
<small><a title="Attribution-ShareAlike License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="http://beingpositive.net/wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="quinn.anya" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53326337@N00/3394038122/" target="_blank">quinn.anya</a></small></p>
<p>Your outlook in life is so important, and yet many people never give it much thought. If you&#8217;re optimistic, you&#8217;ll open doors for yourself and lead a happy life. However, with a negative mindset, you could end up in places that you never intended to be. This isn&#8217;t some fairytale ideal; it&#8217;s absolutely true!</p>
<p>Being optimistic might seem like a large task, but there are simple things you can do to improve your outlook. If you practice each day, you&#8217;ll be doing yourself a great favor, since <strong><em>your mindset is the very foundation for achieving success and fulfillment. </em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span id="more-532"></span></em></strong><strong>Here are some easy techniques you can use to boost your optimism:</strong></p>
<p><strong><em> </em></strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Avoid getting hung up on one thing.</strong> Sometimes you may feel like there&#8217;s one situation that&#8217;s holding you back. Maybe there&#8217;s just one thing that has seemingly ruined your day. Resolve to let it go so it doesn&#8217;t bother you anymore. After all, there&#8217;s a whole world out there just waiting for you to experience!</li>
<li><strong>Remember that there&#8217;s always a silver lining.</strong> If you&#8217;re having a bad week, it&#8217;s not a reason to let negativity cloud your thinking. Seek the silver lining in every challenging situation. Remember that <strong><em>setbacks often occur right before you reach success.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong>Get over the past.</strong> Remember that the past is the past; it doesn&#8217;t need to keep repeating itself. In fact, <strong><em>if you keep recalling the past, you are the one taking it with you into your future.</em></strong> Learn how to let it go no matter how painful it might have been. The future can be filled with great things, but a great future can only start when you&#8217;ve come to terms with your past.</li>
<li><strong>Be thankful.</strong> Make a list of all the things you&#8217;re thankful for in your life. Include even the smallest things, like the lucky penny you found on the street or the loving hug your partner gave you today. You&#8217;ll most likely end up with a long list that you can look to whenever you feel like you&#8217;re slipping into negativity.</li>
<li><strong>Use positive affirmations.</strong> Nothing brings out optimism like the use of affirmations. These positive statements bring optimistic energy into your present. They are a way of communicating with your subconscious mind so you can maintain control over how you feel. Use them every day and every time you need a boost of positivity.</li>
<li><strong>Surround yourself with positive people.</strong> Humans are social beings that can feel the energy of others. Have fun with positive and supportive friends and family members. <strong><em>Just being around positive people can lift you up when you&#8217;re feeling down.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong>Watch your language.</strong> Do you speak positively to yourself and others, or are you judgmental and negative? Try to shift over to <em>only</em> positive speech. Practice using upbeat words while you focus on the positive in every situation.</li>
<li><strong>Remember that even a positive life has ups and downs.</strong> Life won&#8217;t always be perfect, but there are many ways you can still make the best of it. Accept the fact that bad things will happen from time to time, but avoid dwelling on these things. You&#8217;ll bounce back if you remain open to optimism.</li>
</ol>
<p>In the end, you&#8217;ll find that simple things can boost your optimism. You don&#8217;t need to wait for some grand opportunity; <strong><em>just open your eyes to the beauty of the world around you and you&#8217;ll see wonderful things!</em></strong></p>
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