Examining the source of a negative attitude, we all have a bad day from time to time. In some cases, bad experiences can cause us to have negative thoughts. Chronic negative thinking can lead to a Negative Attitude. Most people do not realize that a negative attitude can develop slowly over time and affect our perception of life. When we entertain negative thoughts on a regular basis, we are programming our brain to expect failure and when failure arrives we rationalize by saying something like “I knew it wouldn’t work” and we accept failure as the norm. This cycle of negativity can last days, months or even years. A negative thought pattern can influence how we interact with other people and how they perceive you.
An Exercise in Positive Thinking. Fortunately, there is a solution. Just as chronic negative thinking can lead to a negative attitude, chronic positive thinking can lead to a positive attitude. I know it sounds simple, that’s because it is. Your attitude is directly related to your thoughts. Try this exercise, think about the last time you were very happy. Was it your wedding? Was it the birth of your child? Or, was it a good time with friends? Whatever it was that made you very happy; make that the focus of your thoughts for the next minute or two. Now close your eyes and, visualize the event in great detail. Relive the event over and over again. What happened? Did you smile? I bet you did. In fact, if you completed the exercise correctly, you should have felt some of the same emotions that you felt during the happy event. Your thoughts determine your feelings; Bad thoughts make you feel bad, Good thoughts make you feel good. Good feelings lead to a positive attitude. Training yourself to control your thoughts, All of us have had a bad day and chances are, we will have more as we go through life. A bad day does not have to be the beginning of a cycle of negativity. In most cases you can counter negative thoughts with positive ones. When I feel as though my day has taken a negative turn or is getting off to a bad start, I try to remind myself to think about something that will make me feel good. What I think about doesn’t matter, a joke, a happy memory, a scene from my favorite movie as long as it is not unhappy or negative.
Positive affirmation. Pleasant thoughts are good but, they are not enough to develop a positive mental attitude. You must develop the habit of making positive affirmations on a regular basis. An affirmation is the assertion that something is true. Basically, you are making positive statements about yourself or your situation to yourself, and you believe these statements are true. A good example of a positive affirmation would be ” I am confidant and well spoken.” or ” I will treat my co-workers with courtesy and respect.” My favorite is ” I will have a positive and productive day”. Positive affirmations are most effective when you are in a good mood. the technique described in the previous paragraph can be used to help you get in a good mood. Some people believe that these affirmations should be made aloud several times a day. I prefer to write them on a note pad in plain view on my desk. Use either method or both if you like, as long as it works for you.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. The techniques described earlier will only work for you if they are applied regularly. Make these techniques a normal part of your day, a friend of mine starts each day by meditating with good thoughts and making her positive affirmation aloud in front of her mirror. Work at it, developing a positive attitude is not difficult, however, it does require work. you must make a deliberate effort everyday to apply these techniques so that they become second nature.
Key points to remember
1. Think Actively. Remember you control how you think so, make an effort to think about positive things. Positive thoughts lead to good feelings which contribute to developing a positive attitude.
2. Use Positive Affirmations Regularly. Once you get yourself in a good mood, use positive affirmations to develop a positive attitude.
3. Repetition is the key to success, apply these techniques daily until they are a normal part of your routine.
