“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change their future merely by changing their attitude.” Oprah Winfrey

People often perceive their life to be like a glass of water, it’s either half empty or half full, but either way it’s still only a half. Part of the reason for this is half the time people think negatively which we learn to do from an early and unfortunately, these thoughts become ingrained scripts that unknowingly influences our responses, limit our ability and cause stagnation in life. Earl Nightingale said “You become what you think about” so, you cannot lead a positive life with a negative mind. Thinking positively is not deliberately denying reality, it’s choosing to see it differently and your mind creates what you think.

Thinking positively is an incredibly powerful way to improve your life but it’s one of those things that’s easier said than done. This is because we find it easier to think negatively as research by Professor de Bono found that people thought negatively a rate of 22 to 1 positive. This indicates how we become accustomed to set ways of doing things and before we know it, (Bam) we have become locked into to only seeing our lives in a set way and fail to consider that things can be different, perhaps until some outside influence changes the way we think. If you’re not sure about this, try not thinking, speaking or behaving negatively for one day. Also try listening for negative statement from others, (particularly clients).

The secret of positive thinking is to change your mindset by developing new patterns of thinking. Initially, it involves using a technique called ‘Thought Stopping’ which you apply when you become aware of thinking negatively.

The next phase is learning to replace negative thoughts with positive ones for example, don’t dwell on a problem, just focus on finding a solution. Another way is to avoid making negative comments by following the saying “If you can’t say anything good, then say nothing at all”.

Positive thinking is a form of self-improvement and it’s a simple yet powerful way to change your life. It can be done in small stages; it builds on what you already have regardless of the present circumstances; it can be applied to aspects that are important to you; it provides limitless opportunities for improvement and those who are willing to try are often the ones who are more successful as constructive actions usually brings positive outcomes.

The next phase is saying “This is my life; I’m in charge of it and I’m going to think positively to improve it”. This puts you in the driving seat and it gives you the power to steer your life in the direction you want to go. You can apply it to improving your health; lifestyle; career, relationships; personal feelings, education; the overall satisfaction of life and before you know it, you’ll start feeling your glass is nearly full as opposed to half empty.