The Power of a Positive Attitude

For those of you that know me, most would agree that I'm a pretty positive person. This week I want to talk about something that I've started to see appear more around me lately, and that's negativity. The road of life, whether personal or professional, can be fraught with bumps and obstacles. At times, these stresses can seem overwhelming to all of us. Everyone, including me, has an occasional bad day, but learning to maintain a positive attitude is the first line of defense against the negative effects of life's challenges.

I think negativity is like a wet blanket. It is not comforting, and it depletes your energy and drive for achievement. A negative attitude wears down your happiness, your motivation and your chances for success. A positive attitude promotes happiness, energy, confidence, and creative inspiration. These effects drive you to take on problems and challenges with a determination to solve them, and you feel motivated to strive for new goals and embark on new endeavors. When you adopt a positive attitude, you exude the confidence to conquer life's obstacles, and this confidence empowers you to achieve your goals. A positive attitude is contagious as it radiates from your demeanor and encourages others around you. When you believe in yourself, then your family members, friends and coworkers are inspired to believe in themselves as well.

If you are a parent, you likely want your children to be all that they wish to be. You have done your best to instill confidence in your children, encouraging them to try out for the school play, tackle the tough math problem, enter the writing contest or even apply to the college of their dreams. We all believe in our children. You must believe in yourself, just as you would believe in your children, to achieve the rewarding results we're all working towards.

Many people have asked me how I manage to stay so positive despite difficulties or problems. Adopting a positive attitude is a matter of learning to acknowledge your abilities and conveying from within that you are more than capable of expanding on your talents. Once you achieve this powerful first step of self-appreciation, your renewed confidence in yourself will start to inspire others. I've found that others are very drawn to positive people, and the same is just as true for a positive person. I don't want to be around those who are always negative, so I try to help by giving them tips that have helped me.

There are several additional simple things that you can do to increase your happiness, confidence and motivation. First, simply choose to be happy. This may seem silly, but the decision to be happy is your choice. There are times when this is easier said than done, but most of the little annoyances that bring you down can be cast aside in your mind. Many of these things are likely insignificant in the grand scheme of your life, and dwelling on them will only detract from your goal of maintaining a positive attitude.

Force yourself to be optimistic by finding a silver lining in every cloud. View challenges and obstacles as opportunities and learning experiences. If you try to visualize the outcome that you desire and mentally accept nothing less, the solution will come into focus more easily. By worrying over the potential outcome that you fear, your negativity will only lead to your mind spinning its wheels in a desperate search for the solution.

Find things to smile about, no matter how trivial some of these things may be. A smile has the power to elevate other people's confidence in you, which boosts your own positive attitude. The client on the other end of the phone can actually detect your smile in your voice while talking on the telephone.

Seek inspiration from others. Read inspiring books, watch an inspiring movie or put an inspiring quote on your computer monitor where you'll see it each day. The achievements of others who began from a similar background as your own can be the most powerful motivators.

A positive attitude will set the stage for thriving in the workplace, effectively dealing with challenges at home and be successful at keeping you healthy. When life throws you a curve ball, you will find yourself surrounded by a support network of those who have benefited from your positive attitude to help you through those hard days. Being a member of a group that strives to be uplifting and successful will offer you a front row seat to witness the ultimate power of a positive attitude.

6 Easy Tips To Achieving Happiness

Our destiny is a result of our life choices. The things that are happening around us cannot be controlled, but the way we deal with them make all the difference.

Get use to rejection.

Some people deal with constant failure and put-downs, and yet manage to be huge successes. Some people, on the other hand, are dealt with good cards, yet fail to see the beauty behind their blessings, thus making them failures. 

There is deep correlation between happiness and life success. One without the other would be empty, and seem so worthless. Happiness is a choice, but one must remember that the results in your life are greatly affected by the degree of happiness you feel. No task is too difficult, no challenge too impossible when you feel joyous inside. So how do you achieve happiness? Are there techniques to help you realize more fulfillment in life? 

Keep your dream alive.

Adapt the best attitude. Most people are limited by their own thinking. The best way you can achieve a life goal is by thinking that you can do it, and by constantly giving it your all. It's not going to be an easy ride, but all the potholes you will encounter along the way help you be the best person you can be. If you feel your goal is too difficult to reach, stop keeping your eye on the goal (your destination) and instead set your eyes on the journey towards your goal. Sometimes, we fail to realize that the lessons life teaches us are those which are most important, and not the success at the end. 

Ignore the little man. (Negative naysayers)

Be with the right people. Don't waste your time dealing with people with a negative attitude - they will only bring you down with them. Instead, spend your life with positive, hardworking and determined people. These people will inspire you to be your best, and prod you to go on whenever you feel like giving up. The best people are those who will help you get back up when you fall, not those who will kick you to the curb.

A positive person's attitude is catching- there's always sunshine surrounding them, and they always see the silver lining behind every dark shadow. These people will hold your hand every step of your journey towards success, and hang on to you when you fall.

Stay Focused

 Focus on what you have. This is the root cause of envy. It's not true that the grass is greener on the other side - it's all a matter of perspective. Learn to appreciate what you have, and stop wishing you had what others have. Do you know what their pains are? Are you aware of what they had to give up in order to get to where you are? If you are not ready to give up everything, then stop wishing for the things which are not yours. I had a friend who told me that the price he had to pay for his success in business is losing his entire family in the process.

This is a lesson for most of us - focus on your life, not others'. If you wish to emulate other successful people's triumphs, then use them as inspiration - and work you way towards success. Envy will get you nowhere, plus it also often makes people angry and bitter.

Keep smiling

Smile more often. When you smile, people are drawn to you. You come off as pleasant and cheerful, even if you have pain. A smile makes you and everyone around you feel better. It sends a positive message to everyone. Have you noticed how lonely Mr. Scrooge is despite his wealth? It's because he is always grumpy and mad, never smiling, even when things are going well. He is alone at the top, despite sitting on bags and bags of money. After all, what good is wealth, when you don't have anyone to share it with?

A person who has little, on the other hand, but is always eternally smiling because of the very little that he has will most probably have a load of friends. These friends are actually the best treasures a happy person has in life. They are the ones who will enter his room when everyone else decides to head out to the exit. They will be there when they are needed most.

Let it go

Let go when you know you should. Too many people are unhappy and unsuccessful because they fail to realize when to quit. There are just some battles which are better left  not fought. When something (or someone) is not worth fighting for, then let go. You will not only save yourself from more pain, you will also have more time to pursue better options. There is a thin line separating persistence and being hard head. Persistence is fighting 'til you reach your goal. Hard head, on the other hand, is insisting on fighting even if you know the battle isn't worth your while. Holding on is being brave, but letting go takes more courage. You must choose your battles, because not all battles are worth pursuing. 

 In the end, it is always your choice to be happy.

The 7 Most Popular Life Goals And How You Can Achieve Them

If I were to ask you what your number one goal is right now, I bet it would be in this list.

1. I want to write a book  

2. I want to start a business  

3. I want to be healthier  

4. I want to travel  

5. I want to make money doing something I love 
6. I want to do something positive for the world/volunteer.  

7. I want to reduce my stress (money worries, relationship worries, etc) 

This is a pretty ambitious list of things to want to do. Do you see yourself here? And if so, what have you been doing to try and achieve one or more of these?

Dreaming and doing are two different things. If you've been dreaming of a goal for weeks, months or even years now, here are some simple ways to make any of your goals come true. 

Life Goal #1: I want to write a book

In order to write a 50,000 word book in 30 days, you'll have to write 1,667 words per day. Sound like a daunting task? Stretch it out into a three month or six month process, and the numbers drop to 556 or 278 words per day respectively.

The problem isn't in creating the book; its usually in finding the time to do it. When you look at it in a slightly different format - I'll write my book in six months - it gives you a new perspective. If you normally get up at 7 in the mornings, get up at 6 and dedicate that hour to writing your 278 words. While the first few days might be extremely difficult to get your 278 words out, by the time you're several weeks into the project, 278 words will fall out in a few minutes time.

You can also dedicate time to your new found craft to make things easier. There are many writing and self-publishing groups online and in your local area. Consider joining a group like National Novel Writing Month to keep you on track with your writing. Or read one of the many books on publishing your own book - try APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur - How To Publish a Book 

Life Goal #2: I want to start a business

Starting a business has never been easier. It doesn't take a lot of time. It doesn't take a lot of money. And it no longer takes a lot of resources. If you have a laptop and Internet connection, you can set up a portable business from just about anywhere. In the book Laptops Millionaire it provides many ways to turn ideas into something we can do from our kitchen table, no matter what city our kitchen table is currently located in.

The problem with setting up a new business is overwhelm. If you've been thinking about starting up your own business for a while now, what's holding you back? Chances are it's the complexity of your goals. Instead of saying "I'm starting up a business", change it to something more manageable, such as "I'm printing up business cards today". All of a sudden you can quickly see your goals fall into place, just by shrinking up the requirements you think about every day. 

Life Goal #3: I want to be healthier

Why doesn't a diet work? Because you're not going to the root of the problem. Ask anyone on a diet how they are doing, and you'll start hearing a list of "I can'ts". I can't have this. I can't do that. A brain on "can't" will never make it.

When I decided to go vegetarian, I never once thought of all the things I couldn't eat. Instead, I focused on the delicious foods I got to eat. When I reduced the amount of sugar I take in to almost nothing, I never looked at sweets longingly. Instead, I chose to eat things I knew were healthy and made me feel better both inside and out.

In order to be healthier, you have to learn to turn your can'ts into cans. Commit to something you believe in - becoming vegetarian for instance - and do everything you can to turn that into a lifestyle. Buy a vegetarian cookbook - The Happy Herbivore is one of my favorites - and pick out one recipe for every day of the week. Add those ingredients to your shopping list, and make the time to incorporate them into your meal planning. 

Life Goal #4: I want to travel

What does travel mean to you? Do you like to get away for the weekend? Or does around the world travel, 365 days of the year fit more into your plans?

One of the best ways we've found to get more out of our travel bucks is to rent apartments and homes instead of staying in a hotel. Last year we spent six weeks in Spain and Italy, and rented two bedroom apartments in every city we visited. We had beautiful kitchens and used them almost daily for breakfast, lunch and dinners. We packed picnics when we went sightseeing for the day, and only rarely took in fancy restaurants. I guarantee we saved hundreds of dollars this way (and its healthier too) - which meant we could easily boost our travel time to six weeks on the savings. HomeAway and Vacation Rentals are two great resources for you to find cute vacation rentals right in the heart of everything.

Life Goal #5: I want to make money doing something I love

Let's face it, we all get sick of "life" on occasion. But if you find yourself sick of your day job every single day, it may be time to re-evaluate what makes you happy.

If you are one of the people that exists at work because you don't know what else to do, and a "big idea" has never hit your consciousness, it may be time to focus in on what will make you happy  right now.

Looking for one great idea puts too high of expectations on your lifestyle. Instead, simplify it and look at what you enjoy today and what you can see yourself doing right now. Focus in on the present, not what is feasible a decade or more into the future. By turning to who you are today and what's possible with your knowledge right now, its easier to focus in on things that are possible.

Life is full of opportunity. You just have to focus on what's possible right now in the present.

Life Goal #6: I want to do something positive for the world/volunteer

Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to make you look at the world a little differently. Why not volunteer? You can take the traditional road and volunteer for something right in your own community, like Habitat for Humanity. Or combine your volunteering with a travel opportunity with organizations like Heifer International.

Volunteering can quickly set you up for finding a passion in your life. From there you may decide to help others set up their own life's purpose with places like Kiva. Or fund your own ideas with a place like Kickstarter. 

Life Goal #7: I want to reduce my stress (money worries, relationship worries, etc)

Think stress has to be a part of your life? Think again. Get to the root of the problem and eliminate it.

Stress doesn't go away without working at it. Stress is simply an outward expression of your reaction to something going on in your life. And if you don't change the pattern, it will continue to fester and grow until it impacts your life and/or your health.

You can start by taking control over your health. Meditation is a great way to put everything else aside and increase the peace you feel from the inside out.

Have specific issues going on in your life right now that you want to change? Don't go it alone. Sometimes an outside perspective can help you see things in an "a-ha" way. I've helped hundreds of people through my coaching programs. Being able to see things in a new light, and change your approach can truly put you on an entirely new path.

Do you see yourself in any of the above? Quit dreaming about it and just do it.

Start A Positive Habit Today: Take Time For Y-O-U!

Self-care is a critical part of living a healthy, not to mention sane, life as a working mom. It will make a huge difference in the way that you feel physically and emotionally and add greater satisfaction and contentment to your life. The challenge; however, is that it often seems that there are more things to do in the day than there is time to accomplish them. Also, busy working moms have a tendency to put everyone and everything before their own needs. If you are like most moms, you fall as they very last priority on your "to do" list (if you even put yourself on there at all).


In order for you to effectively deal with the demands of life and be energetic and available to those you love, it is important that you carve some time out for yourself each and every day. Actually, I retract that statement. It's not important…it is essential!


Until you get into the habit of making yourself a priority, schedule non-negotiable time in your calendar to do those things that bring you enjoyment and nourish your soul. This appointment is just as important as the one you have scheduled on your work calendar with your supervisor. You wouldn't miss that, would you?


If you need to arrange for a babysitter or get help from your partner, do so in advance as to not allow any obstacles to get in the way of you taking this much needed and much deserved time for yourself. Whether it is a 15 minute bath, yoga at your local gym, a massage, a mani-pedi, or a night out with your friends, it is imperative to take care of YOU before stress and fatigue set-in and make you ill. Remember, the more refreshed and balanced you are, the more you will be able to care for the people and things that matter most in your life.


I want to share a quote with you by Thomas Moore: "Most of us DO have time in our days that we could devote to simple relaxation, but we convince ourselves that we don't."


How would it serve you, your family, and your career to take time for yourself? What small changes are you committed to instituting NOW in order to ensure that you make yourself a priority and start living your BEST life?


Self-care is a critical part of living a healthy, not to mention sane, life as a working mom. It will make a huge difference in the way that you feel physically and emotionally and add greater satisfaction and contentment to your life. The challenge; however, is that it often seems that there are more things to do in the day than there is time to accomplish them. Also, busy working moms have a tendency to put everyone and everything before their own needs.In order for you to effectively deal with the demands of life and be energetic and available to those you love, it is important that you carve some time out for yourself. Actually, I retract that statement. It's not important…it is essential!


Until you get into the habit of making yourself a priority, schedule time in your calendar to do things that bring you enjoyment and nourish your soul. If you need to arrange for a babysitter or get help from your partner, do so in advance as to not allow any obstacles to get in the way of you taking time for yourself.


Whether it is a 15 minute bath, a walk around the block, or a night out with your friends, it is imperative to take care of YOU before stress and fatigue set-in and make you ill. Remember, the more refreshed and balanced you are, the more you will be able to care for the people and things that matter most in your life.


I want to share a quote with you by Thomas Moore: "Most of us DO have time in our days that we could devote to simple relaxation, but we convince ourselves that we don't."


How would it serve you, your family, and your career to take time for yourself? What small changes are you committed to instituting NOW in order to ensure that you are a priority and living your BEST life?

You CAN Achieve Your Dreams - Go from Information to Action Now!

No matter what season you are reading this, it's a great time for reflection and a time to think about what changes we'd like to make in the next season. What have we accomplished so far this year, or this quarter, or this month? What areas seemed to give us the most trouble when it comes to moving ahead and pressing forward? Where did we find ourselves "stuck?"



If you are associating yourself with "movers and shakers," you'll be hearing a lot about what really is possible, and what it takes to achieve all we want, and to be all we can be. So, what are the important changes you must make to move forward, both personally and in your business? Will this season be the best of your life? It CAN be!

I have been thinking about this long and hard for the last few weeks and I have narrowed it down to one big change that will help anyone to have their biggest breakthrough ever! I am afraid that if I share it with you, you'll overlook it due to its simplicity. Please don't be fooled, this one idea can transform who you are and can unleash the floodgates of what you are capable of.

It is not an easy change, if it were then it would be common and everyone would have the life and success they desire. The late Jim Rohn, one of the greatest motivational speakers of my lifetime once said, "What's easy to do is also easy not to do." Success takes work, not necessarily hard work, but consistent work. Do you agree with this? The one big change you'll want to make to reach your dreams and the level of success that you know you are capable of is this: You have to commit to implementing what you are learning and what you know. Action will move you forward! Talk may motivate you, but it's action that makes it happen.

Most of us (myself included) are continuously over-stimulated with ideas and information and do nothing substantial with any of them! This is the time to break that bad habit. The theme for me this year is to close the gap between information and action.  Write down any new idea that come across your mind, I believe seeing it helps to develop it. Do your research on the one idea that you are really passionate about and take action on accomplishing one task daily moving yourself closer to accomplishing the idea.

Each new month will be yet another opportunity for you to play by a higher standard that you've previously experienced. Each moment that you devote in accomplishing something you have been desiring eventually you will have accomplished it.  With persistences, perservance, patient, and continuous


The Ultimate Guide to Success: How to Achieve Your Goals in 10 Steps or Less (The Ultimate Success Series) (Volume 2)

What Words Will Empower You to Reach Goals and Be All You Can Be

Today (now!) is a good time to think about reinventing yourself and your business. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't be true to who you already are, but it's in our human nature to always want to improve. Try to imagine if you could have the qualities of anyone in the world whom you admire. Who would it be and what qualities would you most like to emulate? Maybe several people come to mind, each with a different set of characteristics that you admire. To grow and change, we can choose to put our focus on some positive qualities that we admire in others.



What if you had a word or a few words that represented who you want to be in this new season? Think and consider what those few words would look like? Here are some ideas and you can add your own:



Bold, Creative, Outstanding, Confident, Outgoing, Savvy,



Kind, Flexible, Authentic, Organized, Friendly, Successful,



Star, Amazing, Powerful, Energetic, Healthy, Wealthy,



Rich, Strong, Productive, Positive, Balanced, Popular



If you had a theme word to motivate and inspire you, what word would you choose? Often we get what we think about most. You have heard that you will create what you focus on so why not use this time of reinvention to choose a powerful and supportive theme to help you stay on track. You actions, day in and day out, would be from a person who completely embodies this word (or words). Reminds me a bit about theater class back in high school. Choose a word and behave in a way that lets others know what your word is, without ever having to tell them what it is.



I have 3 words myself for the year: Gracious, Innovative, Unstoppable. How about you -- what words will keep you centered on the you that you know you are capable of being? Remember, now is the perfect time for reinvention... you really can achieve all you want to and become exactly who you want to be!



If you like the idea of pushing forward and being all you can be, then you'll love the idea of reinventing yourself or your business to reach your biggest goals. It will take some intentional work on your part. Being all you can be doesn't happen by accident!