Unleash the Power of a Positive Attitude: Be Positive

- By Joan Breiner & Susyn Reeve ***
-The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.
- Unknown

Our thinking informs our experience. A positive outlook, your attitude, can transform a traffic jam into an opportunity to practice patience. But a new thought is not enough. You must embody the new thought. You actually have to have a somatic experience of your positive thought, your positive attitude, to realize the potent benefit of positive thinking.

Have you ever noticed that when you commit to positive attitude you still hear the voice of doubt, fear and uncertainty running like an endless recording in your mind? You boldly create an affirmation, "I focus my attention on a positive attitude in my thoughts, words and actions." You commit to writing this affirmation in your journal ten times each morning for the next 30 days to keep focused on your positive intention. You paste sticky notes in strategic locations - your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator door - you write your affirmation on your screen saver, etc... But, whenever you write it and see it you also hear other - negative - affirmations in your mind: "Who are you kidding you're so judgmental? This is too hard, what's positive about having more bills than I can pay? I just don't know how to do this."

Overlaying a positive thought on a belief that is at odds with the affirmation is not enough to upgrade the software of your mind. It's like putting a bandage on a wound without first cleaning the wound and applying the appropriate medicine. You won't see the wound directly, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exit. To truly create a new brain pathway, based on your positive attitude, you must free your heart and mind from your negative programming not merely cover it up with a new thought that you really don't believe.

You may be wondering, Okay - how do I do this? Often installing a positive attitude begins with an awareness of your negative thinking. Here's how it works:

- Identify something you are not happy about in your life right now (an unhappy relationship, being overweight, being unemployed, a strained relationship with a family member or friend, etc...)

- Choose 1 item and create a positive intention statement that defines what you desire. (My relationship is a source of joy in my life. I love and honor my body, etc...)

- Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. One the left hand-side write your positive affirmation. On the right-hand side write the thoughts - whatever thoughts - pop into your mind in reaction to your affirmation. Here's an example:

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
But I'm overweight.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I weigh too much.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I'm too lazy.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
It's too hard.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I don't stick with healthy exercise and eating.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I really wish I could do this once and for all.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I wonder if I could really do this.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
I want to.

I love, appreciate and care for my body.
Okay, I'll try.

I love, appreciate and care for my body,
Yes, I Do!

-Look for themes in the statements on the right side of the page. In the example above the themes include: a lack of confidence, concerns about this being too hard, doubt in success.

-Take those themes and incorporate them into the positive affirmation so it becomes:

I am easily successful in loving, appreciating and caring for my body.

I am supported as I effortlessly love, appreciate and care for my body in my thoughts, words and actions.

My thoughts, words and behavior reflect the love, appreciation and care I give to my body.

- To further reinforce your positive affirmation and to tap into the true potency of a positive attitude, using the full resources of your imagination, create a visualization of your positive affirmation accomplished. For example:

I am wearing my beautiful new black dress at my birthday party. I hear my family and friends singing Happy Birthday to me. I feel confident, beautiful and healthy and know how satisfying a small piece of my strawberry shortcake birthday cake tastes.

- Visualize the scene of your positive affirmation fully accomplished - as though it is occurring right now - and you are feeling the feelings of associated with your heart's desire.

Remember while positive thoughts are useful for an attitude adjustment, they are a true source of empowerment when you experience them alive in your body in the present moment.