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How to Undo a Complaining Mindset

How to Undo a Complaining Mindset

Did you know that complaining could train you to be more negative? Learn a simple technique that can restructure your brain so you’re more positive, which increases your well being and resilience. Watch How to Undo a Complaining Mindset.

Transcript:

Welcome. Thank you for joining me. Did you know that complaining could train you to be more negative? And that the more you complain, the more you find to complain about? Unfortunately, pessimism and complaining don’t lead to a healthy and happy life, right?  

What if you could learn a tip to turn that complaining tendency around so that you were more positive? Well, that tip is what I want to share with you today.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

The tip to help you undo your complaining mindset and train yourself to be more positive is probably one you’ve heard before. Gratitude. Just practicing gratitude for 8 weeks can actually rewire your brain to be more positive.

The practice is to write down 3 specific things you’re grateful for each evening for 2 months. Not general, … specific things. Instead of “I’m grateful I went for a hike,” be specific with, “I felt renewed and refreshed by being in nature, feeling the breeze, hearing the birds, and enjoying the trees, rocks and flowers.” This brings the pleasant memory into sharp focus for you to remember.  

As you practice gratitude, your brain changes its structure and the way you process experiences, and also improves your memory. You begin to notice more positive elements in your life. This increases your happiness, resilience and well being, and creates the tendency to be more positive. 

Can you commit to practicing gratitude for the next 8 weeks to improve your attitude and well being? If so, what are you grateful for today?

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, Complaining Trains You to Be Negative, Part 1.

Meditation for Self-Love

Meditation for Self-Love

Loving yourself is necessary to a strong sense of self-esteem and self-worth. When you love yourself, you have more love, compassion and empathy for yourself and others. Practice this meditation to develop self-love to experience greater well being. Watch Meditation for Self-Love.

Transcript:

Welcome. Today, I’d like to lead you through a meditation to help you cultivate more love for yourself. When I use the term “self-love,” I’m not talking about narcissism, which is more about complete self-centeredness, self-importance and a sense of entitlement.

Instead, self-love means you have a healthy interest in your own well being and happiness. When you love yourself, you have more compassion and empathy for yourself and for others. Does that sound good?

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

The goal of this meditation is to allow you to feel your love for yourself. To benefit the most from this meditation, close your eyes.

Imagine someone, such as a child, spouse, family member, friend, or even a pet, in front of you. You care deeply about that individual’s well being. You want the best for that individual, health, harmony and happiness. Imagine that feeling of wanting the best for them welling up within you. That is love. Imagine yourself projecting an ocean of love towards that person, bathing them in love.

Now imagine, that the individual turns into a representation of you. It could be a photo of you, a reflection of you in the mirror, or something else. You want the best for that representation, who the representation reflects. It’s the same health, harmony and happiness you wished for the other individual a moment ago.

Imagine that feeling welling up within you again. That is love. You’re now viewing yourself, projecting love to yourself and receiving that ocean of love. Bathing in it. Open your heart to receive the love. Accept the love.

Open your eyes. Do you notice a difference?

When you can accept that love for yourself, from yourself, you have more love to give to those around you. You not only take better care of your well being, but you also care more about others well being.

If you practice this type of meditation several times a week, you’ll probably notice that your self-esteem and self-worth improves.

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Please read the accompanying article, Cultivate Self-Love to Flourish.

Cultivate Self-Love to Flourish

Cultivate Self-Love to Flourish

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Heart Tree

People always talk about loving others, but what about loving yourself? Loving yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your life. It means that you care for yourself, and will take care of yourself. There are many words that people use to define caring about themselves, such as self-esteem, self-worth, self-compassion, self-care, and self-acceptance.

All of these descriptions go into building self-love, which is a deep appreciation of who you are as a person. Self-love is created by all those qualities, and at the same time, it’s the foundation of them all. It’s a feedback loop that strengthens each of those other qualities.

You’re an individualized expression of the Universe, and the Universe loves you unconditionally. How could it be otherwise? How could it not love a part of Itself? And if you love the Universe, then you must love Its form in and as you.

Self-Love vs. Narcissism

Unfortunately, many people confuse self-love with narcissism. They are actually opposites. Narcissists are concerned with comparing themselves with others, and try to drag others down to build themselves up. Contrary to this, self-love is about having a profound interest in your own well being. Self-Love has nothing to do with comparing yourself to other people.

Narcissism seeks its validation from external factors and at the expense of others. Self-love is developed from within, and dependent on your approval of yourself as an individual. You value your welfare, and don’t sacrifice it to others demands or expectations.

The Universe prizes your well being, and wants you to be true to yourself. Because when you are, then you’re creating the best conduit for Universal Love.

When You Love Yourself

People who want to feel good about themselves work on self-esteem and self-worth issues. Those issues block the flow of Universal love to and through you. And those issues are well worth dealing with, for they’ll help you understand that you deserve love. And when you reach that awareness, you’ll begin to reap the benefits of loving yourself, such as the following:

* You have more love to give to yourself and others.

* You’re less critical of yourself. 

* You take actions that support your physical, mental and emotional well being.

* Your relationship with yourself, and others, improves.

* You’re kinder with other people.

* You make better decisions because you trust yourself more.

* You have stronger boundaries.

It will take some effort to develop self-love, but the rewards are well worth it.

Self-love prioritizes your welfare, and empowers you to live a more fulfilling and satisfying life. When you love yourself, you have a stronger connection to your inner self and the Universe.

How to Build Self-Love

To build a stronger foundation of self-love, take actions that are supportive of your health and well being, such as the following:

* Use positive self-talk or affirmations to counter all the negative messages you’ve received.

* Pay attention to your needs and well being, and prioritize them.

* Use self-care techniques to reduce stress and build your peace of mind.

* Be kind and compassionate towards yourself when you make mistakes.

* Accept yourself as you are now, knowing there’s always room for improvement.

* Acknowledge your achievements, small and large.

* Recognize your values and strengths, and commit to living them.

Challenges

When you reach the point of being comfortable within yourself, and love yourself, you’ll attract people to your warmth and authenticity. But it won’t be all unicorns and sunshine. There will still be challenges.

There will be those who will be jealous of your serenity and try to tear you down. And some people will be uncomfortable around you, and try to extinguish your light. They’ll try to undermine you and make you doubt yourself, so they feel superior. Unfortunately, this is a normal response by insecure people to anyone who is self-assured, talented and creative.

You’re Stronger When You Love Yourself

But the good news is, with your greater sense of self and well being shielding you, you’ll emerge stable and intact. Remember, their problem isn’t really with you, it’s with them. They don’t have the inner security that you have. Learning to love yourself is a life-long journey, and takes constant awareness and vigilance. And it will bring you the rewards of wholeness, peace and understanding. The Universe completely supports you embracing yourself.

Affirmation:

The Universe loves me just as I am, because I’m an individualized expression of It. When I love myself, I’m loving the Universe and Its creation. I appreciate myself, my needs and my well being. I deserve love and recognize my true worth. I embrace my true self and now commit to taking the actions necessary that show my love of self. The Universe guides my response to people who try to drag me down. I am kind and compassionate towards myself and others. The Universe completely supports my self-love.

Please watch the accompanying video, Meditation for Self-Love.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html

How to Develop a Sense of Goodwill

How to Develop a Sense of Goodwill

Having goodwill towards others creates more peace of mind and happiness in your life. Goodwill develops positive qualities in you, which improves your quality of life.  Discover the various ways to cultivate goodwill, and the one powerful way that will make a profound change in your life. Watch How to Develop a Sense of Goodwill.

Transcript:

Welcome. In this video, I’d like to explore the idea of goodwill, what it means to you, and how you can develop it.

To experience more peace of mind and happiness in your life, having goodwill towards others is vital. When you have goodwill towards others, you also cultivate it in yourself, for yourself.  Having goodwill creates positive qualities in you, such as improved self-worth, which then filter into your having a better life. So it’s a win-win attitude to have.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

To develop goodwill, you can practice gratitude, kindness, give without expecting anything back, and compassion for yourself and others. With this attitude, you’re interested in other people’s well being and want it to improve. All of these ways work to increase your ability to have a sense of goodwill about yourself and others.

But one of the best ways to develop goodwill is to think this about those you meet, “I wish you the best,” and mean it. “I wish you the best.” You don’t have to think about what the best for them could be. Just wish them the best, however that shows up for them. Wish the best to your cashier, other drivers (even if they’re rude), family members, even your boss.

It’s hard, but also wish the best for those who have done you harm. By doing so, you’re better able to let go of them and the situation and move on with your life.

A sense of goodwill enriches your life and the lives of others. When you wish the best for others, without knowing it, you’re also wishing it for yourself. This practice can make a positive and profound change in your life. All it takes is a little thought and practice. How can you practice it today? Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused. I wish the best for you.

Read the accompanying article, The Power of Goodwill.

The Power of Goodwill

The Power of Goodwill

by Linda-Ann Stewart

heart shaped Christmas wreath

For a good part of the world, the holiday season is upon us, along with its theme, “Peace on earth, and goodwill towards men.” It’s a wonderful sentiment, isn’t it? Instead of enjoying peace and goodwill only at a certain time of year, wouldn’t it be nice to experience it all year long? With some awareness and intention, we can create a lifestyle that’s devoted to promoting goodwill. And it’s well worth the effort. It can become an important spiritual practice.  

What Goodwill Means

When you have goodwill, it means that you feel benevolent and compassionate towards other people. You have a friendly and helpful attitude towards another person, desiring the best for them. Even if someone has hurt you, and you don’t want them in your life, you can still wish them well. Being able to reach this viewpoint means that you’ve been able to forgive them and move forward. You let them go to their highest good, while moving onto yours.

What Goodwill Means for You

When you have a sense of goodwill, you’re remodeling your brain to create more cells that reflect kindness.  By focusing on this attitude, you’re building more neural pathways of happiness and optimism. And as you act on your goodwill, you trigger your brain’s reward centers, which releases pleasure chemicals. The more you choose goodwill, the more goodwill you’ll feel.

Paradoxically, projecting goodwill towards others reflects back to you. When you radiate goodwill, you’re more attractive to others. The Law of Attraction will then attract more good to you. Displaying goodwill creates healthier relationships, as goodwill towards a friend or partner is vital for a positive connection. Having good intentions towards others also builds trust in yourself and your interactions with others.

How Goodwill Promotes Peace

Although peace on earth may seem out of reach, there’s a song that goes, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” Each one of us can contribute to peace on earth by having goodwill towards the men and women we meet and interact with. Like kindness, goodwill spreads, like the ripples in a pond. When we emanate goodwill, we’re expressing the love of the Universe and this allows a closer connection to the Infinite. Carry the spirit of this season throughout the year, and let it change your life and the lives of the people around you.

Affirmation:

Goodwill is always flowing from the Universe to me. I give that goodwill a channel to flow through me and into my life. No matter what the circumstances, I choose to radiate goodwill to all those around me. As I choose kindness and compassion, it reflects back into my life. Goodwill has the power to spread peace and joy and change my life and the lives of those around me.

Watch the accompanying video, How to Develop a Sense of Goodwill.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html

A Fun Way to Cultivate Happiness

A Fun Way to Cultivate Happiness

Happiness increases your success, improves your health, and raises your creativity and productivity. There are easy ways you can use to elevate your mood and pleasure, which adds to your happiness. Discover a powerful way to create happiness that you can use every day. Watch A Fun Way to Cultivate Happiness.

Transcript:

Welcome. Did you know the mind can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined? This is why advertisers use strong, emotional imagery to sell their products and services. The viewer imagines themselves in that picture.

I’d like to share a tip on how you can use this process to boost your happiness. Because happiness increases your success, improves your health, raises your creativity and productivity. Who wouldn’t want that?

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower people to focus and align their heart with their vision so they can achieve their goals. I’ve been helping people improve their lives for over 30 years using a variety of techniques, including guided visualization, so I know its power. But you don’t have to be in an induced trance to get drawn into imagery.

Just imagining, or remembering, laughter lifts your emotional state. What if you did that a couple  times a day? Also, when you go to a movie or watch a TV show, you’re totally engaged with the action. So, watching a comedy movie or TV show can improve your mood and raise your level of happiness.

I’m sure you’ve watched funny cat videos at some point, and that has helped to elevate your mood, right? Happiness increases productivity, so maybe employees taking a break to watch funny videos actually become more effective. As long as they watch for only short periods of time, or else the boss may object.

So just remembering the funny video will cause you to smile. Remember, the mind can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Use that to your benefit.

The more often you feel uplifted and joyful, the more you’re building neural patterns to stay in that mental space. Use the power of imagery, whether in your own mind or as entertainment, to cultivate an attitude of pleasure and happiness.

Thank you for watching. If you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, How to Improve Your Happiness Level.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html.

Craft a Sustainable Well of Happiness

Craft a Sustainable Well of Happiness

Contrary to western beliefs, rather than success bringing happiness, happiness brings success. In great measure, your happiness is within your control. You can increase your level of happiness that will bring you multiple benefits. Watch Craft a Sustainable Well of Happiness.

Transcript:

Welcome to this month’s mindset coaching tip. Everyone could use more happiness, right? But trying to find it through achievement or awards is fleeting, at best. Happiness is much more persistent and powerful when it’s developed by  activities that you have the ability to do each day. I’d like to share a couple of tips on how you can craft a more sustainable well of happiness.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor and hypnotherapist. I empower people to focus and align their heart with their vision so they can achieve their goals. And being happy makes success more likely

The first tip to developing happiness I’d like to share with you is to take 15 minutes a day to do something that feeds your soul. Take a walk, get into nature, play with your dog or cat, or garden.

This gives your brain a boost of pleasure chemicals that increase your sense of satisfaction and joy. You know how you feel when you take time for what matters to you, right? So make sure you take at least 15 minutes a day for you.  

My second tip to crafting happiness is an outgrowth of the first tip. Get creative with some sort of craft. It could be something like quilting, embroidery, needlework, jewelry making, beading, knitting, crocheting, or my favorite, weaving. Crafting can reduce stress and anxiety.

The same is true of any art or creativity, such as painting, sculpting, music, pottery, photography, cooking, baking, or woodworking. And there are so many more.

Because you’re focused on something enjoyable, it puts you in a state of flow. In addition to increasing a sense of satisfaction, flow is where ideas and insights can start to surface. This makes achieving your goals easier.

So there are multiple benefits for taking the time for you and also for enjoying some art or craft each day. Not only will you reduce stress, and  improve your mood, but you will begin to build a well of happiness and fulfillment within yourself.

What can you do for you today? I’m going to go take a walk and then go weave. Thank you for watching. If you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. Stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, How to Improve Your Happiness Level.

How to Improve Your Happiness Level

How to Improve Your Happiness Level

by Linda-Ann Stewart

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln

Our western culture pushes the idea that achieving success will bring happiness, when the opposite is actually true. I’m sure you know people who pursue success, money and power, thinking it will bring them happiness. When it doesn’t bring lasting joy, they double down to accumulate more.

In actuality, the elation over a positive event, like a promotion or winning the lottery, is transitory. After a few months, the euphoria wears off, and the person’s level of happiness drops to what it was before the event.

Happiness could be defined as a state of wellbeing, contentment, satisfaction and fulfillment. These attributes depend on whether you have a generally positive mindset or not because happiness and optimism are closely intertwined.

The Good News about Happiness

According to some researchers, about 60% of your happiness comes from heredity and life situations beyond your control. Fear not, however. About 40% of your happiness derives from what you do in your everyday life. This means that much of your happiness is based on the choices you make. Building a well of happiness from within is under your control and more pervasive than seeking it from outside sources.

There are multiple benefits to happiness, beyond just making you feel good. Happiness affects the following and more:

Increases your success. You’re more likely to receive sales, promotions and awards.

Improves your health. Your immunity increases, heart disease decreases, and mental acuity is better as you age.

Opens up doors to greater creativity. When you’re in the flow, you have more mental resources to be inspired.

Causes you to be more productive. You have more energy and seek out more opportunities.

Enhances your relationships. You’re more open, interact better and little annoyances don’t bother you as much.

Builds a positive attitude. You look on the bright side of situations and seek out beneficial solutions.

Strengthens your ability to fulfill your potential. You tap into qualities that allow you to think better and make better decisions.

Raises your vibration. You feel lighter and clearer, therefore your vibration is higher.

Attracts more good to you. Allows you to be a clearer conduit for the Universe and the Law of Attraction.

All of these benefits are within your grasp, based on the choices you make each day. Happiness isn’t just a random occurrence, inspired by a positive experience. The thoughts you focus on develop new neurons and “neurons that fire together, wire together,” creating new connections in your brain. Through repetition of specific thoughts and actions, you can raise and strengthen your level of happiness and optimism.

How to Cultivate Happiness

By keeping your attention on something good, you cultivate new patterns of well being within yourself. And the more you do this, the more you feel good. It’s true that, in your brain, “What you focus on expands.”

Here are 6 ways to build more pathways in your brain to a sense of wellbeing, satisfaction and happiness:

Smile. Not only can a smile be contagious, it activates part of your brain to bring you more contentment. When you smile, your brain releases positive chemicals and hormones to make you feel good. Spend one minute in the morning to smile, and you’ll start the day off well.

Be kind. When you give to others, it also makes you feel good. Being kind activates parts of your brain that bring you a rush of euphoria. Just sending a card or email of appreciation to someone will brighten your day, as well as theirs.

Count Your Blessings. Gratitude stimulates the production of reward and pleasure chemicals in the brain, making you feel upbeat. Studies have found that if you list three things you’re grateful for each day, you’ll notice your happiness and attitude improve within three weeks.  

Detailed Gratitude. To deepen the impact of gratitude, each day find one thing that made you happy or grateful and write about it in detail. Spend at least a couple of minutes on this exercise. When you also visualize and savor the experience, this increases the effect and brings even greater satisfaction.

Meditate. Meditation grows the area of your brain responsible for joy. Whether it’s a consistent five minutes a day or longer, meditation will rewire your brain and your brain’s function. All you need to get started is to take long, slow deep breaths, in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Focus on your breathing. If your mind wanders (as it will), just bring it back to your breath.

Build social relationships. When you hang out with friends, this increases your ties with other people and improves your mental health. This can be done in person or virtually. I have several good friends who live a long distance from me, but we stay connected either through the phone or online.

Greater happiness can be yours using these small steps. Consistency will retrain your brain to be happier and build more neural circuits that support joy.

Affirmation:

The Universe wants the best for me. Success may not lead to happiness, but happiness leads to success. Happiness is a natural state for me, well within my grasp. I no longer wait to be happy but choose to be happy, now. What I focus on expands, and as I open myself to more happiness, more flows to me. The Universe supports me in finding simple ways to cultivate happiness in my life now.

Watch the accompanying videos, Craft a Sustainable Well of Happiness and A Fun Way to Cultivate Happiness.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.

Tip the Scales Towards the Positive

Tip the Scales Towards the Positive

When there’s a tragedy, you may resist feeling good because you think it’s inappropriate. But this is the most important time for you to focus on the good in your life. Doing so builds resiliency to handle difficult times. Learn a powerful technique that allows you to create more strength and empowerment for good times and bad. Watch Tip the Scales Towards the Positive.

Transcript:

Sometimes, when bad things have happened, such as a tragedy in the world or in your personal life, you might feel guilty for feeling upbeat. You might think it’s selfish, inappropriate or that you don’t deserve to.

This is common and natural, but doesn’t help you or anyone else. It just perpetuates the negativity, undermining your strength and reducing your ability to handle the situation. This is really the most important time for you to focus on what is good in your life.

When you pay attention to the good things in your life, you tip the scales toward feeling better. This results in more happiness and well being for you, more kindness and compassion towards others. You’ll have more resources to draw from to deal with the tragedy and when other upsetting experiences do occur.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart and I empower people to focus and align their heart with their vision so they can achieve their goals. I’d like to share with you how you can give yourself a well of resilience to draw from in good times and bad. This is a technique I use in my life and it’s served me well.

Neuroscience tells us that “neurons that fire together, wire together.” That means that the more you focus on the positive, the more neurons you build in the areas of encouragement, empowerment, and inspiration.

To stimulate your neurons to create more positive emotions, when you find  something pleasant in your life, let it fill you up. Instead of just thinking of it  for a few seconds, which, don’t get me wrong, is good, spend 20-30 seconds focusing on it.

Feel it, savor it. Let it pour through you like a warm glow, or golden liquid. I will often stop with the intention to take time to relish a scene or experience  to allow the joy and serenity of it to imprint on my memory.

The longer you dwell on the pleasant  experience and allow it to stimulate gratifying emotions, the stronger and more powerful the your positive neurons become.

I suggest practicing this several times a day. The more often you do this, the more you build a net of positive neurons that can support and nourish you in tough times.

Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please like my YouTube channel and click the bell to be notified of future videos about mindset, motivation and empowerment. Until next time, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, Find the Good in Your Life.

How Simple Actions Improve Your Attitude

How Simple Actions Improve Your Attitude

Exuberant woman on beach

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Have you ever had a lousy morning, felt frustrated, upset or discouraged, and had the day go downhill from there? It can be hard to turn things around when your attitude is in the dumps. You don’t have much motivation, focus or creativity. Nothing goes right. And it doesn’t seem that you have any control over your mood. You think you just have to ride it out until it runs its course.

But what about the opposite, when you started out in a foul mood, then felt better after you encountered someone who was upbeat? It could have been a smiling server, a congenial person in line, or someone who opened the door for you. Didn’t their cheery attitude brighten your day a bit?

You Can Change Your Mood

You aren’t doomed to wait until chance improves your mood. Your attitude is influenced by your actions and by the actions of others. For instance, when my mother was young, she used to break her boredom on the bus by yawning, and seeing how many people yawned in response. Her deliberate act of yawning was contagious, just as someone else’s pleasant disposition is infectious.

Just as a stranger can impact your mood in a short time, you have the ability to shift your attitude, too. You don’t have to wait and hope it will change. You can become more positive by taking the following small, deliberate actions.

Take a walk. Many years ago, I was deeply depressed from a relationship breakup. Knowing a walk would make me feel better, I dragged myself out of the house. A half-hour later, as I was returning home, my mood had improved by about 80%. Studies find that walking is as effective as antidepressants to improve mental attitude. Walking is also good for creativity.

Write down gratitudes. At the beginning of each day, write down three things you’re grateful for. That way, you start your day on a high note. When something goes wrong during your day, remember the gratitudes you wrote down that day, or find something new to be thankful for. 

Take small actions on a goal. Your mind loves to achieve things. When you accomplish something, no matter how small, you trigger the pleasure center of your brain. This gives you a flush of happiness and increases your motivation to continue.

Smile. Whether you feel like it or not, make yourself smile for at least a minute. Smiling tricks your brain into feeling better. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll spread good cheer to others. When you smile at others, you’re giving yourself and them a gift.

Watch a funny video. Find something that will make you laugh to bring you out of the dumps. Laughter reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and eases pain. Just a minute of it will brighten your outlook. Laughter is uplifting, and is also contagious, making other people respond in the same way.  

If you’re in a bad mood, use one of these tips to turn it around. When you’re feeling more positive, you’re more likely to take productive action. Your whole day flows more smoothly, harmoniously and you’re more effective. It takes a willingness to empower yourself and be proactive, but it’s well worth the effort. And as you become happier, notice how you’re able to spread your good mood and inspire others.

Affirmation:

I have the power and ability to keep a positive attitude, no matter what’s going on in my world. When I’m in a pleasant mood, my channel to the Universal Good is wide open. I listen to the still, small voice within that tells me that all is well. I am grateful for all that I have. The Divine Pattern for good flows through my mind, body and spirit.

Please watch the accompanying video, How One Small Technique Can Improve Your Attitude.

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