Are you the 'glass is half full' type of person? Is it your nature to look on the bright side of things, or do you relate more with the "if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all" crowd? While some psychologists believe genetics largely determines whether or not we have a positive or negative outlook towards life, the reality is that we can to a large degree alter our outlook by changing our attitude. Realizing a few years back that my attitude left a lot to be desired, I decided to try and improve it by reading positive books and applying some of the techniques I came across. While the individual authors all had their own particular take on it, much of what I read came back to developing a sense of self worth and gratitude. I have used several of the exercises that follow to help me develop these qualities, and have also found them useful in creating a positive mental state at will.

How often to you take the time to give thanks for all the blessings you have? No matter how good or bad things may seem at the present time, we all have numerous things to be grateful for. Developing an attitude of gratefulness will help you to become a more positive person. A simple way to accomplish this is take a notebook, put it beside your bed, and one of the first things you do upon waking is to list a couple of things that you are grateful for today. This sense of appreciation doesn't have to be anything stupendous, but can be something as simple as gratitude for a great cup of coffee, expressing appreciation for people in your life past or present, good health, a walk in the park, good food, or anything else that comes to mind. The point is, make it personal, and allow yourself to experience the feeling of gratitude. You will soon find that starting the day with a spirit of gratitude helps to put you in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the day. After doing this for thirty days, take a look back at everything you've listed. You will be amazed at just how much you have to be grateful for!

Another technique that helps to build positive feelings about yourself is taking some time to list all of your accomplishments. Too often we focus on what we haven't yet accomplished and fail to take the time to give ourselves a little pat on the back regarding the many things we have already achieved. Again, it doesn't have to be earth shattering, but can be anything that you get a sense of accomplishment from. For example, a few of the accomplishments that I listed was; teaching myself how to play guitar, being the first in my family to graduate from high school and go to college, becoming an excellent athlete, overcoming a debilitating struggle with self esteem, overcoming my shyness, etc. Take a couple of minutes everyday to list one accomplishment in your life that makes you feel good about yourself. When you think about the accomplishment, spend a brief time lingering on the feeling that you experience when you think back to it. Experience it again as if it happened yesterday.

Finally, do you take some time everyday to laugh? I'm talking about a good old belly laugh, the kind that makes the back of your head hurt. One of the ways I've found to bring a little humor into my life everyday is to recall some of the funniest moments in it! We have all had funny and embarrassing things happen to us in life, and the process of thinking back to those moments is guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you recall humorous events from your past. Take a little time each day to recall one of those moments. For me, a lot of the funniest times go back to my childhood days and the pranks we pulled on each other. Sometimes I was the victim, and in others I was the one pulling the prank, but whatever the case, I can't help but smile when I think back to those times. A friendly warning to you; if you do this little exercise while out in public, like while riding the train to work, you may find that your sudden outburst of laughter will have others gazing at you with apprehensive stares. Be prepared.

In life, there are many things beyond our control. Fortunately, one of the things that we do have control over if we chose to exercise it, is our thoughts and consequently our attitude. Try using some of these techniques or some of your own to help bring moments of positive thought into your daily life. You'll be glad you did, and of that I am POSITIVE!