Train Your Brain to Be Positive

We are so surrounded by negativity and bad news these days that it seems to be increasingly difficult to remain positive. And yet negativity gets us nowhere. When we focus on what's gone wrong, judge or criticize others, get worked up over small things, put ourselves down, doubt our abilities or expect failure, all we do is perpetuate the vicious circle of negativity, with the effect that we feel even more negative and stressed than before. This impacts upon our work, our relationships with others, our confidence, the quality of our decisions, our happiness, and our whole attitude towards life.

So, what if we could beat those negative habits and develop a healthier, more positive approach to life? It is not always easy, but by following even one of the following three steps, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your approach towards life. In fact you might be amazed at what you can achieve with your new-found upbeat and positive attitude!

1.Become aware of your thoughts
Make a conscious effort to notice what your inner voice is telling you. Every time you notice a positive or negative thought, note it down. At the end of the day, take a good look. Becoming aware of our thoughts is a powerful tool, and you may be shocked to find just how much negativity dominates your thoughts. Do you constantly criticize others, do you always put yourself down? Or do you spend your day thinking good thoughts about yourself and all those around you. If so, congratulations - keep up the good work!

2.Transform negative thoughts into positive ones
This is the fun part! Make a list of each negative thought as it pops up. Place it on the left of the page. On the right, write down how that thought could be seen differently and more positively. This is also an opportunity to go a little crazy - get your creative juices flowing, come up with some absurd ideas and have some fun. You'll start feeling better almost immediately.

3.Focus on the positive
Once you've transformed your negatives into positives, decide to focus on the positives. This is simply a question of developing a new habit. Try it out for one day - then for one week, and longer. Don't worry if the odd negative thought pops up. Just notice it, transform it into something more positive, and move on. This technique requires a conscious effort to break free from your old habits. It's often said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit - so within just one month you could be seeing real changes to your life.

Positivity is a habit, which means you can learn to see the positive in everything, no matter what. Your subconscious mind can't tell the difference between what is true and what is not, so it will focus on what your conscious mind tells it to. Make a decision to be positive today and you will be amazed at the difference it brings to your life.

Susan Andrewes is a leading career and confidence coach based in Brussels, Belgium. She coaches clients throughout Europe.

View her website at http://www.susanandrewes.com

To receive a free copy of her special report '7 ways coaching will help you to increase your confidence', email Susan at coach@susanandrewes.com