How we say something is far more important than what we say. Surprisingly, only 7% of the message we convey is made up of the actual words we use. Body language accounts for well over half of the impact of a conversation and it is thought that this may be as high as 80%.

Imagine that you were unable to hear a conversation between 2 people. Would you be able to tell if one or both of the participants was a positive thinker?

Here are 7 ways in which their attitude can be readily identified.

1) A positive thinker smiles. Perhaps somewhat obvious, but this is probably the main expression of someone who is positive.

2) People with positive attitudes will look someone straight in the eye during a conversation. This shows honesty and confirms they have nothing to hide!

3) A positive thinker periodically acknowledges what is being said by nodding their head. This demonstrates acceptance of what is being said.

4) They use hand gestures freely. The person is relaxed and feels comfortable with the conversation.

5) They will sit or stand with their head up, which reveals a confident person.

6) A positive thinker will lean forward to show that they are attentive and interested in the conversation.

7) When speaking to a positive person, you will notice that their heads may lean to one side, which conveys that they are listening and relaxed.

If you are a positive person, you will be using most – if not all – of these already. If you want to acquire a more positive attitude, then you must first think positively. You will find that the body language will most likely come to you automatically. Not only will you be thinking positively, but you will certainly convey a very much more positive attitude to everyone around you!

Everyone seems to be in such a rush going here and there. Slow down. This world is an amazing place! Look around you. Whether you are looking at trees, flowers, people or buildings, all of these have been created.

Take in the sights, listen to all of the wonderful sounds, and feel the warm sun or wind on your face.

Instead of taking everything you see for granted, take some time to really look, think and become more curious about everything around you!

Be amazed at all of the vibrant colors you see. Why are there so many colors? What if everything was just black and white?

Be amazed at the sheer height of buildings, and wonder how people managed to construct them. When were they built, and how long did it take?

Be amazed at the shapes of the flowers you see in the park. Look closely at the petals and leaves. Notice how perfectly formed they are. Why is this particular flower pink, yet the one over there is yellow?

Look up at the sky. Beyond the clouds, you can see the sun. At night, we see the moon and the stars. These objects are so far away, yet you can see them!

Look up at the stars, and try to appreciate how distant these tiny dots of light actually are.

Watch a river flowing by, or watch waves crashing against the shore. Appreciate the power in the water and realize how water and wind has helped shape the landscape.

Walk along a crowded street and notice how unique every person is. There are millions and millions of people on the Earth, yet everyone is an individual.

When you get home, take a long look in the mirror and see how unique you are. Be thankful for who you are, and what you are able to do.

Everything on the Earth is truly amazing!

Procrastination is an extremely common problem, and every one of us will have experienced it! You know that you have to get something done, but you will do anything to avoid actually having to do it. I’m not one for doing housework, but when I had to study for exams, I was more than happy to clean the oven or defrost the fridge.

Here are 7 tips that I personally use to avoid the pitfalls of procrastination.

1) Early in the day, write down a maximum of 5 things that you absolutely must do today. By writing them down, you will see exactly what you need to do. Having various tasks swirling around in your head won’t help you get anything done!

2) Restrict your list to 5 tasks. Anymore than that and you just won’t know where to start.

3) Look at the list and decide on 3 tasks that you will be able to complete quickly and without too much effort. Normally, you would be advised to do the hardest tasks first. But think about it. If you procrastinate with the hardest tasks, then you won’t complete anything on your list!

4) When you complete a task, take great pleasure in striking it off your list. Take a couple of minutes “out” to congratulate yourself on completing it. Feel really positive about your accomplishment, no matter how small or trivial the task was.

5) For the “harder” tasks on your list, you must look at these in a positive way. If it is something you really don’t like doing, imagine that the task has been completed, and reflect on how great you will feel once it has been done. See yourself striking the task off your list, and congratulating yourself for completing it.

6) Having a sense of accomplishment will make all the difference when tackling your next task. The problem with procrastination is that if you don’t complete anything on your list, then you miss out on this wonderful feeling. Get your first task done and your feelings of accomplishment will snowball as you continue to tackle more items on the list.

7) Sometimes tasks just have to be done, whether you like to do them or not. This is where you really just have to get on and do it. Besides the wonderful feeling of accomplishment (which will be greater the more you hate the task!), you will be rewarded by the benefits that completing that task will bring. Before starting the task, decide on an additional reward that you will give yourself when it is completed.

Procrastination prevents us from achieving the things in life that will help us grow and to reach our full potential. Enjoy the challenge of completing your daily tasks and congratulate yourself on achieving so much that day.

As you continue to achieve more and more, procrastination will soon become a thing of the past!

People often focus on what they want, and not on what they already have. Do you find yourself wishing for this and that, and take what you have for granted?

Rather than thinking of what you wish you could have, why not first take some time to reflect on what you have right now? Express gratitude for everything you have in your life. Once you can acknowledge and be thankful for what you have, then you can move on to ask for more.

Sit down and make a long list of what you have.

Firstly, list the members of your immediate family and close friends. Next to each name, write down 3 positive words to describe them. This is a wonderful way to really think of what these people mean to you.

Now make a list of your strengths and your talents. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Every one of us was given gifts – our own special gifts. And this is what makes each of us so unique!

Write down the ways in which your talents and strengths have allowed you to achieve particular goals in your life. Acknowledge your talents and make sure that you use them regularly to benefit yourself and others!

Once you have listed the people in your life, and the talents that make you so special, you may then list your material possessions that are important to you. Next to each of these, write down the ways in which these benefit you, your family, and those around you.

From this exercise, you will appreciate that there is far more in life than fancy houses and cars. Your family, your friends, and your gifts and talents are the things that really matter in life.

These are the things that help you to live your life to the full. Be grateful for everything that you have!