JAN MALLOCH

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!

If you find yourself thinking negatively, you really must do what you can to change your thoughts! Negative thinking will place you on a downwards spiral, and it will most certainly rub off on other people.

Here are 7 of my tips to help you think more positively!

1) Stop what you are doing and sit down. Grab a piece of paper and write down what is causing you to think negatively. Be specific and put your thoughts down in detail.

2) Is it a particular situation or person that is causing the problem? Think about it in depth. Is it really your fault that you find yourself in this predicament? Often bad situations are caused by events outwith your control.

3) Try to identify other causes for the problem. Don't blame yourself! If you spend time thinking about it, you are bound to discover outside influences that contributed to the situation.

4) Once you are able to confirm that these events have occurred due to something outwith your control, you are then able to stand back and stop pointing the finger of blame at yourself. This will be a major breakthrough as far as your thinking is concerned.

5) Review your circumstances again. Identify the positive aspects of the situation. There will be at least one. List every positive aspect you can think of. You should now be thinking of your situation much more positively.

6) What problems still exist with your situation? Work out ways in which you will solve that problem. And of course, ensure that you take action!

7) By addressing these remaining issues, you should be able to turn what was once a negative event into a much more positive experience. You will have learned a great deal from it, and add it to your life experiences!

When you find yourself thinking negatively, identify the causes that were outwith your control. Then take control of the situation by finding a solution to the problem. Nothing in life is truly insurmountable - you just need to take time to look at it more closely and find a solution!

The benefits of having a positive attitude are immense. Not only are you much more likely to be successful in life, but there are numerous other advantages to looking "on the bright side".

Here are 7 of the best!

1) Perhaps the most important benefit is better health. By thinking positively, you will tend to look after yourself more, with the result that you will be healthier. Being happy and having the ability to laugh certainly makes you feel better!
2) Positive thinkers have less stress in their lives and have much more control over how they react to events. If something bad happens, optimists will review the situation. They will then assess what the actual problem is and try to resolve it. It is much better to take control and sort out the problem. These are major contributions to reducing stress in your life.
3) It is probably fair to say that those with a positive attitude will have more friends and a better social life. People with a negative attitude are best avoided whenever possible!

4) Positive people will be more confident. They look forward to meeting others and accepting daily challenges.
5) They will also have a greater belief in their own abilities. Challenges and opportunities will be regarded as possible rather than impossible.
6) Positive thinkers enjoy life more. Getting up in the morning with a positive attitude will ensure that you are able to face the day ahead with energy and enthusiasm.
7) Optimists look forward to the future. As positive people enjoy life more, they look forward to meeting the opportunities and experiences that life presents.

They appreciate that every day will help them to increase their knowledge and experience. Positive thinkers plan ahead to help themselves get nearer to reaching their full potential!

Do your utmost to be a positive person and to surround yourself with positive people and experiences. Enjoy the benefits of having a positive attitude!

No matter what we do in life, we are always faced with a choice. Everything we do in a day, and all of the results of our actions during that day, all depend on choices that we make.

We choose what we will eat for lunch. We choose what movie we will watch on TV. We choose what clothes we will wear. Our lives are full of continually having to choose!

So, if you had the choice of having a good day or a bad day, which would you pick? I strongly suspect that you would want to have a wonderfully happy day! But is it possible to choose what sort of day that you will have?

It certainly is. When you wake up in the morning, choose to have a positive day!

Tell yourself that you will have a good day.

Tell yourself that everything will go well.

By deciding to have a positive day, and telling yourself that you will, this goes a very long way in ensuring that it will happen!

If you find it difficult to think positively, write down a list of 20 or so positive words, and read them. Every morning, reread the list, and go through the list again during the day as needed.

Listen to uplifting music that will make you feel good. Listen to talks on audio CDs that will inspire you to do more in your life. Watch movies that will motivate you to think positively and to achieve great things.

Feed your mind with positive words, sights and sounds! Your subconscious will feast on this positive nourishment, and your mind will work hard to ensure that you have a positive day!

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!

Having a positive attitude brings so many benefits into our lives.

Besides fostering much stronger relationships with others, optimists benefit from improved health - mentally, physically and emotionally. We are all on this journey to learn and to experience the things that life has to offer. Why not take the opportunity to look forward to what lies ahead and to savor it when it arrives?

How can we develop a more positive attitude? Although there are many suggestions and pieces of advice, here are the 7 which I personally find the easiest and most beneficial.

1) SMILE! This is actually quite a simple thing to do, and it costs absolutely nothing. The benefits can be immense. Not only does smiling make us feel better, but we may even cause those around us to smile!

2) SAY THANK YOU. This is another small action that costs nothing, yet it can prove to be extremely valuable. Saying thank you is even more valuable when we can give a smile at the same time!

3) BE PLEASANT TO OTHERS. Again, there is no need to put your hand in your pocket for this one. Just a couple of kind words spoken to another person can really make their day!

4) CHOOSE TO BE POSITIVE. Everything we do in life depends on choices that we make. It is entirely up to us how we choose to respond to events. Decide every morning to have a positive day!

5) LOOK AT THE BEAUTY AROUND YOU. Do we take the time to really look at what is around us? Whether we look at elements of nature, or things that man has made, look and find beauty in everything.

6) APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE. 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.

7) DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY. Offer to help someone in some way. It takes less than a minute to hold a door open for someone, but this may make a real difference to that person. By spending a short time helping, it may make an impression long after the act is done.

All of these suggestions cost nothing, and take very little time to implement. Making other people feel good makes us feel good.

Be positive throughout the day, and it is guaranteed to spread to others!

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!