Attitude!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
~ Charles R. Swindoll

Simply by choosing to act a certain way, we can change the course of our lives.  By thinking positively and embracing optimistic attitudes, we welcome a multitude of opportunities.

7 Simple Tips For Improving Your Attitude

1. Give Thanks – Be grateful for what you have in life. Give to others that have less than you.

2. Monitor Your Thoughts – If negative thoughts are stressing you out, ask yourself where you learned this thought and if it is true or not. Shed your negative thought patterns by replacing them with something true and positive about yourself and others.

3. Smile More – Smiling is contagious. You’ll find that when you smile others will smile back. Research at Mindlab International in Brighton, England, found that a warm smile can create a "halo" effect, helping us "feel more optimistic, more positive, and more motivated."

4. Help Others — A study conducted in the US found that people who performed the most acts of kindness throughout a week were significantly happier than those who helped less or didn’t help at all. Little acts of kindness can go a long way. Give a sincere compliment, help your friend with the dishes or volunteer for a good cause.

5. Exercise — I studied Psychology in college and my professors always stressed the importance of exercising as a natural method to improving mood. When you exercise your body will produce happy neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

6. Breathe Deeply – Deep diaphragmatic belly breathing can improve you mood and activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which will calm you down and reduce levels of stress.

7. Set Goals for Yourself – I have always felt that people who have motivation to improve their lives seem happier than those who live day to day. It is important to set goals and follow your passions. Take sometime to work on yourself instead of constantly pouring into others. A dry well can’t give water…am I right? What makes YOU happy and excited about life? Run with it. Set goals, make a timeline and figure out the details along the way.

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