UNLOCK YOUR SELF IMPROVEMENT POWER

When we look at a certain object, a painting for example – we won’t be able to appreciate what’s in it, what is painted and what else goes with it, if the painting is just an inch away from our face. But if we step back a little further, we’ll have a clearer vision of the whole work of art.

Until we reach the point in our lives when we are ready for change and all the available information that will help us unlock our self improvement power, things can be staring us right in the face and we do not see them. The only time we think of unlocking our self improvement power is when everything gets intolerable and we begin to see those things that were staring us in the face.

Change can only come when we are ready and with so much information we need to take things slowly. We cannot change from one day to the next but we can become more aware of who we are and what we want from life.

Self improvement is about our own innermost feelings and how they reflect out to others. If we are in a mess then that is the way people see us. If we are angry and unhappy that is exactly how the world sees us. Even though we try to hide our feelings it is there deep in us and our presence exudes these feelings which others pick up on, usually on a subconscious level.

It is very strange how we hang on to the familiar, no matter how uncomfortable it is, even knowing that we need to do something about it. The reason is that it is all within our comfort zone and the hardest thing is to step outside this zone and make changes. We only change when there seems to be no other way, when we can no longer go on as we are. We get to a point that we no longer think about whether it will be good or bad or comfortable or not we just know that things have to change in our lives and that we are the only ones who can change them.

The only time most of us ever learn about unlocking our self improvement power is when the whole world is crashing and falling apart. We think and feel this way because it is not easy to change. But change becomes more painful if we ignore it.

Change will happen, like it or hate it. At one point or another, we are all going to experience different turning points in our lives – and we are all going to eventually unlock our self improvement power not because the world says so, not because our friends are nagging us, but because we realized its for our own good.

Happy people don’t just accept change, they embrace it. Now, you don’t have to feel a tremendous urgency before realizing the need for self improvement. Unlocking your self- improvement power means unlocking yourself from the cage of thought that says “its just the way I am”. This is such a poor excuse for people who fear and resist change.

Most of us have been programmed, just like computers, we take on board everything others say believing that it is true and then we repeat these facts to ourselves and others. For example: Sylvie repeatedly tells everyone that she doesn’t have the guts to be around groups of people. She heard her mom, her dad, her sister, her teacher, say the same thing about her to other people. Over the years, this is what Sylvie has come to believe. She believes it’s her story so what happens every time a great crowd troops into their house, in school, or in the community? She tends to step back, shy away and lock herself up in a room. Sylvie not only believed in her story, she actually lived it. Sylvie now has to realize that she is not the person in ‘her’ story. Only she really knows who she is and only she can start the journey into finding her true self and letting this very important person be.

Self improvement may not be everybody’s favorite word, but if we look at things from a different point of view, we might have a greater chance of enjoying the whole process instead of counting the days until we are “fully improved”. Three sessions a week at the gym will result to a healthier life, reading books instead of flicking through magazines will improve your knowledge and understanding of life, going out with friends and peers will help you take a step back from work and unwind. Believe it or not just when you are enjoying the whole process of unlocking your self improvement power, you’ll realize that you’re beginning to take things in a much lighter way and you will feel so much happier. Life really is what you make it, it has nothing to do with any one else, you are solely responsible for your own happiness. Remember to treat yourself as you would like others to treat you.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you what’s on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends totally on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects how you look, unless, of course, you are a great actor, and it doesn't end there, your attitude most definitely affects those around you.

The type of attitude you carry around you depends upon you. It can be either positive or negative. Positive thoughts have a warming, happy effect, they can be invigorating and people around you when you have these positive thoughts will be energized by this wonderful attitude you have.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people and apart from making you look gloomy and sad, they also make everyone around you feel the same and can turn even the most festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

Lets define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, you will most definitely have a negative attitude towards everything around you and in your life. If however, you choose to focus on the positive things around you, and in your life, then you will not only have a positive attitude but this will affect all around you, and with whom you come in contact, making life truly wonderful.

You have so much to gain from a very positive attitude. Studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps you to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to think happy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. It is, however, not impossible. When you hear those negative thoughts in your head remember something that made you feel happy, where you felt a glow from deep within and think about it, feel your mood swing in a positive direction and keep it there. If you practice this it does become easier to dispel a negative thought and feel happy again. Sadly for our children a recent study has shown that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. Next time you want to express how you feel about something, think before you speak.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with your children, spend some time telling jokes with friends or play with your pets. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude and you then have a multitude of happy thoughts to fall back on when you need them.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

No doubt you are asking yourself, if a positive attitude is so great, why do so many people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? Sometimes it can be that someone who has a negative attitude is actually sending a signal for help or attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong in itself, but dwelling on these thoughts for too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn but there is also much to be grateful for.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems are something that you can overcome.

You have nothing to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually holds back the aging process, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.