Positive Approach

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress

Republished from MayoClinic



Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Prosperity Affirmation

Re-published from http://www.michaelppowers.com/prosperity/holmes.html

Divine abundance is forever manifesting in my affairs.

Today I expect every good thing to come to me, for I know that Divine abundance is forever manifesting itself in my affairs.

I am keeping my whole mind and thought and expectation open to new experiences, to happier events, to a more complete self-expression.

Everything that belongs to Spirit, I accept. Everything that partakes of the nature of Divine Reality, I claim as my own. I identify with success, and I prosper in everything I do.

As I give thanks for the good now flowing into my life, I gladly share that good with others. The more I give, the more I receive. I experience a deeper consciousness of peace and security, for I know that I am in the embrace of a warm, loving Presence forever seeking an outlet through me.

My cup runneth over! I exist in limitless possibility.
 

-- from A Holmes Reader on Practical Wisdom

Top Five Tips to Become a Money Magnet

Re-published from morganarae

You’ve already proven your intelligence, talent, and tenacity. You work hard, and you have so much to offer, so why isn’t your value reflected in your pocketbook?

You could be repelling Money with unconscious beliefs and behaviors.

Here are five quick tips to attract more Money into your life:

Money Magnet Tip #1
Appreciate Money! If even a penny shows up on the sidewalk, thank Money for the gift. Don’t worry about denomination; appreciate everything. Think of how good you feel when you’re valued for even a small gesture. It’s the same for Money. Every time you practice receiving and appreciating, you train the universe to send you more.

Money Magnet Tip #2
Strengthen your Boundaries. I define boundaries as the courage to say “yes” to what you want and “no” to what you don’t want. You teach the universe how you want to be treated with every choice you make. Let go of what others think about you, and be true to yourself. Clear the clutter and energy drains in your life. Weak boundaries attract exploitation, resentment, and a sense of powerlessness. Strong boundaries build your self esteem, and they free you to focus on what is important to you. This is very attractive.

Money Magnet Tip #3
Make a Wish List. Make a list of 100 things you would be, do or have if money were no object. The length of the list stretches you out of scarcity thinking. The items on the list put what you want on your radar. Wish lists are magical. Through a mental process called Reticular Activation, your mind will start to discover opportunities to manifest the items on your list that may have been invisible to you before. Notice how things on your list will “show up” with the means to pay for them!

Money Magnet Tip #4
Become an excellent Money manager. As my friend John Berg used to say, “Know what you have. Know what you owe. Know where it comes from. Know where it goes.” Automatically set aside Money for wealth building, even if you’re paying down debt. Learn how to read an Asset/Liability form. Set up Quickbooks or Quicken or a spread sheet. Paying attention to Money makes Money feel appreciated.

Money Magnet Tip #5
Surround yourself with Success. Hang around the people who’ve mastered what you want to learn, and you’ll evolve yourself that much faster. I call this Success by Association. We naturally take on characteristics of the people we are around the most. If you want to be financially free, spend your time with financially successful people who share your values. Pick up their mindset and practices for wealth building. Your worldview and your behavior will naturally shift to support more abundance and prosperity.

12 Tips to Attract Money, Prosperity & Success

Republished from susansmithjones

$UCCESS: Getting Into the Vibration of Money & Affluence Is Easier Than You May Think

As you'll undoubtedly agree, it's necessary these days to have money so that your basic needs can be covered — freeing you to work on more important things, such as your health and essential spiritual matters. To help you thrive with success, here are some suggestions to get into the money vibration. These 12 tips will neutralize the vibration of lack and introduce the vibration of wealth into your being and life.

1) SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE. To get into money vibration, start sharing with people what you already have, even if you have very little. This sharing action will affirm to your mind that you have so much wealth that you can even share it. Tithe 10% of your earnings to a person or organizations that motivate, uplift, and inspire you. You may want to read about my MVPs & SimplyRadiant Makeovers program. For over 25 years, I have helped people move in the direction of their dreams. If you feel so inclined to contribute to this endeavor, our program always greatly appreciates any donations — large or small.

2) FREE YOURSELF FROM DEBT.You must get out of debt, even if you need to sell your stuff for it, and never get back into the debt. Debt enslaves you to the person or institution you owe and locks you into the vibration of lack and helplessness.

3) BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU SAY — YOUR WORDS. Stop talking negatively about your financial situation. Complaining about it again locks you into this negative vibration. Only talk about your finances if you have something positive to say about it, for example, if your money situation is improving. Repeat daily over and over these two powerful prosperity affirmations — both out loud and also silently to yourself: "I am connected to an unlimited source of abundance." "I bless and prosper everyone in my life and everyone in my life blesses and prospers me." And then live as though these affirmations are both true in your life — because they are! For more information on the healing power of affirmations, your words and thoughts and how to create your highest vision, please refer to my books The Joy Factor and Walking on Air.

4) LET GO OF WORRY. This may be much easier said than done, but I know you can do it. Stop worrying about money, comfort, security, and other material things. How do you do this? If you stop worrying about such matters by increasing your faith in God, you will find that you become a magnet for prosperity.

5) HEALTH BEFORE WEALTH.It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who once wrote this: "Health is our greatest wealth." I have certainly found this to be true in my life. You must grow in vibrant health first before you can attract and hold on to your wealth. The healthier you are, the more confident and empowered you become, and this attracts wealth to you. In other words, without your health, it's very difficult to grow wealthy. If you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning because you are exhausted; if you have ailments and health issues dragging you down; if you look and feel years older than your age; if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired; then take care of this immediately. Do what needs to be done to get yourself healthy, fit, and vibrant. If you need help, please refer to my collectionRenew Your Life as well as my books Recipes for Health Bliss, The Healing Power of NatureFoods, and Health Bliss. You can also purchase the previous three book titles at a discount (it's a 3-book set) as a trio through my publisher Hay House. Click HERE for more information.

6) PAY ATTENTION & BE MINDFUL. Observe nature to learn the lessons it has about abundance. Everything in nature happens effortlessly and the manifestations of abundance are everywhere. Look at the sky and see a group of birds flying; look at the ground and see countless ants working; look at the trees to observe an abundance of lush leaves moving with the wind. Train your eye this way to focus on abundance everywhere, rather than lack, and this way your mind will manifest abundance in your life too.

7) GUARD YOUR THOUGHTS. Don’t accept lack statements from the people you know. Especially if you live with people who have a vibration of lack, learn to guard your mind against their harmful statements. When someone says something like that, mentally reject their statement and instead affirm something positive. This will make your mind strong and it will be able to resist being dragged down into the lower vibrations.

8) MEDITATE ON FLOWING WATER. Meditate on the sounds of flowing water, such as a river or a babbling brook. The flow of water is the representation of the flow of money. Keep this observation in mind, only this one thought, when observing the flowing water. In my office and home, I have a small audio device that plays different sounds of nature. One of them is the sound of a mellifluous babbling brook, and I often turn this on to relax me and to hear the sound of flowing water. During my meditation sessions, I will sometimes turn on these nature sounds and find it very soothing and peaceful.

9) SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY. Spend money to make money. Even though you may have very little money, learn to spend it wisely. At this stage of lack, it’s vitally important for you to put the roots of money multiplication into your being. You can do that by investing your money to make more money. Maybe you invest it to monetize a domain, keep money in a bank account with a good interest rate, or buy something like a washing machine or a lawnmower for other people to rent. This will not only multiply your money, but will also teach a valuable lesson of passive income.

10) RESPECT YOUR MONEY — PAPER, COINS & CREDIT CARDS. Don't throw your money into your wallet, purse or other receptacle. Money needs to be respected. Always keep it aligned without creased corners, wadded up, or messy. I even take this a step further. In my wallet, my paper bills are all lined up and put in descending order and all facing the same direction. For example, my wallet might have three 20-dollar bills, followed by two 10-dollar bills, followed by three 5 dollar bills, and, lastly, nine 1-dollar bills. Keep your credit cards in alignment, too, and have as your goal to pay them off in full monthly, or at least every 90 days. If you respect your money in this simple, yet practicable way, it will return the favor by multiplying and growing for you.

11) BALANCE YOUR SPIRITUAL CHAKRAS. This might sound strange to you, but I've seen this one tip work miracles in people lives. Balance your root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras so that you will feel stable, self assured, and attuned to the material money vibration, if having more money is your goal. You can learn more about how to do this, as well as meditation and holistic health in general, in my books The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred Practices for Radiant Health, Choose to LivePeacefully, Wired to Meditate, and Walking on Air: Your 30-Day Inside and Out Rejuvenation Makeover.

12) BE AFFLUENT & PROSPEROUS IN ALL WAYS.Replace cheap stuff with wealth-affirming items in your home. It’s better, for example, to have fewer good quality clothes than many cheap things to wear. Everything in your surroundings affirms whether you are wealthy or poor, so make sure that at least your home is the symbol of abundance rather than lack.

What can you do today to honor some or all of these suggestions above? Never forget that you are the President and CEO of your body and life. You can create your best life and live with an abundance of joy, vibrant health, affluence, and happiness. If you would like any extra help with motivation to keep you on track, please refer to my booksThe Joy Factor and Walking on Air. With each book, it will feel as though I am your personal life coach and through the pages, I will walk you step-by-step to the life of your highest dreams.

You may also enjoy my articles on Turning Your Dreams into Reality, Part 1 & Part 2.

All these tips will help you to raise your vibration to that of money and prosperity, finally opening you up to the flow of wealth.

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.

~ Buddha

America's health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system.

~ Walter Cronkite, American Broadcaster

10 Tips to Overcome Negative Thoughts: Positive Thinking Made Easy

Re-published from TinyBuddha

“See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.” ~Dalai Lama

Even though I’m a yoga teacher, I still find it’s easy to fall prey to negative thinking. Having negative thoughts play out like a movie can only bring you pain, something that I’ve experienced many times throughout my life.

Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become. I like the imagery of a small ball rolling along the ground, and as it rolls, it becomes bigger and faster.

That’s what one small negative thought can turn into: a huge, speeding ball of ugliness. On the contrary, a small positive thought can have the same effect blossoming into a beautiful outcome.

I’d like to share with you an example of how one small thought can turn into a very negative experience.

I have lived on my own for the last ten years. Obviously during this time, I’ve grown accustomed to living in a particular way; I have my routines with cooking, cleaning, and living happily in my place.

My boyfriend of two years, who I have had a long distance relationship with, will soon be moving here and we will be living together. Lately, I’ve had negative thoughts of moving in with him knowing that my living routine will have to change and we will have to create a new routine together.

Unfortunately, I’ve already jumped into the future and have had thoughts that we will not be able to come up with a living arrangement that will make us both happy. In my mind, I have seen myself already getting angry about our cooking and cleaning situation.

He came for a surprise visit this past weekend and boy, was it a surprise for him. We had a miserable weekend together.

I did not enjoy his company because I was already angry with him, and he was confused and equally frustrated with me. What could have been a really fabulous weekend ended up being a painful and heavy weekend.

When we start to have negative thoughts, it’s hard to stop them. And it’s much easier said than done to shift your focus to positive thoughts.But it’s the only way, especially if you want to avoid going down a path that is painful and unnecessary.

Here are ten things I did to help overcome my negative thoughts that you can also try:

1. Meditate or do yoga.

One of the first things I did was head to a yoga class. It took my focus away from my thoughts and brought my attention to my breath. Yoga is also very relaxing which helped ease my mind. Yoga helped me stay present to my experience so instead of jumping to what could happen, it brought me back to the now—the only moment, the most important moment.

2. Smile.

I didn’t do much of this during the weekend so I literally had to bring myself in front of a mirror and force myself to smile. It really does help change your mood and relieve stress. I also felt lighter because it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

I called a friend who I knew could give me constructive, yet loving feedback. When you’re stuck in a negative spiral, talk to people who can put things into perspective and won’t feed your negative thinking.

4. Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positive.

For example, instead of thinking, “We are going to have a hard time adjusting to our living situation,” think, “We will face some challenges in our living situation, but we will come up with solutions that we will both be happy with.”

5. Don’t play the victim. You create your life—take responsibility.

The way I was thinking and acting, you would thinkI was stuck. Even if our living situation becomes unbearable, there is always a way out. I will always have the choice to make change happen, if need be.

6. Help someone.

Take the focus away from you and do something nice for another person.I decided to make a tray of food and donate it to the Salvation Army. It took my mind off of things and I felt better for helping someone else.

7. Remember that no one is perfect and let yourself move forward.

It’s easy to dwell on your mistakes. I felt terrible that I acted this way and that I wasted our weekend. The only thing I can do now is learn from my mistakes and move forward. I definitely don’t want to have a weekend like that again.

8. Sing.

I don’t remember lyrics very well and it’s probably the reason that I don’t enjoy singing, but every time I do sing I always feel better . When we sing, we show our feelings and this provides an amazing stress relief.

9. List five things that you are grateful for right now.

Being grateful helps appreciate what you already have. Here’s my list: My cats, health, a six-week trip to Asia, a new yoga class that I’ll be teaching, and for my mom’s biopsy coming out clean.

10. Read positive quotes.

I like to place Post-It notes with positive quotes on my computer, fridge door, and mirror as reminders to stay positive. Also, I’d like to share with you a quote by an unknown author that was shared in a meditation class that I attended:

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Happy positive thinking!

Photo by Nasir Nasrallah

Stay Blessed!!!

In life we always have blessings around us but we forget to take notice of it. We have always been a fan of life but we forget to appreciate what is in it because we stop being grateful & start cribing about life.

We all may say that there are ao many problems & why shouldn't we stay in the cribbing mode, but ask yourselves that is being in the cribing mode helping you? If not, why not change your style.

Start being Grateful & Enjoy being blessed!!!