How to Develop a Positive Attitude

Why are some people more successful, whereas others tend to be unsuccessful? Is there a gene that drives some people to be more successful or do people make themselves more successful? This is a contentious question today among people who want to be more successful and live a happier life. Self-improvement is a branch of psychology and it tries to find the answers to these questions. One of its recommendations for such people is positive thinking. Positive thinking is becoming a buzzword today. However, whether we know enough about it and we can implement it in our lives is still a big question mark. It is impossible to create a positive attitude overnight. There are some steps we need to take in order to create a positive attitude or to think positively. We should initially change our negative thoughts and attitudes into positive ones and then we should also adopt some habits that are essential to do so. After this, you will become a positive thinker.

                First of all, in order to create a positive attitude towards events, we should change some internal factors. One step is to forget about all negative thoughts and attitudes. These should be changed into positive thoughts and attitudes. For example, before doing a task which you have not experienced you should say ' This is a great opportunity to learn something new.' instead of 'I have no credentials and experience with this, so it will be a failure.' Of course this is just one step, consistency is also crucial for developing a positive attitude. You should never give up and you should disregard whatever other people say even if they label you as stupid.

                Secondly, some habits should also be changed so as to have a positive attitude. For instance, you should have a healthy diet and you should refrain from smoking and consuming alcohol. When you have done this , you will see that both your mind and your body will be healthy. In addition to taking on such healthy habits, choosing your friends with consideration of their implications for your positivity is also important. It should not be forgotten that your milieu has adverse effects on your mood and positivity. If you want to create a positive attitude, you should be with positive people, as they can contribute to your effort to develop a positive attitude.

                In conclusion, in today's world, where efficiency and success take precedence over anything else, having a positive attitude towards events and situations is very helpful. However, sometimes the circumstances that you are in may not let you create a positive attitude, but you should keep it in your mind that if a person really wants to do something, s/he will achieve it no matter what. Changing your negative thoughts and attitudes into positive ones and adopting new and healthy habits will assist you in creating a positive attitude.

http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/how-to-develop-a-positive-attitude-4391681.html

A Harvard psychologist says this surprising trait can make you more successful

While researching her new book, "Presence," Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy interviewed a number of venture capitalists about what personal qualities successful entrepreneurs demonstrate.

Perhaps the most striking observation she collected was this: "I don't mind if they're a little bit nervous; they're doing something big, something that matters to them, so it makes sense they'd be a little bit nervous."

In the book, Cuddy outlines two key reasons why a moderate amount of nervousness can be helpful in stressful situations.

For one, anxiety can be an adaptive response that keeps us alert to danger and things going wrong. Sometimes, Cuddy says, nervousness can also signal respect for the person you're interacting with.

Additionally, "some nervousness can even signal passion to others," she says. "After all, you wouldn't be nervous if it didn't matter to you, and you can't easily persuade an investor or potential client to buy into your idea if it's not clear that you care deeply about whether or not it succeeds."

In other words, if you're not nervous at all, the VC you're pitching or the interviewer you're meeting with might get turned off by your apparent lack of investment.

In a recent talk at the 92Y in New York, Cuddy used an example from the TV show "Shark Tank":

"The people [entrepreneurs] who I find most compelling are not the ones who come in super-energetic. They're actually quiet and sometimes they're nervous. You can be nervous; that's okay. In fact, it sometimes signals that this is a serious thing and you really care about it."

The idea that it's okay to be nervous is closely linked to the concept of "presence," which Cuddy defines as being attuned to and able to express your full potential.

Of course, as many of us already know, getting overly anxious can hurt your performance. The key to letting your nerves help instead of hurt you, Cuddy says, is to "avoid clinging to your nervousness."

In other words, try not to get anxious about being anxious.

Cuddy writes: "Notice it and move on."

http://uk.businessinsider.com/amy-cuddy-being-nervous-can-make-you-more-successful-2016-2

10 Small Habits You Can Adopt That Make You More Successful

"We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit." This is a very meaningful quote from Aristotle. Success is all about adopting small empowering habits that will bring your life-changing effect over the long-term.

Therefore, if you want to be more successful, adopt empowering habits that will make you a better person. Start from yourself and start from adopting the right habit. Here are the 10 small habits that will make you more successful than you are today...

1. Wake Up Early

Laura Vanderkam, the author of "What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast" shared with us that most successful people wake up early. The reason being that early morning is the best time to stay away from distraction and you can get more done during those hours.

When you wake up early in the morning, you feel like you own the world. Nobody will disturb you, no people will call you early in the morning and you can set out to do the work that you love. If you get up at 5am, you literally have 2 additional hours a day than those who get up at 7am. Within a year, you will have 730 additional hours or an extra month compare to the ordinary people.

It is alright if you're not a morning person and can't wake up early. You have to make sure you use your time wisely and not distracted from your priority tasks. Or better yet, just learn to wake up early and make it a habit.

2. Do Important Thing First

The first thing that you need to do once you started your day is to get the most important thing done. This means that you need to plan for your day so that you will know what the most important task to you is.

Most people go through their day without any planning. They will respond to whatever comes to them in a reactive mood rather than in proactive mood. When you operate your life this way, you will get a lot of unimportant tasks done. However, if you know what to do and stay proactive, things will be different.

Can you imagine that every day the first thing you do is to get the most important task done that will move you forward to your goals, what would happen to you within a year?

3. Read And Learn

Reading is one of the most important habits to adopt if you want to be successful in life. A lot of the successful leaders share their thought saying that reading is what changing their lives and contribute to their success.

Study has shown that more than half the people never read a book after they finish their college. If you adopt the habit to read a book that will improve yourself each month, you will have read at least 36 books in 3 years. And can you imagine what kind of impact it will be to your life?

4. Exercise

What is the point if you can achieve outstanding success but don't have the energy and the health to enjoy the fruit of your hard work? So commit yourself to consistent exercise every day.

When you exercise, your body will release endorphin that will make you feel good. And it is proven that your body will be less tense after exercise. Not only that, you will feel less stress, have a fresher mind and a recharge body after that.

So commit and plan your exercise schedule now.

5. Be Proactive

Successful people are proactive rather than reactive. They get things done instead of waiting for things to come to them. You have to be the same. They are the ones who started the work and always in action.

Conversely, ordinary people are always procrastinating and not in the action mood. They put things off or wait until a later time to do it. Never let procrastination get a hold of your life.

Adopt the habit to be proactive and always be in action. The Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr. also known to many as Ironman, once said, "I think that we all do heroic things, but hero is not a noun, it's a verb." It takes actions to be a hero.

6. Follow Your Dream

I believe that everyone has a dream. The issue arises whether we follow through our dreams and make them a reality. You have to dare to dream big and do whatever it takes to achieve what you want.

Remember, those who are willing to chase their dreams are usually the ones that live a more fulfilling life. They are the ones that live life to the fullest and have nothing to regret.

So follow your dreams and do what is necessary. You will be more passionate and able to tap into your inner potential when you do.

7. Network With The Positive-Minded

Successful people always mix around with other successful people. There is a reason behind. When you network with other successful people, your conversation will revolve around success and achievement. You will feel more driven and motivated to get things done.

On the other hand, when you network with negative people, your conversation will be negative things such as bad economy, how bad your boss treats you, etc.

It is said that if you mix around with winners, you will become a winner. So stop joining people who complain and blame all the time. Mix with people whom you want to be.

8. Contribute

In order to connect to your deeper soul, you need to have a sense of contribution. This is because when you contribute, you will feel happy, grateful and accomplished. Make it a habit to donate each month or a portion of your income. Better yet, volunteer to help out those who are in need from time to time.

When you contribute, you will sense the change in you. You will know that you have more when you donate. This is why most of the rich people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg are always ready to help out and contribute.

9. Never Give Up

You have to trust yourself and never give up. Whenever you give up, you will never achieve the result you want and you will never be successful. All the great people are able to produce outstanding success in their lives because they did not give up. They work hard and continue to do it until they get the result they want.

History would be different if Thomas Edison gives up. There will never be airplanes and probably we will still be travelling with boats if the Wright brothers give up inventing the airplane.

So be tenacious and never give up. The moment you give up, you wasted all the time and effort you have poured in previously. When you are thinking of quitting, think of how far you have come.

10. Have Fun

Life should be more fun. Those who are more open and enjoy their lives are those who accomplish more. Well, Richard Branson said it well, "Fun is one of the most important - and underrated - ingredients in any successful venture. If you're not having fun, then it's probably time to call it quits and try something else."

Ordinary people are paid for their work. Extraordinary people are paid to master their craft. Love what you do, enjoy it to the fullest and have fun with it. The only way to do great work is to enjoy doing it.

Hence, make it a habit to have fun and enjoy what you do. You have to go through life anyway, so choose to live it with fun and passion.

These are the 10 small habits that anyone can adopt. Of course, you don't have to do all these at once. Choose 3 and make them your habit right away. If you never read a book after your college, it is time for you to change.

Make exercise your daily habit, do the most important thing first, be proactive and don't forget to have fun in life. These will definitely make you more successful.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Small-Habits-You-Can-Adopt-That-Make-You-More-Successful&id=9323036

A Stanford scientist says a simple psychological shift can make you more successful

Back in the days when I was single and job-searching, my strategy for dealing with unsuccessful interviews and first dates was pretty much the same.

As soon as I'd left the office or the bar, I'd burst into tears of frustration and silently chide myself for my incompetence.

How could I be so stupid that I fumbled the "Why are you here?" question? Why would I bring up that story about my ex?Obviously, no one in their right mind would ever want to hire or date me.

I thought back on those days recently, while reading "The Happiness Track," a new book by Emma Seppala, science director of Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

In the book, Seppala argues that happiness is the unexpected path to success, and she emphasizes the perils of self-criticism and the merits of self-compassion.

Seppala is the first to admit that the term "compassion" can sound soft and unscientific. But she also cites a growing body of research suggesting that your relationship with yourself is just as important as your relationships with others when it comes to getting ahead professionally.

If you're mean to yourself whenever you stumble or fail, you simply set yourself up to fail again. But if you're kind to yourself, you have a shot at doing better next time.

Seppala recommends a simple strategy for exercising self-compassion: Treat yourself as you would treat a colleague or friend who has failed.

"Rather than berating and judging," she writes, "thereby adding to your friend's despair, you listen with understanding. You encourage your friend to remember that mistakes are normal."

She cites research by the psychologist Kristin Neff, who has found that self-compassion has three components:

• First, be kind to yourself by engaging in a positive internal dialogue. For example, you might say, "It's okay that you failed; it doesn't mean you're a bad person or bad at what you do."
• Second, understand that everyone makes mistakes, and that what you're going through is normal.
• Third, and perhaps most difficult, be mindful; be aware of your thoughts and feelings without succumbing to them. You might say to yourself, "This is really hard right now," or, "I'm sorry you are struggling."

Flickr/PattyPractice self-compassion and it'll become natural.

By consistently practicing self-compassion, Seppala says you'll reap a number of biological and psychological benefits, including enhanced well-being and less anxiety and depression. You'll also have an easier time bouncing back from stressful situations — a trait psychologists call resilience.

When I spoke with Seppala, she emphasized that you can't always change your circumstances — you can't go back in time and fix the interview or the date. But you can certainly change how you respond, and specifically, whether you learn from the situation.

"When you shoot yourself down, you learn little," she told me.

But if you talk to yourself the way you'd talk to a friend or a colleague, by identifying what you did wrong and coming up with ways to improve, you'll learn and grow from the experience.

In the book, she outlines four key strategies for becoming more self-compassionate:

1. Replace your negative self-talk. Instead of saying, "How could I have done this? I'm such an idiot!" you could say, "I had a moment of absent-mindedness and that's okay."

2. Write yourself a letter. Again, pretend you're writing to a friend who made the same error — you'll likely sound a lot less angry and a lot more comforting.

3. Come up with a self-compassion phrase. Neff's personal mantra in challenging situations is, "This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself in this moment; may I give myself the compassion I need."

4. Make a daily gratitude list. Every day, write down five things you feel grateful for. Even better? Add on five personal accomplishments you're proud of.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/a-stanford-scientist-says-self-compassion-can-make-you-more-successful-2016-1