Gratitude is an appreciation of your life right now, versus where you want it to be. People who write down the things they are grateful for every day have stronger immune systems, more happiness, and less reaction to negative events. Dr. Robert Emmons, The Psychology of Attitude [via the Attitude Doc ]
Would You Rather
- Would you rather die young, or have an increased life span?
- Would you rather be depressed or be happy?
- Would you rather be stressed or feel great?
- Would you rather be a psychological and physical mess, or would you rather have good psychological and physical well-being?
- Would you rather put yourself at a high risk of cardiovascular disease, or be better at coping during hardships and times of stress?
The Mayo Clinic tells us we can choose the positive emotional and physical benefits, if we choose to have a positive attitude!
Zig Ziglar illustrates some of the benefits of choosing a positive attitude in this video:
If you’d like to have these benefits, you’ve got to learn how to have a positive attitude on demand!
Here’s How:
* Every night, before you go to bed, write down 10 things you’re grateful for.
*Every morning, when you get up, review that list.
*Surround yourself with positive people. Start noticing people at work, at home, among your friends, and in the community who practice gratitude and optimism. Start to gravitate toward them.
*Feed your brain and soul with positive videos, music, podcasts, and books.
Practice Dr. Alan Zimmerman’s 4 Day Positive Attitude Diet.
Day 1: Fill Your Mind With Positives
Practice all the tips above. Instead of noticing only 10 things to be grateful for, record 50 great things about your day. When you’re in the car, don’t listen to the news! Listen to uplifting music, inspirational audio books, or nothing at all. Consciously notice any negative thoughts that start to clutter your mind, and let them go.
As a Christian, my time spent with God in the morning means so much to me. When I pray to Him, it’s as if I’m receiving the power that an uncharged cell phone battery gets from the power source when it gets plugged in. When I read His Word, the Bible, I access the wisdom that is timeless.
Day 2: Affirm Yourself
Take time to recall your personal victories from the day before. What did you do well? Did you wake up on time, go for a run, eat nutritious food. Did you give a great customer experience for someone at work?
Affirm your personal strengths and talents.
Since I write from a Christian perspective, here are some Biblical scriptures about your worth and significance as a child of God. Read them over and over.
Be compassionate toward yourself when you make mistakes, but lovingly challenge yourself to move beyond your comfort zone.
Day 3: Affirm Others
My Creator has seen good in me when I felt I had messed up big time, many times, over the course of my life. So have some of the most important people in my life.
Practice love and compassion toward others. When you are tempted to criticize, judge, or gossip about another person, stop yourself.
Find the good in people. Speak only good words about them.
Pray for them, if you are a spiritual person. Ask for them, what you want for yourself.
Love them.
Day 4: Speak Only Positive Words
Your words have power. Choose words that uplift, inspire, encourage, and lead others to hope, courage, and vision.
Stop yourself from engaging in gossip or slander.
(I’m writing this to myself, above all others. But I hope you’ll join me on this journey).
Pray for your Creator to help you speak life-giving words instead of words that take life from others.
Practice this positive attitude diet for the next four days. And the next, and the next, until you have a positive attitude on demand!
Image credit: iqoncept / 123RF Stock Photo
Content Credit: Build a Positive Attitude With a Four Day Attitude Diet
Terrific article Steve, and thank you so much for sharing Zig’s video – a great message, and I’ve always loved his voice and sense of humor. In fact, I used to give his CDs away to my first time entrepreneurs. This is always a good time of year to consider the things we’re grateful for, but this year it somehow seems so much more important. Thanks for the inspiration!
marquita herald recently posted…Your 9 Minute Beauty and Gratitude Challenge
Thank you, Marty! I worked on the four day diet over the past couple of days. I caught a cold yesterday, but I enjoyed finding 50 things to be grateful for today. I found that life really is wonderful, when we count our blessings. And yes, Zig is one of my personal favorite mentors. His audio materials have mentored me many times through the years.
I never get enough of Zig’s videos! Thanks for posting that in this blog Steve.
I also love the 4 day positive attitude diet! As a fellow Christian, I can relate to many of the points above. When I was suffering with depression, I did all the medical and therapeutic things to fight my way out of that paper bag! I became an avid student of many difficult therapies. But in the end the one thing that saved me was a saying that I always say when I am doing my menial tasks and that is “Jesus I trust in You.”
Depression is a funny thing, it takes over your entire mind and body from nowhere. It is like a title wave. But when I get the least bit depressed I say that saying and snap…I’m out of it and back into the positive again.
I am aware of the Biblical Scriptures as a child of God and that mindset keeps me positive, grateful, easier to forgive and most of all merciful. I know I never walk alone and it is my job in life to act the best way I can to love others. It is a journey, I’m not perfect, but having this connection helps me over come so much and inspire others to just be kind…..to just do undo others……
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted…Create Your Own Google+ Community
Donna, thanks for sharing your powerful example with such vulnerability and honesty. We need to realize that 1 in 10 people are going to struggle with clinical depression in the course of their lives. Help is available, but we need to be willing to reach out and take it, especially when we start losing hope. I’m glad you made it through your dark night of the soul, and that you’re now helping so many others.
Hi Steve, even though I’ve taken a break off blogging, I’m just stopping by to say Happy Holidays to all my blogging friends. Thanks for all the support, comments, visits etc. I hope you have fun with your loved ones and I wish you all the best for 2013.
Anne @ confidence blog recently posted…Merry Christmas
Anne, it’s been a pleasure to get to know you in 2012. I’ll be following you closely in 2013!
Steve Borgman recently posted…It’s The Little Things That Help the Tortoise Beat the Hare
Hi Stephen,
those are great tips!
Writing down great 50 things about your day, that would really get you into the spirit of gratitude.
Not listening to the news in the car, that’s easy for me.
I much prefer silence or instrumental music.
Thank you so much for your inspirational post.
Love and Light!
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted…Ho’oponopono for clearing limiting programming
Thank you, Yorinda, for the input. Although I myself wrote this article, I’ve been sick this past week. When I’m not well physically, I need continual reminders to give thanks and keep the positive attitude going 🙂
Steve Borgman recently posted…Individual Personal Development Plan: Your Key to Success
Hi Stephen,
sorry to hear that you did not feel physically well.
Hope you are feeling better.
When I don’t feel well I seem to be writing a lot more in my journal and I also write more affirmations. One of my favorite is:
My body has trillions of cells that know exactly what to do to restore balance.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we did more to prevent in the first place?
Love and Light
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted…Imagine if we would choose to Believe
Amen, Yorinda! That’s why I’ve been loading up on vegetables and fruit this year. It’s making a big difference in my energy and well-being already.
Disciplines are a challenge. I rarely seem able to be consistent in such things. I tend to be very project oriented. I can take one thing that interests me and focus on it for days, weeks, and months. But to do something just 10 minutes a day, no matter how worthwhile, is unspeakably difficult. So, do average people actually practice something like the 4 day Positive Attitude Diet on a regular basis? If so, I wonder how?
Richard Goutal recently posted…Four Reasons That Online Marketing Success is Elusive
Hi, Richard. I highly recommend the irunurun.com site for any small habit you want to form in your life. I’ve been using this site for about 4 months now, and I’ve formed some very effective habits along the way 🙂
Hi Stephen,
Thank you very much for sharing this great post.When I was growing up my father used to always tell me,”your attitude is the key to life”.When I was younger I never paid much attention to it.It was only after I grew up and had caused much hardship and many struggles in my life that I figured out the importance of what my father was telling me.I came to realize a ways back in life that our attitudes really are our “key to life”.Alot of people just don’t realize how how much our outlook on things impact our lives.I don’t know how familiar you are with Charles Swindoll but he wrote a quote about attitude and how important it is.The bottom line he writes is that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.
Thank you for sharing,
Jamie
Jamie Bishop recently posted…THE SPIRIT OF A CHILD
Jamie, yes, I’m familiar with the Charles Swindoll quote. As I grow older, I especially am finding that gratitude is the most powerful boost to attitude I can give myself. Thank you for sharing your own example of learning the wisdom of your father’s words.
I have finally been able to catch the negatives and turn them around into positives. It wasn’t easy and it took some time, but the results are beginning to show. Even as we’ve gone through this shift in the spiritual realm the upbeat has come through.
I am grateful to have an understanding and insightful wife who is my best coach… even though she doesn’t think she is. 😉
Probably the most challenging piece for me has been the words, speaking positive and uplifting words all the time. My natural thrown way of being is not so and this has been my obstacle. Fortunately, obstacles can be overcome.
Best, Stephen,
RICK
PS Glad to have had Zig in our lives and glad that his memory and teachings live on.
Rick Lelchuk recently posted…Set Your Desire on Fire
Rick, I’m sure that, along with your wife, starting your online business has helped you become the positive leader you need to be in order to help others make life transitions successfully. It’s exciting to watch you grow!
This was a great post! I definitely picked up on several key chunks of important information, Than you! I’m a Social Worker and try to help a lot of families keep their children from being placed into foster care. This is not an easy task, but using the 4 Day Gratitude Diet may help challenge some of their negative self talk!
Happy Holidays!
Crystal recently posted…Steps to Success: A Four Part Series- Clarity & Intention
Crystal, welcome to the blog. Thank you for the work you do for families. What a noble work! I’m sure that your blogging work also inspires you to stay positive. As a fellow therapist, I’m grateful for all the positive energy I get from my fellow bloggers and online entrepreneurs.
Oh wow… I’m afraid it says something about me that I wonder how I could find 50 things to be thankful for!!! Although once I set my mind (and heart) to it, I’m sure “it will surprise me what the Lord hath done”. We truly do have much to be thankful for, and this looks like the perfect way to raise awareness and see all the blessings in the midst of what may look bad.
Great post! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Willena
Willena Flewelling recently posted…The 12th of the 12th of the 12th
Hi Stephen,
I really enjoyed your post and the video. I love the idea of doing a 4 day positive attitude diet and extending this 4 days into feeling gratitude every day. Gratitude can change the whole course of your life and affect everyone around you also. I also believe that if we eat healing foods that are filled with life giving nutrients this will help keep our minds clear and our bodies strong so that we can really focus in on staying positive and living our lives with gratitude and joy.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful inspiration!
Shelley Alexander recently posted…Fermented Purple Cabbage and Orange Sauerkraut
Hi Stephen –
I’m trying to have a positive attitude and thoughts about writing 10 things down each night, and reviewing in the morning. 🙂 – I think it is a great trigger for the day in theory, but seems to become challenging in practicality for most of us.
While I try hard to be positive, sometimes you just have to get things of your chest and that isn’t always pretty.
Thanks,
Steve
Steven Hughes recently posted…Get Twitter Followers: Execution and Tools
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the great post, I absolutely agree with being positive, having a positive outlook and appreciating everything we already have.
I truly believe that we won’t ‘attract’ things we want if we aren’t already grateful for what we have already have.
best regards
John
John van Zyl recently posted…Discovering THE ROLLING STONES (Part 2)
G’Day Steve,
Thanks again for your timely post………….great opportunity to savour some of your excellent material. With all this ‘stuff’ coming at us it’s just so difficult to………do it all. May I make a small suggestion & that is that we do not ‘clutter’ our mind the way we ‘clutter’ our homes. If we could just pick six ‘must-do’s’ & do them…………..no matter what. e.g. 1: Eat. 2: Sleep. 3: Work, 4: Pray (Thank you God for………..). 5: Tells our wifes/husbands & kids that we love them every day. 6: Bonus (Whatever else fits in). Take care, Ron.
Fabulous article Stephen! Loved listening to Zig! What a terrific man and entertaining speaker. The 4 tips shared are full of inspiration. Funny how if we just take our eyes off of little ole me and seek to have a heart of gratitude and serve others….things change.
I like this quote from Shad Helmstetter: “I chose to make today a day that works! Today I choose to make my attitude, my relationships, my career, and everything I think, say, and do, work for me in the most positive possible way. Today I choose to live up to my best.”
Have a day that works!
Lynn
Lynn Jones recently posted…Is the Flu Vaccine Worse Than Getting the Flu?
Hi Stephen,
Your post gives me more ideas about being positive in many ways. Thank you for that.
I believe that being positive is the one of the most powerful ways to change our whole outlook in life. And what I do everyday to help me continuously to be positive is to write down all the positive things that I everyday in my Victory Journal. I also include my accomplishments and the things that make me happy. I try to read this everyday especially in times when I feel stressed and down. It helps me live life with enthusiasm.
Patricia Anderson recently posted…Live Your Life Purpose: Angie’s Story
Hi Steve,
Thanks for sharing this video. You have to love Zig Ziglar. He is the King of Having a Positive Attitude! I love his example of the angry woman! It was great to hear her outcome because she listened to him and grasped the idea of begin grateful. Four things Zig Ziglar said in the video I’d like to point out:
“The eyes are the windows of the soul.”
“The healthiest of all human emotions is gratitude.”
“Change from a fault finder to a good finder.”
“You’re not going to change anybody else until you change you. Everything begins with you.”
Finding fault is all about your personal belief systems. Finding fault is pointing your finger to something or someone outside of yourself because those faults may how you internally perceive characteristics you believe are your weaknesses.
His advice is so practical. It takes work and choice to change negative self-talk. Dr. Alan Zimmerman’s 4 Day Positive Attitude Diet are all about the choices we make between living with a positive attitude or a negative attitude.
Nice challenge! I am going to try it out:
Day 1: Fill Your Mind With Positives
Day 2: Affirm Yourself
Day 3: Affirm Others
Day 4: Speak Only Positive Words
Raena Lynn
Raena Lynn recently posted…The Prosperity Game Journal Part 2