Positive Thinking:
Being Positive Increases Your Well-Being

Virtually all the self-help books on the market have one thing in common - expressing the importance of being positive to increase your happiness and well-being.

There have been many studies done on the power of positive thought and the conclusions show a large amount of health benefits, without having to take medication! Positive thinking has been proven to reduce stress, help people live longer, and improve your overall well-being and ability to cope.

So if it is that simple, then why aren't we living in a society of total bliss and happiness? The answer is that no-one, you nor I, wants to admit that they are negative. And if you can't admit that you are negative then how can you ever change your lifestyle to being positive?

In Online Dating Magazine's article about online dating profile tips, the #1 tip is to avoid negativity in your profile. Whether it is "I'm lonely" or "my last boyfriend was a jerk" these types of statements turn people off, making it easy to bypass your profile for one where a person seems more in tune with life, and him/herself.

But avoiding negativity shouldn't just be an issue for your profile. It should be an issue for your life. And with that in mind, here are seven steps to help you turn negativity into positive thinking:

Step 1: Admit You Are Negative
The first step toward changing your life is to admit that you are negative or that you have negative thoughts. Whether talking about a coworker behind his/her back or believing you "can't" do something; these contribute to a non-healthy lifestyle.

Step 2: Be Determined to be Positive
Once you've admitted you are negative, or at least have some negative tendencies, you can resolve to changing the way you think. Become conscious of your daily thoughts and when a negative thought enters your mind, quickly turn it around. Instead of "I don't think I can do that," think "I love a new challenge and will conquer this one" or "I can do this no matter how hard it is." Instead of "I'll do this later," think "By getting this done now I can have it accomplished." Eliminate words like "can't" from your vocabulary and replace them with "can". Start to say positive things about other people. Start to think positive things about other people. "Wow, that was really nice what he/she did." When presented the opportunity to comment on someone else, refrain from saying anything bad.

Step 3: Remove Yourself From Negative Influences
Your environment begins to reflect who you are after time. Thus if you have friends or coworkers you hang out with who are always griping about their job, boss, or life then begin to slowly weed out that group of people and seek out those who are positive and don't talk about others behind their back. When you replace a negative environment with a positive one, you make huge strides in improving your lifestyle.

Step 4: Replace Cola with Water
The healthiest beverage you can drink is water. And by replacing chemical and sugar-filled drinks with water, you will make massive improvements to your health. First of all, you are eliminating the sugar and caffeine that are so addictive, yet bad for overall health. Second, you are increasing your water intake. Chemical-free natural water will help improve your energy, eliminate toxins from your body, make your skin more healthy looking, and improve your mental performance. How can you not help but become more positive with such changes to your life?! Drink lots of water - it is the true "miracle vitamin".

Step 5: Stop Watching the News
Murder. Rape. Fraud. War. Daily news is often filled with nothing but negative stories and when you make reading such material a part of your daily lifestyle, you begin to be directly affected by that environmental factor. If you still need a dose of news, then tune into a station or site that features "Good News". Check out this Happy News Website and this Good News Blog.

Step 6: Learn to Meditate
Meditating allows you to clear your mind, lower stress, become more focused, and stay positive. It's a very positive and powerful medium. By taking just 15 minutes a day to meditate, you'll find yourself handling time and stress much better. You'll also gain a more positive outlook on life.

Step 7: Spread Your Positivity to Others
Put your new positive thinking lifestyle into action. Take time out to write down the top 10 things you love about your partner and give that list to him/her. When you experience good customer service, take time to write a note or email expressing your gratitude. Practice spreading your positivity to others and it will grow.

When you allow yourself to become immersed in positive thinking, you will start to see it affect other aspects of your life. For example, instead of feeling "inconvenienced" by merging traffic, you'll allow someone to easily merge in front of you and feel great about it. They might even wave or mouthe "thank you". At a grocery store when you have a cart full of groceries and the person behind you has only one or two items you may find yourself saying, "Please go ahead of me since you only have a few items" and that person's gratitude will make your day. You'll find yourself actively thinking about others and your contribution to their positive experiences will have a huge affect on your eternal happiness.