Revolutionary Positive Thinking
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“Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.” - Colleen C. Barrett

You only have a minute,
Only 60 seconds in it,
Forced upon you, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it.
You must suffer if you lose it.
Give account if you abuse it.
It’s just a tiny little minute,
But your whole future is in it.

Dr. Benjamin E. Mayo wrote that poem and it says it all. Don’t waste any minute, your whole future is in it. In order to utilize your life well down to the last minute, you must apply positive thinking any way you can to your life.

Positive thinking is one of the keys to success in the business world. And it starts with how you think about yourself, in relation to your work. If you’re not as successful as you want to be, who’s stopping you? Who’s holding you back? Most likely, the only one stopping you from attaining success is you.

Are you thinking that you’re just average in everything? Being average isn’t a bad thing, just limiting. If that’s all you think you can accomplish, then that’s all you will accomplish. Why stop at average? Why stop growing at all?

There’s always room for improvement. It could be that your thoughts are keeping you from being where you want to be, where you deserve to be. Maybe you’re dissatisfied with your job, or the level you’re working at. You know you’re capable of more. Maybe your job is stressful, or maybe you’re not making enough money. What do you do?

You start with your thoughts on the matter. Are you constantly telling yourself that you can’t do any better, or make any more? Are you telling yourself that stress just comes with the territory? Do you feel you don’t deserve something better? Has your self-esteem taken a beating? Why would you settle for that?

Once again, you need to change your thoughts. It’s not up to somebody else to change things for you; it’s up to you. The stress, the dissatisfaction, the low self-esteem, and the negative self-talk are all things you can change, because they are all things you’ve brought to the party, so to speak. In your mind, you’ve told yourself all the lies, or you’ve blamed other outside influences on your lack of success.

How do you turn things around? Start by setting yourself some goals; figure out what you want. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it or you don’t deserve it. Don’t convince yourself that the boss simply doesn’t like you, and that’s the reason you haven’t advanced in your job.

If you don’t like your job, but don’t feel that changing is a possibility right now, you have to find something about your job that you do like. Maybe there’s an individual that you enjoy working with, or there’s some facet of the job that you don’t mind so much. Focus on that and find a reason to do your best. The more you convince yourself that your job is dreadful, the harder it will be to go to work each day.

A positive attitude can make the job seem less stressful or less overwhelming. A change of attitude at work will change the emotions you feel as well. Finding the upside to the work place will make all the difference in how you feel, in your productivity, and in your interaction with others.

Find out what you need to know to improve the entire situation. If what you need is to learn new skills, approach that with a positive attitude and learn all you can. The irony is that the more you think you know, the less you actually do know. Go in with an open mind and a good attitude, and improve your skills. This will make a huge difference in your work life.

The brain is a wondrous machine, but requires sustained effort to maintain it. You must train your brain to consider all possibilities before making decisions. Let your mind explore new places and probabilities. Learn to take what you see and hear, roll it around in your mind, and see what you can make of it. Learn from others; wisdom shared is wisdom expanded. When faced with something different and difficult, don’t give up and say you can’t do it. Consider it a challenge.

To develop your intellect, you must use your mind constantly. If you don’t think for yourself, but allow others to make your decisions and choices, you lose your place in the destiny reserved for you.

Consider your gifts; and yes, you do have them. Ask yourself what you can accomplish with those gifts. What can you offer? In order to develop positive thinking skills, you must list your talents and abilities. If you’re honestly not sure what they are, ask some friends and co-workers. They’ll have no trouble enumerating them for you.

Attitude is what will help you find your wings and fly, or keep you grounded for life. Learn the discipline you will need, not only to survive, but to thrive as well. Set your determination level to high and never allow yourself to be thwarted in your goals.

Another way to positive action is to watch the words you speak to others in your work life. Honor those words; if you make a promise, stand by your word.

As an employee, how do you respond to a request? Is your response, “No problem,” or “Consider it done!” If your first response is to look aggrieved and mutter, “I can’t do it,” or “that’s not my job,” you need to stop and consider an attitude adjustment. It’s important to always show up for others and for yourself. Brian Tracy said, “Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations.” Expect more of yourself. Maybe that’s what’s been missing. According to a Harvard Study, “Success in life is 85% attitude, 15% aptitude.”

In order to achieve the success you crave, you need opportunities. These opportunities begin to show themselves as soon as your attitude changes. You will become just easier to be around, to work with, and to talk to. Everyone loves being around a positive person. They’re happier, they smile more, they’re more confident, and they tend to make the people around them feel more confident too. You’ll find more people will come to you for advice and help, because they can see you’re a can-do kind of person. If you feel good about yourself, so do those with whom you come into contact each day.

So how do you do this attitude shift at work? Start by looking your co-workers in the eye and smiling at them. Give praise lavishly. If some co-workers did a good job, tell them and show them. When they did some tasks or favors for you, say thank you. This shows respect and appreciation; and who doesn’t enjoy that?

Instead of the usual negative discussion at the water cooler, why not keep it more upbeat. Discuss positive subjects. Be encouraging with co-workers. You’d be amazed at the difference you can make in your workplace when you display a more positive attitude.

Another way to success is to make plans and write them down. Is there a special job you desire? Write it down; but don’t stop there! Figure out the steps necessary to attaining that particular position. What do you need to do to get from Point A to Point B? Do you need to upgrade your skills, take classes, get certified? Write all the details down; but still, don’t stop there either. Take inspired action. Robert Ringer said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” So get moving!

Maybe your dream job is actually working for yourself. You can make this dream come true; use that new positive attitude. Figure out what you want in life, your purpose. What do you want to be when you grow up? Write it down, make a plan, and find out what you need to get started. Then get moving. Act with enthusiasm and faith. And don’t forget to take advantage of any and all opportunities; you never know which one will be the key to your success. “Small opportunities are often the beginnings of great enterprises,” said Demosthenes.

Here too is a place where you may run into critics and naysayers. They will try their best to dissuade you in your efforts to attain your dream. They mean well, but do not listen to them. Many times, they attempt to change your mind about your dream venture, because deep down in their hearts, they are jealous that you’re brave enough to try it and they are not. Subconsciously, they know if you try it and succeed, it means they’re wrong; and they don’t want to admit that.

It’s not wrong to dream big, to want more, and to strive towards success. As for the naysayers and the critics, don’t tell them what you’re going to do, show them; just do it! They can’t criticize you for succeeding; no one argues with success that’s an accomplished fact.

As Patty Hansen said, “You create your opportunities by asking for them.”