I’ve made a conscious effort to be more positive this year. What’s amazing about this is that the more positive you get, the more you believe in the possibility of things. And the more you believe in that, the more things actually become possible.
Here are a few ways you can bring more of the positive into your life:
1. Surround yourself with a circle of influence.
Right at your fingertips … is the world! Get on Twitter and follow some amazing people. Get on their blogs and be inspired. Find a handful (or more) of people who can bring sunshine and warmth to you each and every day.
I’ve found a few people who are living the dream I want to live. So I follow them & get inspired to get there myself. Check out these fine folks:
Chris Guillebeau: Bog: The Art of Non-Conformity. Twitter: @chrisguillebeau
Jonathan Fields: Blog: Awake @ The Wheel. Twitter: @jonathanfields
Penelope Trunk: Blog: Brazen Careerist. Twitter: @penelopetrunk
Henri Junttila: Blog: The Wake Up Cloud. Twitter: @henrijunttila
If you need face-to-face time with people, do something like I did. I called a handful of people I have worked with over the years who I thought had great integrity, creativity and a positive vibe - and asked them to meet once a month at a cool coffee shop to chat and share ideas on how to be successful in life and in business - or whatever we are passionate about. Surprise, surprise … they all jumped in!
2. Place negative people outside of that circle.
Now that you have some great people in your circle, get the negative people out. Simple as that. Create some distance!
You know who they are. People at work, friends, family members, that lady down the street who hates cats. They will bring you down. Complaining about things never solved anything. It is a time and energy waste. Do not participate. Just walk away!
3. Get some sun.
If you’re like me and live in the North-East, this time of year means driving to work in the dark - and driving home in the dark. If that’s not depressing, then I don’t know what is.
The sun is the giver of life. So try and catch some daylight whenever you can. During the winter months, use your lunch hour to get outside for a walk, a jog, or just to eat your sandwich.
If that’s impossible, try getting some light via light therapy, dawn simulation or other methods to fight off the winter blahs.
4. Get moving. Yup, time to exercise.
I stand behind this one 100%. Whether it’s that walk during lunch or something more hardcore, we all need to get moving. Our bodies are these amazing machines that are made for locomotion!
I’m not a fitness freak, but I do run and lift weights. When I’m consistent with my workouts, I transform into a lean, mean, fighting machine that does wonders for my self-confidence - adding to the belief of the possible.
And when I’m not consistent, or just plain inactive for a while - I feel like a completely different animal. I feel soft, weak - and quite incapable of great things.
The mind and body are tied together in ways we are just learning to understand.
This guy might be a little hardcore for some, but he’s quite amazing: Phil Kaplan. Let him teach and inspire you. He did me!
And drink lots of water too! Sometimes all those little aches and pains will go away when you start drinking 4-6 classes of water a day.
5. Laugh a little, or a lot, every day.
Nothing cures a down day better than something that makes you laugh. So make a point to get some chuckles every day. One of those people in your circle of influence better be hysterical.
There’s a millions humor sites online, so find a few you like and check in often.
I have a few people on Twitter that make me laugh:
Read the comics. Listen to great morning radio. Listen to comedy albums (old Bill Cosby ones are great). Just get some laughs every day!
Also be willing to laugh at yourself. It’s very freeing.
