Keys to Thinking Positive

The film "The Secret" made waves when it proclaimed that positive thinking could help individuals obtain anything they wanted. The law of attraction taught in "The Secret" states that "thoughts become things" and that individuals can manifest their desires through positive thinking. Even if you don't believe in the law of attraction, benefits from positive thinking include reduced stress and worry, improved health and a sharper focus on achieving your goals.

Be Grateful

• One of the keys to cultivating a positive mindset is remembering to be grateful for the things that you already have. When you take time to focus on the positive things in your life, you are pushing negative thoughts from your mind. Each day before you go to bed, write a journal entry listing the things you are grateful for that day. This will remind you not to dwell on the negative events and help you realize how much you already have. You might also keep an item, such as a stone, with you each day. Whenever you see or touch that item, think of something that you are grateful for. This grateful attitude will become habit and you will focus less on things you don't have.

Substitute Negative for Positive

• You can remind yourself to think positively by changing the way you speak. Pay attention to how many times a day you talk about things in a negative context. Start using phrases such as "I can" or "It is good that" in your conversations. For example, when you have a chore to do, avoid saying "I have to do the dishes." Instead, rephrase the sentence by saying "I get to do the dishes." You have just turned a chore into a privilege. Welcome the opportunity to think as you wash dishes or relish time alone. Changing your language can help you change your outlook on events and tasks in your daily life.

Visualize

• Take a few moments every day to visualize your life as you would like it to be. Think about goals or dreams as if you have already achieved them. As you relax in a chair or in bed, imagine things you want or experiences you would like to have. Form a detailed picture of these things in your mind. Imagine the experience as if you were really living it. Let yourself feel the joy you would feel if you were really there. Visualization can help you replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones and reaffirm your goals to yourself.

Set Goals

• Set goals for your life. Think about what you want to accomplish and things you want to have. Write your goals down. For each goal, devise a series of steps that you can take to help you achieve those goals. For example, if your goal is to buy a new car, your steps might include paying off credit cards, saving a set amount every month and securing an auto loan. Setting goals gives you direction and something to look forward to. Breaking your goals down into steps makes them more achievable and will encourage you to work toward accomplishing them. Review your goals often to refresh your positive attitude toward them.

Avoid Criticism

• When you criticize yourself, you cripple yourself by focusing on mistakes you have made or negative things you have done. Mistakes can set you back, but you shouldn't allow them to ruin your life. The more you criticize yourself, the more trapped you are in negative thinking, and the more discouraged you become. When you make a mistake, look at it as a lesson instead. What can you learn from the mistake? How can that lesson help you move closer to accomplishing your goals? Accept the lesson and then move on with your life.