“People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Abraham Lincoln

16th June 2010

Attitude is everything.

People can choose to be negative or they can choose to be optimistic—it’s that simple.  Each person has the power to control their happiness in life because happiness is not determined by situations but by attitude.  Your attitude about a situation, not the actual situation itself, determines whether you view your circumstances as good or bad.

There is tremendous power in a positive attitude. A person who thinks positively will look at the facts of a situation and not feel doomed with despair. Faith, hope, courage and strength are important components of positive thinking. Fear, doubt, bitterness and defeat are emotions that hinder positive thinking. According to Olympic- and world-champion figure skater Scott Hamilton, who survived testicular cancer, “the only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

For some people, negative thoughts naturally occur first in their minds, but everyone can learn to disregard these thoughts and to focus on the positive. Attitude is not determined genetically, so the good news is that you can train yourself to think positively. From the mouth of a deaf and blind woman who triumphantly conquered what many of us would see as a miserable lifestyle, Helen Keller challenges us with this statement: “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.”

There is something positive to be found in every situation no matter how great the temptation is to only see the negative. The best cure for unhappiness is to start counting your blessings. You would be amazed at the power this has to reverse feelings of frustration and despair. As the ancient Persian saying goes, “I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.” Taking the focus off yourself and looking for ways to help others can also alleviate despair and often leads to joy and deep satisfaction.

As you transform your thinking, set some realistic goals and believe that you can achieve them. For example, if your goal is to lose fifty pounds, believe you can do it. You might be pleasantly surprised. If your dream is to run a marathon no matter your age, your positive attitude through the pain, sweat and seemingly endless runs will carry you to the finish line. If you wake up each morning and believe that you will have an awful day, you probably will. However, if you wake up determined to have a great day, then you will likely encounter challenges with an attitude of great self-worth and will be more productive and efficient throughout your day.

A philosopher once said, “Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, and no challenge too great for me."  So dream big! All you need is a positive attitude.

This article appears courtesy of Curves -

Curves’ fast, fun and effective 30-minute workout is embraced by women of all ages, making it the largest fitness franchise in the world with 10,200 clubs in 80  countries, including over 370  in Australia.  In just half an hour, women complete a circuit specially designed to provide a total body strengthening and cardiovascular workout which works every major muscle group and burns up to 500 calories. The results are staggering – on average, they are losing 10-14 unwanted cm, and 1 to 2 kg a month, without even dieting! With trainers that both inspire and motivate, women get the support they need to tone their body, from top to bottom. Thirty minutes, 3 times a week is all it takes to experience the Curves difference and achieve amazing results.

To find your closest Curves visit www.curves.com.au or call 1-300-curves (287837).