10 Ways to Bring a Positive Attitude

You have a rough start to the day.

Or the week. Or the year.

How do you bounce back?

How do you get things back on track?

Sometimes it’s all about bringing a positive attitude.

Negative to Positive

When things get tough or don’t go your way, do you react by getting even more upset?

Getting angry doesn’t solve anything. Neither does complaining.

Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.

– Charles Swindoll

I couldn’t agree more with this famous quote.

Can you bring your positive attitude when you need it the most?

Positive Beats Negative

When things are going south, you need to turn your attitude around and head the other direction.

But, how do you turn on your positive attitude when everything around you seems negative?

Here are 10 Ways to Bring Your Positive Attitude When You Need it the Most:

1. Choose to Be Happy – This may sound cliché, but that’s because it is true. Your happiness is up to you. Many people forget this. Truly successful people choose happiness no matter what their immediate circumstances.
2. Say “Yes, Let’s!” – I learned this magical phrase years ago while taking a comedy improv course. In improv comedy, one of the techniques is never to “stop” where another comedian is going with a thought. Saying “No” isn’t funny. “Yes, let’s!” continues the story. The same is true in life. Don’t be a “stop” to the exciting things going on around you. Instead, of saying “I don’t know” or “maybe”… try “Yes, let’s!”
3. Smile -Smiling is one of those universal things that is preprogrammed in all of us. Doubt this? Smile at a baby. They smile back. Smile at a stranger in the street. They will smile back, before catching themselves and hustling off.
4. Be a Problem Solver, Not a Problem Maker – This is an important career tip, although it applies to other areas of life as well. Complaining about a problem doesn’t do anyone any good. Often, others are aware of the problem, as well. Instead, try doing something about the problem.
5. Whistle While You Work – Ever see someone doing tough work and they are whistling a tune? They are toiling away, but yet they are happy enough to be singing a song? Music can play a magical part in your positive attitude. I use Spotify to ensure that I always have my music with me.
6. Do Something New – Chances are you do the same things every day. You do the same work. You eat the same foods. You wear the same clothes. (Not in a Steve Jobs way…) Shake things up by doing something new. Try a new approach. Take a new path. Even talk to someone new. All of these can pump up your attitude.
7. Look for the Opportunity – Even the worst of circumstances have opportunities. Can you find the opportunity when things look bleak? I once had to leave a company due to an unethical boss. I was devastated at the time, but it led me to look at new careers that I had never considered.
8. Laugh – Like smiling, laughing is also something that is preprogrammed in all of us. (Why do you think that kids find everything funny?) However, along the road of life, many of us have lost our sense of humor. Want to turn around a bad situation? Look it in the eye and laugh. Then do something about it.
9. Let Anger Go – Anger doesn’t help in 99% of situations. In fact, it usually makes things worse. It clouds your judgment. It stresses others. It causes additional friction to whatever is happening. Learn to control your temper. Being calm under stress is a powerful skill.
10. Learn from Losing – No one wins all of the time. Learn from the times that you lose. What can you learn from your missteps? All great champions were once losers at some point. But, they learned. And they kept a positive attitude until they got better.

Absolutely Positively

When you bring your positive attitude, you are a lightning rod for success.

Negative turns to positive. Opportunities open. Serendipity happens.

Bring your positive attitude… and see what magic occurs in your life today.

Question: How does a positive attitude affect your work?