In response to my blog Be Happy and Be Powerful! I received this question;

“How do we develop “positive” focus John, i.e. on our strengths rather than weaknesses? How do we control our limiting and negative beliefs which rob us of focus?”

This is a great question and one that I think all of us struggle with from time to time. It is human nature I think to allow ourselves to fall into negativity, to concentrate on our weakness, our inabilities and our failures.

Unfortunately there is no easy answer, no magic, no way to achieve the positive in our lives without practice and hard work. It sounds trite but just say no; no to the negative in your life. I like to think of life as a 100 item buffet. If you like fried chicken you will be drawn to the pan with all of those delicious golden brown pieces. But it is important that you try new things. We should all have the positive attitude of my 93 year old Aunt, Sr. Lois. She would say “I’m glad I tried that. I wouldn’t have it again, but I’m glad I tried it.” If you try liver and find you don’t like it then you don’t have to take any the next time. At least you will be making your decision based on firsthand experience. Just say no to the items you tried and don’t like and you can enjoy all that is there that you do like.

You also cannot think in terms of weakness but rather of opportunity. Your weakness is just another opportunity that we are granted to improve. Try, try and try again. You have to be the little engine that could!

There are things you do routinely every morning; get up, put on your glasses or put your contacts in, shower, get dressed, feed the dogs, or check your email. You have to add check your attitude. Is it positive, productive? Will you and the world be a better place today? You have the power within to make a positive difference. You have to choose to do so.

There are negative people whose job it is to bring you down. To point out everything that is wrong, the Chicken Little sky is falling type of people. Sometimes being positive means eliminating those people from your life or at least limiting your contact with them. In my post Your Swimming Pool, Your Life I talk about the power you have to control who is in your life. When you surround yourself with positive and powerful people, you become positive and powerful.

As human beings we respond to our surroundings. Being in an angry mob can swallow us up and get us angry even if we don’t know what we are angry about. Being in a group of happy people at a party can do the same thing, swallow us up and make us happy. You can choose which event you want to go to.

There are a lot of things we can be negative about; our jobs, our family, our friends or relationships, or our life in general. There are a lot of things we can be positive about; our jobs, our family, our friends or relationships, or our life in general. It is the old glass is half empty for some and half full for others. It is up to you and you alone as to how much is in your glass.

How do we develop positive focus? How do we control limiting and negative beliefs?

You and you alone have the power within you to put up your invisible force field that reflects negativity; negative people, negative activities and negative environments.

You and you alone have the power within you to be a magnet to attract good and positive; positive people, positive activities and positive environments.

Practice and concentrate on what is good and positive in your life!