I hear people say, “I can’t think positive all of the time. Its just impossible to see everything in a positive light all of the time.” Everyone struggles with keeping a positive attitude. I do. You do. We all do. Our upbringing, conditioning and environment is constantly bombarding us with negative information. Most of us have come to the conclusion that the world is just a ‘negative place.’

So how can you get more of a positive attitude and keep it longer in your day?

I asked myself this question recently and made the following discovery.

First, you need to acknowledge that ‘now’ is the only real time that exists. Yesterday is gone. An hour ago is gone. And hour from now isn’t here yet. There really is no reality other than ‘right now.’

And, secondly, the thought you have ‘right now’ is the only thought that you have any power to control. Even if you make a decision to do a certain thing 3 hours from now, you decision is made ‘now.’ You only have control over the thought that is in your mind ‘now.’

Next, the only thought that you can change is the thought you have ‘now.’ You can’t change thoughts you’ve already thought. Like an hour ago. They are gone. You can’t control thoughts an hour from now. They don’t exist until you’re living that hour or moment.

So, the big key to living with a more positive attitude is realize your power to choose your present thoughts and then, choose positive ones. You have the power to do this. If you’re thinking about something that may happen in your future and you are imagining a negative outcome, only you have the power to see it as a positive outcome.

The decisions that you make now will determine your future. You don’t have to fear your future outcomes. Even if you choose to see them as positive and they don’t live completely live up to your expectations, the least you’ll be is a bit disappointed. However, when you start to control your present thoughts, you’re going to find more favorable and desirable results in your life.

Go back and imagine you are a kid again. Back to when you were 7, 8, 10 or 12 years old. Remember how you thought about your life. Especially when you were alone and you’d allow yourself to dream about your future. You saw yourself being what you wanted to be. You dreamed about it.

Now, see yourself as a teenager. Perhaps you are 17 or 18 years old. Those dreams were still there even though they likely had lost a lot of the dominance they once had in your thinking. Then, into your 20s; perhaps you got married and started a family. People told you that you were going to have to get realistic about your life. Dreaming of your future was an activity that was now dormant in the back of your mind.

Its funny that dreams hardly ever go completely away. They get pushed to the back of the mental bookshelf. They get forgotten. But, even as I mention it to you right now, they are still there.

I’m not going to tell you that all dreams can still be lived in the way that you once imagined. If you didn’t do the training and pay the price to do so, you aren’t likely going to go and win the Olympics today. However, many dreams can still be revived and lived out at some level.

What if, the reason that you were born was to live out those dreams that you once had and which were so vivid in your mind? What if they still are? You see, I think dreams were divinely given to be lived. I realize that some things, such as going to the Olympics, aren’t likely going to happen. But perhaps you could coach children to be all that they can be.

Whatever your dream is in your life, just consider that you were and are, meant to live those dreams. Allow yourself to entertain that consideration for just a moment today. Then think about what you CAN do about your dreams. Go ahead. It will cost you nothing. Let your dream come into your consciousness again. And, at least, enjoy the moment.

Perhaps you look back over the years and realize that you’ve always been conflictive about following your passion. I’ve learned that until you live your purpose daily, your life won’t make sense. You will not experience the peace that you deserve.

What is it that, (1) as a child, you always looked forward (wished for) to doing, being or having when you got older? (2) what is the dream you’ve had, could never shake from your mind; you always keep coming back to even though you may have felt frustrated by it constant haunting your mind? (3) what is it that you would do even if you never got a penny for it? (4) what is it that you’d do if you knew you could not fail at it?

I can assure you that when you’ve answer these questions (or perhaps even one or two of them), then, you will know your purpose for being born. Then, take at least a few small steps towards that purpose, beginning today. If you don’t know ‘what to do’, then, I always suggest that today’s ‘action’ is to seek the answer to, ‘what is my first step?’ Remember, when you ask you’ll be told; when you seek, you will find.

I’m here, nudging you today to start living your purpose.

With love,
Michael

The pursuit of happiness seems to be the most elusive goal that most people seek. It was not until I sat down and wrote out on a 3×5 index card, my true purpose for being born, that I began to find true happiness in my life.

What is your purpose for being here on this planet? If you don’t know, how do you find out what it is?

First, search your heart to discover what it is you dream about doing in your life. Perhaps it was when you were a child that you had dreams about ‘being’ something in particular or doing something that you longed for. Listen, do not discount childhood dreams. You had them for a reason. People and/or events in life may have talked you out of those dreams. But, your challenge in life is to revisit those dreams and discover how they can be lived out in your life today.

Second, your purpose for being here is directly tied to your service to other people. Dozens of studies have proved that we are happiest when we are serving the needs of others. There’s many ways to do this. I know a man who is a carpenter. He frames houses. He recognizes the incredible joy that his work brings to others in contributing by building the walls, roofs and finish work within the house. He said to me, “Have you ever seen anyone unhappy when buying a home?” I never have. Its one of the happiest times of their lives.

When I was a teenager, one of the many jobs I had was carrying groceries out at the Kroger grocery store near my home. I loved serving people in this manner. I loved, especially, the little old ladies who I would assist in getting their groceries into their cars. It built character that created joy in me by serving them.

Later, I had a job delivering the daily newspaper. Again, I loved providing that service for people to read and be informed of the daily news. I liked going the extra mile and making sure their paper was on their front porch. I wanted to serve them the very best I could. It made ME happy.

Your purpose in life will make YOU happy. It will likely be, in some way, connected to helping others.

Discover your purpose in life and start doing it. Happiness will show up in your life like you’ve never experienced before.

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When you begin to identify the stages of life, it all somehow, starts to make sense. Why do you feel special? Why do you feel ‘different’?

I think about the little egg that becomes a tadpole and looks a lot like a tiny fish. Yet, in time, it grows legs and that wiggly tail it once had becomes two very powerful back legs. So powerful that in a second it can leap a foot or two. Those two legs recoil and immediately jump another foot or longer.

I also think about the egg that becomes a long fuzzy worm. Its the caterpillar. Then at a certain stage of life, it grows an outer shell, a cocoon. From that, what used to crawl on the ground without much beauty or aesthetic appeal, it emerges with wings and becomes an amazing beautiful butterfly.

Then there’s you. You were once a microscopic tadpole. A seed with amazing potential. You start as an embryo. You emerge into this world as a human being. In those first few years, scientist have proved that you possess genius. You do what is almost impossible for most later in their life. You learn a language. Think about it. You start with no vocabulary at all and in 2.5 to 3 years, you learn the vast majority of words that you’ll need to function for the next 70 years.

Then, as time goes by, you learn that you have the capacity to consciously love. You experience that emotion. Then, about this same time, people start to tell you things that literally counteract everything that you’d felt up until that time. They tell you that life is hard and unfair. They tell you that you don’t have the same opportunities as many others. They tell you things that stop the natural growth for which you were born.

If you are fortunate enough, as I was, you learn that you are a child of God. You find out things that were definitely true back when you were first born. That you have potential. That you are intelligent. That your life can continue to evolve into something magnificent. That you are in fact, amazing.

This IS YOUR reality. There is no denying just how awesome YOU ARE. Wake up today. Wake up today to who and what you really are. Let your life, even your day today, be transformed by realizing who you are and what you are meant to become.

If you read my column much at all, you will know that I advocate possessing a ‘powerful attitude.’ As I like to say, “A positive attitude believes that you ‘can’ do a certain thing or achieve a great goal; a powerful attitude, does it.”

Well, in this season of love, the middle part of February, I want to share with you a vital part in having a powerful attitude. That is, choosing and learning to love yourself. The essence of true faith is love. The scriptures say that ‘God is love.’ They also command that we love. That love is directed three different ways. Love to God, love to others and love to yourself. The biggest struggle that most people have is, loving themselves.

Loving yourself involves forgiving yourself for past mistakes. When you stop right now and think about it, you know what you’re beating yourself up about things you’ve done in your past. In fact, you’ve likely beat yourself up over past mistakes to the point that you’ve repeated the mistake several times by now. The key to getting free of such actions is, forgiving yourself.

Next, realize that you’re worthy of love. How do I know that you’re worthy of love? Well, you’re worthy of love because regardless of what’s happened in the past, you know that deep in your heart, there is ‘goodness’ there. There is something deep within that causes you to feel compassion, care and love in your life. I like to say, ‘if you’re able to give love, you’re worthy to be loved.’

Next, recognize that love is the essence of truly living. You can’t really live a quality life without love. You certainly won’t live a happy life without love.

Last, I think most importantly, you’ll never be able to love others until you love yourself. The fact is, love is a spiritual act. You love yourself from your spiritual capacity. To love yourself is one of the most powerful spiritual acts you can engage in. Loving yourself brings happiness, satisfaction and even, good health.

I want to encourage you to continue to love yourself each and every day. When you do, you’ll develop and realize a powerful aspect of living with a powerful attitude. You’ll be happier and feel better emotionally, physically and spiritually in your life.

Once more. How YOU feel, what YOU think and what YOU say, defines your life. YOU are in CHARGE of all three!!