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Archive for the ‘Positive Thinking’ Category

One of the most effective ways to get children thinking positively is to show them positive thinking by example when they are going through the developmental stages of self doubt. These stages are easily spotted when children are always comparing themselves to their friends, seeing themselves as unable to achieve, or exhibiting an unwillingness to try. As stated here, those are general characteristics because young people can apply them to a very-wide number of everyday situations in home, in play and at school. Since the very young are inclined to copy their parents and older siblings, teaching positive thinking by example and comparison becomes quite an effective tool.

Our world is rife with negativity. Children will benefit very much from adopting positive attitudes that will keep them on the right path. And doing so when they are very young and in the midst of personality developments is the perfect time to instill the importance of thinking positively.

When children exhibit obviously negative responses to everyday situations, that’s the perfect time to counter with positive thinking alternatives. For example, if the child tells you, “Daddy, I just can’t do this.” A good positive retort would be, “I have faith in you. Take your time and give it another try.” Or if the child says, “I’m just can’t understand math.” you might answer, ” I wasn’t either at your age, but I kept trying and finally got it. I know you can too if you really try.” One more good example might be if he or she tell you, “I’m no good at ice skating. I keep falling down. I want to go home.” You might very well respond by saying, “It’s always tough to do something new for the first time. Remember, you had the same problem learning to ride a 2-wheel bike. Keep at it. I know you’ll learn soon.” The forgoing are all situations where you can counter a negative impression with a positive thinking alternative. Done on as regular basis, it works!

Don’t take the risk that your child will develop positive thinking habits on their own. Teach by example and provide positive alternatives. You might also secure one of many available children’s books that teach this on their learning level and read it with them. This is a valuable adjunct to any program. Take control of positive thinking education for your child. The results you’ll see will be well worth your effort.

There are basically two kinds of positive thinking messages. One is those that we send to ourselves better known as self talk. The second is the kind we get from outside ourselves, those from co-workers, family, the things we read and see and even the occasional stranger behind us in the supermarket check-out line.

If we are laboring with a negative mindset, we get mainly negative messages from our self talking sessions. Moreover, we’re probably only interested in messages from outside ourselves that support our negative ideas. As we recognize the need to embrace positive thinking, we first learn to keep positive thoughts before us and to think them regularly and repetitively until they replace the negative ideas and images. However, keep in mind that one good way to speed-up the battle inside us is to take advantage of the large number of external messages that can help us do the job. These are the positive ideas that freely flow from quotes, articles and instructions from positive thinking materials.

Quotes can serve as positive affirmations from oeiole outside yourself and some are famous individuals that you can’t help but respective. Quotes on positive thinking are messages to you directly from them. Words of wisdom if you will. Typical sources that are readily found on the Internet include: Denis Waitley; John F. Kennedy; Dr. Norman Vincent Peale; James Allen; Robert Collier; A.L. Williams; Warren Buffet; George Bernard Shaw; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Robert Burns and many other well-known names. Dr. Peale has probably best epitomized the person with negative mindset problems at the doorstep of positive thinking when h said, “Yesterday ended last night.” And “When you wholeheartedly adopt a “wish with all your heart” attitude and go out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things.” A.L. Williams also had some very wise words when he said, “You can give in to failure messages and be a bitter deadbeat of excuses. Or, you can choose to be happy and positive and excited about life.”

Messages like these quotes from respected people can really help you toward a positive mindset if you read them regularly and take their meanings to heart!

Also send these messages to people you love, mail them to people you know and tell it people in your office because they go a long way in eliminating negative thoughts and feelings from our everyday life.

One could prepare a very-long list of steps to be taken to understand and adopt positive thinking as a new and improved mindset. You can reasonably consider such a list an outline for learning and a source of ready reference reminders. The way the average person’s life happens includes the fact that things don’t always turn out the way you’d prefer. Dissapointments can surely be depressing, and if allowed to add-up, can place you in a depressed state for long periods. Thinking positively is a powerful way to keep bad things from influencing your overall outlook. Always remember that positive thinking adds up to a positive mindset; that a positive mindset leads to positive emotions; and that positive emotions generate positive occurrences.

Here are ten useable positive thinking steps that you can take:

1. Make a personal decision to let positive thinking into your life with the goal of making you happier and healthier.
2. Gather all the needed information of positive thinking from the Internet, read it over and gain an understanding of how it works and will work for you.
3. Decide that positive thinking will bring you health, happiness and success and that you will stick with the program as long as it takes.
4. Learn to understand your abilities and to use them in the most productive way in order to achieve your personal goals. Then, prioritize the things you want and need. Never be depressed if some things don’t go your way. That’s true for all.
5. Learn from those things that don’t work. Ask yourself why and try new ways to make them happen. Never say “I can’t” only say “I’ll find a way.”
6. Remember how to laugh at yourself when necessary and never get down when things go wrong. Keep in mind that life has too much to offer to adopt a negative attitude. This is a good place to recall and repeat positive thinking phrases that apply to your circumstances.
7. Never use the should have, would have; could have scenario. Instead, re-evaluate the situation and start again. Approach each challenge with enthusiasm and the belief that you will succeed, be it in your personal life or in business.
8. Really believe that you are in control of your ultimate destiny. Nobody will rob you of your future unless you permit it. Realize that the only limit on your achievements is the limit you impose on them. Enjoy what you do at every level.
9. Plan out those things that you can and make a list of each progressive step you shall take to achieve an objective. Proceed logically and never give up because you meet obstacles. Instead, find a way around them and keep to the plan.
Be passionate about the things you want to achieve. Never have a ’so what’ or ‘ho hum’ attitude. Be honest with yourself, think positively and enjoy each day.

Some people insist that positive thinking is dangerous to you, although they are not in the majority on this. But the disbelievers could know something. After all, just about everything good also has something to worry about. However, any pitfalls notwithstanding, the basic premise of being a positive person isn’t wrong. You just need to understand the ground rules.

There is one obvious danger related to positive thinking, that being kidding yourself into thinking everything is okay when it is anything but okay. There are, of course, certain obviously-negative situations that must be faced up to and dealt with whether you like it or not. The key here, is not to let one bad circumstance cloud your vision and optimism about other future issues. Then too, most bad things can still be responded to with a positive, problem-solving approach best achieved by thinking through the problem and the options available to solve it. That is a positive thinking approach applied to a negative issue.

In general, if you approach life with positive direction, the best way to confront any problem is to ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish?; what solutions are possible under the circumstances?; and what solution is the most practical for me?. This kind of self talk or self questioning almost always leads to the right answer.

Most critics of positive thinking believe it is self-delusional and they can be right in some situations. If you embrace positive thinking improperly, and refuse to face facts that are plainly before you, that is either deluding yourself or being in a state psychologists call denial. Neither is a good thing. You can be a positive thinker and still be a realist at the same time. Positive thinking is a way of looking at things, but not always necessary as a solution.

Critics also sometimes say that positive thinking takes away your awareness, self trust and intelligence. Not if you don’t let it. All those personal assets can be applied in a positive way and to great advantage. Just because you have a positive attitude certainly doesn’t mean you won’t trust your own intelligence and good sense in analyzing a problem.

All this being said, the pitfalls aren’t the result of positive thinking per se. Instead they are really the result of not applying the ground rules of positive thinking properly in some situations.

Well excess of anything may be dangerous but you still must be positive to face any kind of situation in life.

It has often been said that “One picture is worth a thousand words” and that apparently applies equally to those dedicated to illustrating positive thinking principles and methods. Searching the internet under “pictures for positive thinking” produced 2,350,000 listings on Google alone. There are stock photos, cartoons and illustrations of people expressing positive emotions versus negative ones offered for general and specific categories of the positive thinking mix. Most are ‘royalty free’ one-time purchases and some are offered at no cost whatsoever as free downloads.

Positive thinking pictures and graphics are useful indeed for teaching the subject to people of every age level under the proven principle that pictures and words are together a more memorable message than words alone. To this end, the Internet offers a limitless potpourri of graphic images for every conceivable application.

There are pictures and other graphic elements offered online for a variety of positive thinking categories. These include: Positive thinking stock photos for general applications; positive thinking illustrations and clip art; pictures that demonstrate posiive vs. negative attitudes; positive thinking cartoons; funny pictures about positive thinking; pictures of people expressing positive vs. negative emotions; positive thinking in sports graphics; pictures of women for positive thinking and many, many others

Photos and cartoons offered are in black & white, color and specific tones of color to aid in portraying certain moods. There are also offers to custom photograph or cartoon subjects to meet specific requirements. Prices sometimes depend upon how the images are going to be used by the buyer. Images can be had as downloads, on slides for presentations and in the form of prints suitable for framing and use in schools, doctor’s offices, etc.

At first glance, one might wonder what about positive thinking can possibly justify such a very-wide availability of graphic images and photographs. Consider if you will just how widespread positive thinking has become. There are uses on websites, to illustrate articles and e-books; as teaching aids in slide and flip-chart presentations and as wall and office d?cor everywhere. Some are crafted specifically to illustrate well-known positive thinking quotations and phrases as well. There has also ben a high demand from teachers at the elementary school level for use in instilling the idea of a positive attitude for life in general and learning in particular in the very young. Whatever the need, there are numerous pictures and graphics to select from that will illustrate virtually any positive thinking idea you have.

There are many positive thinking activities available that are designed to train participants in various ways to shift their thinking and attitudes into a positive framework. Some are general and apply to the positive thinking concept no matter where it is applied; others are specifically designed to reinforce particular types of thought processes applicable to business, personal relationships, school or others.

For example some positive thinking training resources:

* Help participants determine their values along with any differences between their career objectives and goals so that they can take positive steps to resolve differences;

* Introduce participants to the ideas behind determining ‘excellence’ strategies from other people;

* Show participants how to problem solve by utilizing their inherent strengths and abilities;

* Detail how to alter an undesirable view of their behavior and replace it with one that they will see in a more positive light;

* Help participants to identify and explore negative beliefs that are keeping them from achieving success and replace them with positive beliefs that they can implement for better self esteem and behavior.

These are just a few of the positive thinking training activities that are readily available on line via the Internet. There are also a significant number of training exercises that build skills; compete fairly; resolve conflicts; and more. These generally include standard tests that enable participants to assess their progress toward positive change. Free downloads of these materials are also available online.

Conflict resolution is greatly aided through positive thinking and there is even a Conflict Resolution Network that can be reached online from http://www.crnhq.org They offer many free downloads including a very-thorough conflict resolving game that is a challenging new alternative to normal debating. In this game, participants deal with an issue selected from numerous possibilities including domestic violence, immigration and development and the environment, with the aim of resolving the conflicts inside it. The end goal, of course, is to teach people how to resolve real conflicts occurring in real-life situations that will almost certainly be faced. Three primary role tasks of the game are analysis, options and solutions.

Most positive thinking activities are intended for adults and high-school age teenagers, although there are a few available for younger children. In any case noone is too young or too old to seek help on positive thinking for a happier life.

Notwithstanding any debate as to the effectiveness of positive thinking or the lack thereof, science has demonstrated that positive thinking has physical as well as psychological health benefits. This has been medically-ascertained by measuring what happens to the brain when natural pain-killing chemicals adjust the way neurons fire. Doctors in Italy and University of Michigan scientists have shown that patients who believe they are getting pain killers but who actually receive a placebo instead,, benefit both physically and mentally from the belief alone, which results in needed relief without drug interaction when the brain releases endorphins that block pain. Positive thinking as a human benefit, has now been medically verified.

Doctors also now believe that patients with higher levels of well being have lower risk from heart attacks, reduced stress hormone levels and less inflammation, which is an indication of how well the immune system is functioning. It is also becoming clear to scientists that chronic stress as well as psychological stress can slow down the healing of wounds, can weaken the immune system and lower the effectiveness of vaccines. These factors serve to demonstrate that when a patient can focus his attention on something beside his pain and his illness, it permits his body to profit from its own inherent healing abilities. These newly-demonstrated mind-body links clearly mean that positive thinking and feelings actually can affect a person’s health and well being.

For many decades, scientists, doctors and citizens alike scoffed at people who claimed that the power of the human mind could heal physical problems and illnesses. Now, those beliefs are not being subjected to quite as much ridicule as they were earlier. While science and medicine are still miles away from believing that the mind alone can cure fatal diseases or other major problems. However, they are ready to admit and demonstrate that positive attitudes have a direct affect on the human immune system which is the body’s first line of defense. To say it in even simpler terms, if you are happy with your life and have an optimistic approach to things, it will affect you in a good way. And that is the legacy of positive thinking.

A Columbia University neuroscientist recently said that people’s expectations can have profound effects on their brains and health. If this is true, it follows that having a good attitude and looking forward to things (positive thinking) has a positive health benefit. The converse, therefore might also be true and dreading things (negative thinking) can effect bodily and mental health in negative ways.

All these things now being said, we can surely expect a steadily-increasing interest in the roles of medicine and positive thinking in our society.

Over the years, many positive thinking advocates have crafted lists of the steps one should follow to properly embrace the concept of positive thinking. None are actually the best of the lot. Instead, we have today a very intelligent and lengthy set of steps to take us to the pinnacle of positive thinking. All are words of wisdom and all represent good advice from those who really know.

We can quote individual five, ten or twenty-step messages or we can select what we consider the best of them all and craft a new set. This might read something like the following steps o help you deal with recurring negative ideas:

(1)-Put words to the negative ideas you now harbor and the ‘triggers’ that make them appear in your mind. A few bad thoughts can set off a bad scene and bad scenes usually end up badly. Identify these enemies so you know what you’re dealing with.

(2)-Don’t try to completely forget the negative ideas because they’ve been with you for years and won’t disappear in a flash. However, you can manage them and prevent them from taking control and becoming an attitude.

(3)-Look at your negative thoughts and images objectively. While they’ve been with you a long time, they are not you. You’re the listener, not the originator. You can listen and obey or choose instead to embrace a more positive approach to what you are. See them for what they are and then let them go.

(4)-Stop your negative thoughts and images dead in their tracks the instant they appear. Have some positive ideas ready to replaced them and do so promptly. Never give in to the old ideas that have only held you back from happiness and success.

(5)-Don’t be afraid to debate with yourself. When the negative ideas rear their ugly heads, counter them with something positive. Remember that negative is just a trip back to the same old you and reach out for the new you that you really want.

Sets of steps can be crafted for business situations, personal relationships and virtually anything else. If you fully embrace the concept of positive thinking, you’ll meet all of them sooner or later and realize that they all have but one purpose: self improvement. Though you can find hundreds of books on positive thinking that can really put you on the right track to positive thinking, the above steps will always come handy when you are in doubt.

Positive thinking is really a rather simple concept to grasp. By definition, it is merely “the adoption of a mental attitude that lets one focus on thoughts and images that will lead to growth, success, happiness and health.” Of course, defining a concept is often far easier than applying it to one’s life, especially after years of negative thinking. The good news is that tens of thousands of people are successful each year in making the adjustment to a positive mindset that gives them the ability to anticipate a successful outcome from every situation they undertake.

Despite the fact that millions of people worldwide have reaped the benefits of positive thinking over the years, and that medical science has actually proven that it is advantageous, there are still those who think that the whole idea is ridiculous. And there are those who, despite the fact that they accept positive thinking as a concept, are unable to apply it to their own lives. Part of this is due to inadequate commitment, while still another part arises from the fact that many negative thoughts are protective in that they allow one to avoid possible rejection and failure. When this idea is ‘top of mind’ in the subconscious, shifting from negative to positive becomes more difficult but is still doable.

In most cases, positive thinking opens the door to achievement while negative thinking does just the opposite by preventing one from trying to succeed. Both mindsets become a conscious and subconscious habit pattern that defines personality.

Most of the people we meet in our business and personal lives relate more readily to the bright, outgoing individual with a positive atitude. Conversely, they tend to avoid people who radiate an attitude of negativity. This being said, the challenge to becoming a positive thinker comes down to undersanding this and making a sincere, personal commitment to change the way we look at things.

People who have been primarily negative thinkers for many years may not be aware of it and, if they are, haven’t any idea how to change. The first thing to understand is that it took a long time to become negative and you’re no going to change that overnight. To switch one’s mindset to positive will require commitment, lots of inner work and an understanding of just how to re-train your thought processes. Forunately, there is a wealth of good information and instruction that can be readily obtained both in books and from sources on the Internet.

A good start is to agree that positive thinking really works and can bring you more happiness and success than negative thinking. This goes without saying based upon thousands of success stories from those who have done it. Positive thinking is powerful!

Mining has always been known as a profession with a great deal of danger involved. When thinking of mining, often it is coal mining that is pictured, but mining health concerns can be prevalent in other types of mining as well, including uranium mining, copper mining and zinc mining, just to name a few.

In underground mines such as coal mines the first mining health concerns are for the quality and quantity of the air. Miners are dependent upon air being pumped down into the areas where they are working or upon gas masks or breathing apparatus of some type. The mining tunnels can hold pocket of gases which are harmful to breathe as well as having the potential to be combustible. In olden mines the practice was to ignite these pockets then the miner would lie down quickly and let the burning gases race over his body. Now, fans provide much safer means of ventilating areas underground.

Another of the mining health concerns was the black lung disease. This is still unfortunately quite common amongst miners although less frequent now. It was not until 1968 that the public attitude toward this disease and toward other mining disasters began to change and to focus on bringing improvements to the entire industry. The Black Lung Act specified a date by which black lung disease must be eradicated and provided for testing and diagnosis to enforce the law. It also required the owners of the mines to bear all medical, therapeutic and potential death benefits to families of those suffering with Black Lung Disease.

Another of the mining health concerns is the danger of fire or explosion underground. Again, it was not until the major mine disaster in 1968 in Farmington West Virginia in which 78 miners lost their lives that the public was made aware of the dangers and environmental hazards of the mining industry.

Open pit mining such as that found in copper, iron gold and molybdenum pits is done with there are commercial size and quality deposits near the surface in an area. Mining health concerns for open pit minds range from on-the-job accidents, usually involving mining equipment, to cave ins. Lung and bronchial passageway diseases are often found to be more compromised among those who work in a constant environment of airborne particles and dust. Studies drawing a definite correlation between cigarette smoking and mining as an occupation related to number of sick days taken annually show a positive correlation.