Make positive thinking a habit. It is the first step to cultivating a positive outlook. Ian Faria explains how it leads you to a healthier and happier life

Analyse this statement by Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right". This statement epitomises the power of positive thinking. Choosing 'I can' over 'I can't' may not guarantee your success, but it will surely put you in a better state of mind to succeed.

Author Rhonda Byrne speaks eloquently about this phenomenon in her bestseller 'The Secret'. Many of our teachers use this line, "As you think, so you become".

Better therefore, to think positive, right?

Behavioural psychologists know that thinking positive is the first step to being positive,and this further leads to a healthier life.

Applying positive thinking
Make positive thinking a habit. Let's take an example. You get up in the morning with a backache and you feel like you have not slept enough. One option is to get back to bed and call in sick.Another option is to ignore the symptoms for a moment, and lie in bed thinking about all the good things you have planned for the day. Focus on each one in turn, and imagine how wonderful it would be to achieve more. Would that increase your income?

When you imagine the positive, your body too will respond positively, since the mind and body are two sides of the same coin. Soon, you will be jumping out of bed, wanting to get your plan working, and you will realise there is no back pain or lethargy anymore.

Convert your negatives
Positive thinking changes even the most trying circumstances to a positive one.

Someone who is the type who fights first and regrets later recently had a minor accident. This time he thought positively, "The good thing is it is a minor accident, and not a major one. I can handle this."

When he stepped out of the car, the other person was livid with rage and was shouting obscenities at him. He kept calm and apologised, and took out his driving licence and started to share his information. Soon the other person did likewise, and they both then calmly even exchanged business cards. The accident was the start of a friendship.

You create your future
One wise saying goes 'Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Words become actions. Actions, when repeated, become habits. Habits form character'.

Situations do not define you. How you define yourself empowers you to master your situations. Life is as positive as you want it to be

Ian Faria. (The author is a corporate trainer, motivational speaker, counselor and consultant who specializes in Organizational and Personal Enhancement). faria@a-pep.com