In the mind, positive and negative thoughts are always in conflict. What wins among them is shown through our actions and behavior towards things.

Life is full of surprises and exciting moments that by simply looking at them, we miss ourselves. We are so busy doing unremarkable things out there - in the mirror, on the phone, on the PC, in front of the TV and radio, overtaking, adventuring, and endlessly seeking power and status. This is when car racers feel alive and excited - when they are in a near death opportunity! Imagine that.

Actually, that is when we also feel enthusiastic - with adrenalin-pumping, hair-raising, goosebumps-appearing incidents or when one is over excited, can show off, and risks fearful flights - that we cannot see what's real in our lives. We make mistakes. We miss turnings. We lose or forget things. And this is all because we lose reign of our senses. Only when there are accidents, car crash, a thump on the head, a slap in the face, a comment, a synchronized moment, a glance from a beautiful person, song of a sweet bird, the rising or setting of the sun, a shooting star, or the rhythm of the waves do we stop for a second and appreciate and reflect these things with our minds.

Time seems to slow down in moments of awe, devotion, speechlessness, and high spirits. We become aware of beautiful, fresh, sweet, shining, and glowing moments that only at these times are we awake, truly alive, and with a calm and serene mind. They say that we will never really know what we have until it's gone. So, shall we wait for some things to disappear before we appreciate them? Not exactly. In fact, the mind can and should be trained to focus on the brighter things in life, no matter how little or uninteresting they are, so that negative thoughts shall not succeed in creating an undesirable future for us. Nothing is too late for change.

Here are some ways of training the mind on positive thinking:

* Start the day with cheers and smiles.

Your whole day depends on how you greet the morning. Therefore, as long as you welcome it with energy and high spirits, everything will go okay. You don't want the rest of the day to get ruined, do you? Come on, smile! It doesn't cost anything but is worth everything.

* Ask for guidance.

Only God knows what we will be having on the day ahead of us. He will surely appreciate a few minutes of praying and asking for guidance from Him. Also, have faith on Him that He is more than willing to grant our requests as long as it is for our own good. With God as our guide, we don't have any reason not to say and believe in the thought that I can do this. I can make it through this day. Nothing is impossible. After all, God is with me.

* Plan the day ahead.

To avoid mistakes that will cause negative output on your daily activities that will later on become negative thoughts, it is better to plan your work first; after which, work your plan. Make sure today's goals are clearly defined and absorbed by your mind. This can be done even before you get out of bed each day, just so immediate addressing issues as they arise can be avoided.

* Keep your mind focused on important things.

Set goals and priorities for what you think and do. Visualize practicing your actions. Develop a strategy for dealing with problems. Concentrate on things that need to be taken seriously, but at the same time, take time to relax and enjoy. This way, favorable results may take place.

* Be detached from the outcome.

They say that life is like a Ferris Wheel; sometimes, you're on the top, and sometimes at the bottom. This means that there will be times in our lives where some things would not turn out according to what we want them to be. Don't be annoyed if you don't get what you desire. However, do your best in everything you do. Only, don't get too attached on the probable results that may only cause disappointments and upsets.

* Try new things and challenges.

See learning and changes as opportunities. There's nothing wrong in changing attitudes and routines as long as they are for the good and improvement of who you are and what you do. Doing new things may include considering more options for a project, meeting new people from different places, asking lots of questions. Through this, the flow of thinking is directed to improvement and negative thoughts will be easily eradicated.

* Balance your desires.

We live in a place of opposites and duality - gain and loss, pleasure and pain, light and dark, male and female, love and hate. This is how the cycle of life goes. We can never have all the good things in life at the same time. In love, there will always be someone who gets hurt. In wealth, there will always be people who will not be fortunate enough. Measure and

* Be realistic.

Make sure that what you want is something possible. Hoping for something to happen which would never really materialize in real life will only bring you disappointment. For instance, you wish to lose weight. Therefore, you have to set a goal and act on appropriate measures within a period of time to achieve what you wish. Hey, No one can get slimmer overnight. Keep track of your mental and physical health. This way, you will know how far you can keep believing.

* Know yourself.

There is no other person in the world who can tell who you really are. Know your passions, favorites, and principles. Spend some quality time by yourself - reading, listening to music, day dreaming, and the likes. If you know yourself completely, you will be aware of how far can you go physically, mentally, and emotionally.

* Love yourself.

Before you expect for other people to love and adore you, it is always you who needs to love yourself first. Make a positive commitment to yourself, to learning, work, family, friends, nature, and other worthwhile causes. Praise yourself as much as you praise others once in a while. When you start feeling confident about yourself, positive thoughts will naturally flow to your mind.

* Laugh. Enjoy. Have fun.

Looking at the brighter side of life starts with entertainment and pleasure. Laughter is the best medicine, so they say. Whether your illness is physical or emotional, a few laughs and giggles can help you throw away heavy baggage such as anxiety, disappointment, or nervousness.

* Keep a list of your goals and actions.

Familiarize yourself with things you want to accomplish and with the ways you must undertake to complete them. By the time you are certain of what you want to do and carry out in your life, a stronger mind and will power will exist within you.

* Associate with positive people.

In every classroom, work place, or simply anywhere you go where there are groups of people, look for optimistic ones. There are lots of them, I'm sure. Associate with them, hang-out, discuss matters. They can help you build self-confidence and self-esteem.

* Make it a habit to ask questions.

This is not equal to dumbness and ignorance; rather, it is associated with seeking more information and understanding matters clearly. With more knowledge, there is also more power.

* Be open.

We have to accept the fact that we don't know everything. And that we are continuously learning in every place we go, with every people we meet as everyday passes. We should not close our minds to new ideas and information that comes our way. Our mind is so spacious that it is impossible to fill it up completely. Thus, we should accept worthy things that may help us become better and brighter persons.

* Have trust in other people.

Although it may seem difficult and risky to give trust to just any people, when you believe in them or confident on what they are doing for you, doubts and negative judgments on them will be unnecessary. Also, it will bring harmonious relationships between you and your colleagues.

* Forgive and forget.

Mistakes and failures are the root causes of negative thinking. If we somehow learn to let go of all the pain, agony, and fear we try to keep inside our hearts and minds, then there will be nothing more to block our clear thoughts from being expressed. Forgive yourself for committing mistakes and forget these mistakes.

* Learn from experiences.

Learning inside the classroom is different from learning outside it. In school, one learns the lesson first before taking an exam; while in real life, one takes the test first before learning the lesson. This test in the real life is our experiences. If we failed in that test, i.e. the experience is not so good, we study the situation and learn the lesson. From here, we can avoid committing the same mistake twice.

* Count your blessings.

Focus on what you have rather than what you don't have. Absence of our desires will only bring discontentment and disappointment that will only waste our time. Instead, be thankful and appreciative with all the blessings we receive.

* Kiss your worries goodbye.

At the end of everyday, before going to sleep, there is no need to keep bad experiences and unhappy moments that had happened in the day within you. Let them go, throw them out of the window and kiss them goodbye. Dream sweetly. As a new day unfolds, new hope arises. Keep believing. Always have faith.

If you would like to learn more, visit- http://www.self-help-motivation-source.com/believeinyourselfnow.html
About the Author

Marlene Challis is founder and CEO of Mc Internet Marketing. She has several business branches and websites. She can be contacted through the website, www.self-help-motivation-source.com. Feel free to republish this article provided you do not edit it in any way and include the author bio as well.