When you dwell on the negative aspects of life and compare your failings to another's successes, you can become depressed and discouraged. You've heard that a positive mental attitude will improve your outlook but you may find it hard to see the silver lining when dark clouds loom. Try a few techniques to retrain your thoughts.

Live for yourself. When you constantly try to be the person others want you to be, you cheat yourself out of individuality and your own dreams. Take a long hard look at what you want out of life and plan your daily routine to include at least one or two elements that bring your goals closer.

Understand that even if you can't control outside circumstances, you can control your reaction to them. If you're currently working in a dead-end job with a boss who is demeaning, make a conscious effort to tell yourself that his poor behavior can make you upset only if you allow it.

Leave your work at the office, mentally that is. When you step outside after a trying day's work, tell yourself that you have all day tomorrow to deal with the problems and mentally switch gears by thinking something positive or planning your next vacation, even if it's months away.

Slow down. When constantly pressed to finish tasks, you can develop a negative attitude towards life. If time is a commodity, figure out how you can schedule your chores more efficiently. Just by rising 15 minutes earlier each day, you will have the time to say hello to your neighbor, pet a puppy or just gaze out the window at the rain.

Learn something new every day. You can encourage a positive attitude by always providing something new in your life. As a child, your curiosity led you to explore and learn. Recapture that feeling today by taking a night class, studying a new language, learning to garden or anything else that interests you.

Make a list of the positive aspects in your life. Include your achievements. If you are a humorous person, put that on the list. If you can play the violin or you know a lot about dogs, include those aspects. Make a long detailed list of everything that you do well or at least that is not negative. Read the list when you need a mental boost.

Help others. Extending a helping hand to those in need makes you feel needed and worthwhile. Make it a habit to volunteer for charitable organizations. Helping others allows us to be thankful for the blessing we have and helps us maintain a positive attitude.

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Napoleon Hill was the first writer to promote the message of positive mental attitude. His message, that men can change their lives...

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How to Have a Positive Mental Attitude | eHow

About the Author

Napoleon Hill was the world-renowned bestselling author of Think and Grow Rich.

Meet the most important living person!

Somewhere in this book you will meet him -- suddenly, surprisingly and with a shock of recognition that will change your whole life. When you do meet him, you will discover his secret. You will discover that he carries with him an invisible talisman with the initials PMA emblazoned on one side, and NMA on the other.

This invisible talisman has two amazing powers: it has the power to attract wealth, success, happiness and health; and it has the power to repel these things -- to rob you of all that makes life worth living. It is the first of these powers, PMA, that enables some men to climb to the top and stay there. It is the second that keeps other men at the bottom all their lives. It is NMA that pulls other men down from the top when they have reached it.

Perhaps the story of S. B. Fuller will illustrate how it works.

"We are poor -- not because of God." S. B. Fuller was one of seven children of a Negro tenant farmer in Louisiana. He started to work at the age of five. By the time he was nine, he was driving mules. There was nothing unusual in this: the children of most of the tenant farmers went to work early. These families accepted poverty as their lot and asked for no better.

Young Fuller was different from his friends in one way: he had a remarkable mother. His mother refused to accept this hand-to-mouth existence for her children, though it was all she had ever known. She knew there was something wrong with the fact that her family was barely getting along in a world of joy and plenty. She used to talk to her son about her dreams.

"We shouldn't be poor, S.B.," she used to say. "And don't ever let me hear you say that it is God's Will that we are poor. We are poor -- not because of God. We are poor because Father has never developed a desire to become rich. No one in our family has ever developed a desire to be anything else."

No one had developed a desire to be wealthy. This idea became so deeply ingrained in Fuller's mind that it changed his whole life. He began to want to be rich. He kept his mind on the things he did want and off the things he didn't want. Thus he developed a burning desire to become rich. The quickest way to make money, he decided, was to sell something. He chose soap. For twelve years he sold it, door to door. Then he learned that the company which supplied him was going to be sold at auction. The firm price was $150,000. In twelve years of selling and setting aside every penny, he had saved $25,000. It was agreed that he would deposit his $25,000 and obtain the balance of $125,000 within a ten-day period. Written into the contract was the condition that if he did not raise the money, he would lose his deposit.

During his twelve years as a soap salesman, S. B. Fuller had gained the respect and admiration of many businessmen. He went to them now. He obtained money from personal friends, too, and from loan companies and investment groups. On the eve of the tenth day, he had raised $115,000. He was $10,000 short.

Search for the light. "I had exhausted every source of credit I knew," he recalls. "It was late at night. In the darkness of my room I knelt down and prayed. I asked God to lead me to a person who would let me have the $10,000 in time. I said to myself that I would drive down 61st Street until I saw the first light in a business establishment. I asked God to make the light a sign indicating His answer."

It was eleven o'clock at night when S. B. Fuller drove down Chicago's 61st Street. At last, after several blocks he saw a light in a contractor's office.

He walked in. There, seated at his desk, tired from working late at night, sat a man whom Fuller knew slightly. Fuller realized that he would have to be bold.

"Do you want to make $1,000?" asked Fuller straight out.

The contractor was taken aback at the question. "Yes," he said. "Of course."

"Then make out a check for $10,000 and when I bring back the money, I'll bring back another $1,000 profit," Fuller recalls telling this man. He gave the contractor the names of the other people who had lent him money, and explained in detail exactly what the business venture was.

Let's explore his secret of success. Before he left that night, S. B. Fuller had a check for $10,000 in his pocket. Subsequently he obtained controlling interest not only in that company, but in seven others, including four cosmetic companies, a hosiery company, a label company, and a newspaper. When we asked him recently to explore with us the secret of his success, he answered in terms of his mother's statement so many years before:

"We are poor -- not because of God. We are poor because Father has never developed a desire to become rich. No one in our family has ever developed a desire to be anything else."

"You see," he told us, "I knew what I wanted, but I didn't know how to get it. So I read the Bible and inspirational books for a purpose. I prayed for the knowledge to achieve my objectives. Three books played an important part in transmuting my burning desire into reality. They were: (1) the Bible, (2) Think and Grow Rich, and (3) The Secret of the Ages. My greatest inspiration comes from reading the Bible.

"If you know what you want, you are more apt to recognize it when you see it. When you read a book, for example, you will recognize opportunities to help you get what you want."

S. B. Fuller carried with him the invisible talisman with the initials PMA imprinted on one side and NMA on the other. He turned the PMA side up and amazing things happened. He was able to bring into reality ideas that were formerly mere daydreams.

Now the important thing to notice here is that S. B. Fuller started life with fewer advantages than most of us have. But he chose a big goal and headed for it. Of course, the choice of goal was individual. In these times and in this country you still have your personal right to say: "This is what I choose. This is what I want most to accomplish." And unless your goal is against the laws of God or society, you can achieve it. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying. Success is achieved and maintained by those who keep trying with PMA.

What you try for is up to you. Not everyone would care to be an S. B. Fuller, responsible for large manufacturing concerns. Not everyone would choose to pay the costly price of being a great artist. To many, the riches of life are quite different. A skill in day-to-day living which adds up to a happy, love-filled life is success. You can have this and other riches, too. The choice is yours.

But whether success to you means becoming rich as it did to S. B. Fuller, or the discovery of a new element in chemistry, or the creation of a piece of music, or the growing of a rose, or the nurturing of a child -- no matter what success means to you -- the invisible talisman with the initials PMA emblazoned on one side and NMA on the other can help you achieve it. You attract the good and desirable with PMA. You repel them with NMA.

Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. "But what if I have a physical handicap? How can a change of attitude help me?" you may ask. Perhaps the story of Tom Dempsey, a boy who was disabled at birth, will give you your answer.

Tom was born without half a right foot and only a stub of a right arm. As a boy, he wanted to engage in sports as the other boys did. He had a burning desire to play football. Because of this desire, his parents had an artificial foot made for him. It was made of wood. The wooden foot was encased in a special stubby football shoe. Hour after hour, day after day, Tom would practice kicking the football with his wooden foot. He would try and keep on trying to make field goals at greater and greater distances. He became so proficient that he was hired by the New Orleans Saints.

The screams of 66,910 football fans could be heard throughout the entire United States when, within the last two seconds of the game, Tom Dempsey -- with his crippled leg -- kicked a record-breaking 63-yard field goal. It was the longest field goal ever kicked in a professional football game. It gave the Saints a winning score of 19-17 over the Detroit Lions.

"We were beaten by a miracle," said Detroit coach Joseph Schmidt. And to many, it was a miracle -- an answer to a prayer.

"Tom Dempsey didn't kick that field goal, God kicked it," said Lion linebacker Wayne Walker.

"Interesting. But what does the Tom Dempsey story mean to me?" you may ask.

Our response would be: "Very little -- unless you develop the habit of recognizing, relating, assimilating and using universal principles and adopt them as your very own. Then follow through with desirable action."

And what are the principles you could apply from the Tom Dempsey story, whether or not you are physically disabled? They can be learned and applied by children and adults:

To learn and apply these principles, turn up your invisible talisman to the PMA side.

When Henley wrote the poetic lines, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul," he could have informed us that we are the masters of our fate because we are masters, first, of our attitudes. Our attitudes shape our future. This is a universal law. The poet could have told us with great emphasis that this law works whether the atti... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude: Napoleon Hill ...

Positive mental attitude is a concept first developed and introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in the book Think and Grow Rich. The book never actually uses the term, but develops the importance of positive thinking as a principle to success.[1] He, along with W. Clement Stone, founder of Combined Insurance, later wrote Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude which defines positive mental attitude as comprising "the 'plus' characteristics symbolized by such words as faith, integrity, hope, optimism, courage, initiative, generosity, tolerance, tact, kindliness and good common sense."[2]

Positive mental attitude (PMA) is the philosophy that having an optimistic disposition in every situation in one's life attracts positive changes and increases achievement. Adherents employ a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances. It opposes negativity, defeatism and hopelessness. Optimism and hope are vital to the development of PMA.[3]

PMA is under the umbrella of Positive Psychology. In positive psychology high self-efficacy can help someone to gain learned optimism which ultimately leads to PMA. PMA is considered an internal locus of control that influences external factors. Research has shown that through emotional intelligence training and positive psychology therapy one's attitudes and perceptions can be modified to improve their personal and professional life.[4]

The self-help industry was pioneered by Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack and made popular by Napoleon Hills books as well as Dale Carnegie and his lectures and books. Now an entire industry of self-help books and motivational speakers such as Og Mandino and Tony Robbins are available. PMA is a main theme in most of the inspirational writings which have influenced the sales industry, especially in door-to-door sales and direct marketing businesses. Self-help material along with self-talk help employers to shape their employees to be more resilient to failure and become more positive and energetic salespeople.[5]

A study of Major League Baseball players indicated that a key component that separates major league players from the minor leagues and all other levels is their ability to develop mental characteristics and mental skills. Among them were mental toughness, confidence, maintaining a positive attitude, dealing with failure, expectations, and positive self-talk.[6]

Many studies have been done regarding PMA and its effects on health, specifically with people of serious illnesses such as cancer and kidney disease. Cancer specifically has received a lot of attention since Lance Armstrong, along with other survivors, have given their stories. People with PMA have a significantly higher chance of survival and recovery.[7] A study comparing people with chronic kidney disease with people kidney disease free showed that there was a significant difference between the groups. The kidney disease free group rated much higher in PMA. There was no difference found in spirituality and females with chronic kidney disease were found to be significantly more superstitious.[8] A study done with HIV-positive individuals found that a high health self-efficacy, a task-oriented coping style, and a positive mental attitude were strong predictors or a health-promoting lifestyle which has a significant effect on overall health (coping and surviving).[9]

Critics of PMA argue that it is not the secret to success but a by-product of success.[10] The self-help industry has been criticized as a scam for authors to make money due to its simplistic writing and principles. There is little evidence, however, that self-help books, life coaching, and motivational speaking are harmful; a study of 100 psychotherapy patients found that of the 43 patients reading books (e.g. PMA, religious texts, Alcoholics Anonymous texts, etc.) 4 reported "mild harm or distress" while 34 reported "benefit without harm."[11]

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Positive mental attitude - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Positive Mental Attitude

What is a Positive Mental Attitude? Whats in it for you? How do you get one and what is it good for?

Its is one of the great treasures of life Mind you, its worth saying, and not for nothing here, but there is little worse than fake positivity. This is not now, nor will it ever be about pretending to see the silver lining in the dark cloud Some things suck, seriously, some situations and circumstances are just crappy.

This isnt about faking it, it isnt about pretending some terrible situation is just what you always wanted, no, no, no! A truely Positive Mental Attitude is all about maintaining the belief that you can transform difficult situations in to something youd much rather have. Its never about lying to yourself, its all about empowering yourself!

With all great achievements in life, there is always a first step. Without that crucial first step, nothing else can occur. What were talking about here is youre attitude, the belief than you can, or cant will determine EVERYTHING which follows

Let me explain in the most simple terms possible: We can take steps to get away from something, like getting away from a bad relationship, a struggling career, or getting away from our bills and other burdens, thats the essence of Negative Thinking. We see the negative, and we seek to get away from it or avoid it altogether.

The problem of course is that all that negative focus just finds us hopping from one bad thing to the next, and as we all know: That which we focus on is that which we approach. Now, the other side of the spectrum is when we make the commitment to the shift, and the shift is simple: Towards

We can either try to get away from something (negative perspective), or we can make the decision to be heading towards something (positive perspective).

You see, its a perspective change, but it makes all the difference in the world. Instead of taking steps to get away from something, or to overcome and obstacle (focused on destruction, dis-empowering), we take steps towards something better, we actively create the solutions! (focused on creation, empowering)

Does it work? Dr. Richard Wiesman studied over 400 people for ten years, half with negative mental attitudes (avoid and escape) and half with Positive Attitudes (achieve and aspire) he found that those people with Positive Mental Attitudes were over 30 times more likely to succeed in any given endeavor!

Its a subtle change, a small difference that makes all the difference in the world

Try it, make the shift to living a life always moving towards your dreams, let go of false beliefs of Pretend you have what you always wanted and it will come let go of false beliefs of Improve your weaknesses and achieve anything you desire forget all those complicated roundabout ways of getting things done. Instead, take the simple path, the short direct line and find yourself the proud owner of a Positive Mental Attitude always moving towards and every improving, ever growing life as a living dream come true

Monalle is here to help, with fresh Positive Thinking Articles, Videos, and games brought to you from around the world each and everyday so you always can get a fresh reminder of the truth: You are what you choose to be, so why not choose to be the best!

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Positive Mental Attitude - Positive Thinking Playground

Photo by Children At Risk Foundation A positive mental attitude is the starting point of all riches, whether they be riches of a material nature or intangible riches. ~Napoleon Hill

Okay, so theres no myth that I am a positive person, or at least striving to be one. However, I am aware that Im not positive all the time. I am continuously working to become conscientious of my choices, thoughts and reactions. I frequently get asked about positive thinking, and I wanted to first clear up some points of confusion.

Positive people are not living like Pollyanna in some dream world with no hold on reality. Positive people may have an attitude like Pollyanna, but they are not necessarily unrealistic. Positive person are very capable of understanding the reality of a cynic. They just change their mindset to see the reality from a different perspective.

With so many myths about positive mental attitude (PMA), its important to separate the truth from the fiction. Lets explore some of these myths and dive into the truths behind them.

Have you ever heard a negative person say that they arent negative; theyre just being realistic? This myth keeps people locked in a negative reality of their own creation.

A persons thoughts, whether positive or negative, do have an effect on their environment. If you think negatively, your mind will automatically seek out confirmation that the world is a terrible place. Seeing is believing, and your mind reinforces your belief that reality is negative. See how its a downward spiral of negativity? If you expect negative results, you are less likely to take risks and try new things. Negative thinking masks your impressions in fear.

Positive thinking works the same way. With a positive mental attitude, youll seek out positive choices and expect positive results. This helps you move past fear and try things that others may believe cant be done. This typically end in positive results.

A persons thinking helps determine their reality. Negative thinking is realistic for the negative thinker, but only because their thoughts make it true. Ironically, the positive thinking also sees reality, just in a different light. Both types of people see their own reality, and both consider it the reality.

Those who dont believe in positive thinking imagine that positive thinkers expect that their desire will manifest itself if they simply think positively about it. This couldnt be further from the truth.

Everyone who accomplishes anything whether its earning a million dollars or becoming an award-winning actor accomplish it the same way: by taking action. Positive people have an edge because they believe the object of their desire is attainable. They come from a can-do mindset. Their actions are not based on fear or scarcity, but based on possibilities. Thus, a positive attitude helps a person manifest their desires, not simply by dreaming about it, but by inspiring the person to take action.

Its the action behind the attraction that makes the dream come true.

People who believe this myth see a problem and believe that positive thinking will only ignore the ugliness of their reality. The truth is positive thinking doesnt ignore the problem; it helps you see the problem in a new light. In fact, you dont even see problems as problems. Think about it; regardless of how you react to an external situation, the situation will still be the same. If being upset doesnt change the outcome of a past situation, wouldnt it serve you, and your health, to see the positives?

A positive mental attitude creates a mindset of abundance, enthusiasm, and solutions. Instead of thinking about what cant be done, a positive thinker will not be constrained by can and cannot. A positive thinker is free to think of new ways to solve problems because they are not limited by fear of failure. When we are in a state of abundance, we provide a fertile ground for possibilities and making dreams a reality. We are in a state of allowance, openly accepting the gifts of life to flow to us. When I realized this principle and shifted my thinking habits, miracles started popping up in my life.

A positive mental attitude can and indeed does change reality by allowing a person to act in an entirely different way, thus harvesting entirely different results.

Successful men become successful only because they acquire the habit of thinking in terms of success. Napoleon Hill

Its easy to believe that people with a positive mental attitude have perfect lives and never dealt with real world hardships. Maybe people wouldnt be so positive if theyd endured a few difficult times in their lives. But the truth is that this is really just a justification for negative thinking.

I dont know a positive person who hasnt had real and serious trials in their lives. Theyve faced disappointment, death of loved ones, physical handicap, and pretty much the range of human experiences we all deal with. The difference is that these people didnt let those experiences change their outlook. A positive mental attitude means that you are in control of your own thoughts and feelings.

Responsibilities = our abilities to control our responses. paraphrasing Steven Covey

Every person has sorrows and trials that test them to the core, but only some people have the courage to act positively and with grace. A positive mental attitude doesnt mean a person has sidestepped a hard life. It simply means they choose to see and take part in the good things life has to offer, as opposed to only the negative.

In Mans Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl an extraordinary Holocaust survivor talks about finding happiness and purpose while in a Nazi concentration camp. In his book, he argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom. Viktor E. Frankl, Mans Search for Meaning

Okay, lets admit it, some types of positive people are a little cheesy. Were talking about the kind who spout platitudes and expect everything to be perfect no matter what. But truly positive people arent Tony Robbins infomercials. Positive people have real thoughts and have setbacks and discouragement just like everyone else, but they are also resilient and look for ways to stay positive. And thats not cheesy, its just healthy thinking! And smart living!

Truly positive people do not expect perfection, but rather, they expect that every event is the best thing that could have happened in that moment. It is the only event that happened in that moment. Now that youre considering the event, that moment has past. You cannot go back and change the moment, so you have to accept what happened was the best, and move on to the next moment.

Even in external circumstances that seem out of our control, we can always control is our internal response. In fact, its the only thing we have absolute control over.

I genuinely believe that every moment is a gift, thus regardless of what is happening, it is perfect. There is always a gift, or lesson, to be taken away from that moment. I suspect that some of you are instantly thinking about death scenarios. What is there to gain from death?, you ask. Life is full of birth and deaths, this is reality. When death and change happens, we have to embrace reality, pick up and handle it to the best of our abilities. When this happens, we will gain different lessons due to our own stories, but perhaps the lesson could be:

Please note that when I speak about death, Im not just referring to death of a person or animal, but rather death of time, of change. Most of us instinctively resist change and hang on to the past with dear life. If you think about it, we are experiencing birth and death constantly, every moment consists of them; with each new moment, it is the death of the last moment and a birth for the current moment. Thats it. Embrace it with grace.

Next time you perceive that something crappy is happening to you, instead of reacting with anger and frustration, ask yourself the following questions:

What are your views on positive mental attitude? What are some myths you have about them? Share with us in the comments.

Tina Su is a mom, a wife, a lover of Apple products and a CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) for our motivational community: Think Simple Now. She is obsessed with encouraging and empowering people to lead conscious and happy lives. Subscribe to new inspiring stories each week. You can also subscribe to Tina on Facebook.

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The 5 Myths of Positive Mental Attitude - Think Simple Now

The greatest discovery by mankind thus far; is realizing that you can change your life by simply changing your attitude. ~David Montanbeau

A Winner is a Loser who got up one more time ~David Montanbeau

Dont fear failure fear the day when you are no longer willing to fail. ~David Montanbeau

A Positive Mental Attitude is the best Fountain of Youth. ~David Montanbeau

If you look around theres always something to be grateful for and say WOW about. ~David Montanbeau

Everyday you have a choice, every morning you can go back to sleep and dream, or you can get up and seize the day and chase your dreams. ~David Montanbeau

Dont expect your garden (life) to be magnificent as long as your watering the weeds! ~David Montanbeau

Go outside, there are miracles just waiting for you everywhere. ~David Montanbeau

A big shot was a little shot that kept shooting ~David Montanbeau

You only live once, but Live like me and once is enough ~David Montanbeau

Shoot for the moon, at least youll land in the stars ~David Montanbeau

Winners find a way to WIN, and Losers always find an Excuse. ~David Montanbeau

Rather than looking for excuses to give up, find the reasons to move forward. ~David Montanbeau

My worst day was freaking Awesome ~David Montanbeau

WOW

If I told you about my last 24 hours and how I acquired the domain http://www.PositiveMentalAttitude.org you probably wouldnt believe me. Lets just say the Law of Attraction and the concept of Thoughts Become Things is VERY real!

The greatest discovery by mankind; Is that you can change your life by simply changing your attitude. ~David Montanbeau

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Positive Mental Attitude

Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2007, 2009

In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collaborated to track state-level attitudes toward mental illness. Following recommendations from the 2002 Presidents New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, these agencies sought to examine public perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness and perceptions regarding people being caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. This collaboration paralleled the release of a SAMHSA national anti-stigma campaign, What a Difference a Friend Makes, designed to help young adults support friends with a mental health problem. Two questions that asked about attitudes toward mental illness, along with other questions about mental illness symptoms, were included on the CDC-supported Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). These questions comprised the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module.

Attitudes were assessed by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with two statements. The first statement assessed attitudes toward the effectiveness of treatment: "Treatment can help people with mental illness lead normal lives." The second statement assessed the respondent's perception of public attitudes toward persons with mental illness: "People are generally caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness."

In 2007, 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received SAMHSA support to collect data using the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module, and, in 2009, 16 states received support to do so. While a 2010 CDC study published in the MMWR(CDC, 2010) described some limited findings, the goals of this study were to expand on the previous analysis to (1) provide state-level estimates of attitudes toward mental illness by select sociodemographic factors, mental illness symptoms, and mental health treatment; (2) examine individual (e.g., age, race/ethnicity) and state-level predictors (e.g., per capita expenditures on mental health services; the average annual unemployment rate; and exposure to the What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign) on attitudes toward mental illness; (3) highlight population subgroups who strongly disagree with the statements (i.e., a vulnerable group) for each state; and (4) provide resources and strategies for targeting these groups, and combating stigma in general.

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CDC - Mental Health Report - HRQOL

1

Heed this next statement: No matter how sharp a mind you may have, no one can remember everything. Therefore, don't beat yourself up trying. Learning to write things down helps.

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2

Find and use a special talent. Everyone has some type of special talent. Be open to trying different things. You could find a hidden talent that you are not aware of. Do you learn from sound and voice pitch or from pictures?

3

Maintain a regular exercise program. It will help to relieve tension. Relieving tension alone can improve your thought patterns. The less tension that you have the sharper your mind will become. You will begin to develop a better attitude as time goes on. You should find a program that works for you.

4

Write through self-expression. Writing poetry can be relaxing plus it is a great way to express yourself. Not everyone writes poetry so find your own mode of self expression. Try sewing, playing a musical instrument, or gardening. Get a Diary and express your thoughts.

5

6

Treat yourself as well as you treat others. It will improve the way you think. You will be a happier individual with a sharper mind and better attitude. Try buying yourself a small gift while out shopping for others. It is always good to give, and being generous is nice, but charity should begin at home. Remember, too, that generosity involves more than just material things and satisfaction is not achieved by consumption.

7

Figure out for yourself the true meaning of what is important in life. In doing so you will build a sharper mind and a better attitude. For where others may have failed and so never know the true meaning, you may succeed. Search deep inside for your inner self.

8

Try to find some common sense in life. You are truly blessed if you have common sense. There is nothing like good old common sense, for without it how can you possibly achieve having a sharp mind?

9

Use your mind more instead of using a calculator or adding machine. This is to say, especially, on simple things that you can easily total up in your head or on a piece of paper. Many people haven't done long division since grade school; give it a try sometime.

10

Stay focused on making your own decisions. Don't let other people try to make decisions for you. Be firm about speaking for yourself. And don't be afraid of expressing your opinion. Everyone has an opinion and the right to have one. Who knows, your opinion may catch on.

11

Do things that you enjoy. Jog or run or ski or play ball, fish, write, garden, or whatever makes you happy. It will help you to keep your mind fresh and clear and keep your attitude at it's best.

12

Learn some basic memory techniques. To start off with, you could find some books written by Tony Buzan (Mind Maps) or Dominic O'Brien: both of them are top people in the memory world.

13

Learn from everything you do. When mowing, figure out the most efficient route, When reading try to read faster, try to improve on every detail, try to write neatly, avoid using spell check, and so on. If you constantly and consistently learn, you will succeed in life, and consequently surpass your fellow workers.

14

Learn to improve your mental ability in domains such as logic, problem solving, mental orientation and corrective thought process. Doing so allows one to improve upon their rationality, and with increased rationality comes an improved attitude towards a given situation.

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How to Keep a Sharp Mind and Good Attitude: 14 Steps

Bad days are a fact of life, no matter who you are and what your circumstances might be. Sometimes, bad things happen and you just can't control them—but what you can control is whether or not you react by turning the negativity inwards. As a society we tend to think that self-criticism is what keeps us motivated, and while that can indeed be a source of motivation to do better, it's a strategy that also reduces self-esteem, increases anxiety, and can ultimately lead to a depressed mental state. On the other hand, self-compassion is linked to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, and higher self-esteem. People who practice self-compassion feel freer—to take risks, to try new things, to explore the world—because they allow themselves to fail and to make mistakes, without judging themselves and without feeling ashamed. Self-compassion isn't a skill that comes naturally, but it's one that can be learned, and can bring amazing benefits.

What is Self-Compassion?

Associate Professor Kristin Neff of the University of Texas at Austin—author of Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind—writes that self-compassion is made up of three different components:

• Kindness—being kind, gentle, and understanding with yourself when you're in physical or emotional pain. Recognizing that failure, pain, and suffering are inevitable facts of life, and that it's healthier to react with loving kindness than with self-hate.

• Humanity—the recognition that everyone struggles. In times of strife, we feel isolated and alone, and but recognizing our common humanity reminds us that everyone makes mistakes and feels pain. This allows us to feel less judgmental of ourselves; everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has personal faults, and mistakes and faults don't make you a terrible person.

• Mindfulness—the process of consciously observing what happens in your life without judgment, and without avoiding or suppressing your emotions and thoughts. It also means putting your pain into perspective. Rather than allowing yourself to get carried away with negativity, you'll feel and acknowledge pain, and move past it.

There are a lot of myths about what self-compassion is—that it's about self-pity, or self-involvement, or that it encourages people to ignore responsibilities. In fact, self-compassion is the opposite of self-pity. When someone is in a self-pitying state, they're so immersed in their struggle that they forget that they're not alone in that struggle; self-compassion, on the other hand, recognizes that struggle and suffering are something that everyone goes through, and it's that struggle that connects us to the rest of the world, even when we feel isolated. It's that connection that helps you put your problems into a more realistic perspective, and while self-compassion allows you to acknowledge your own suffering, it also reminds you that you're not alone in it.

Self-compassion also doesn't encourage people to ignore responsibilities or become self-indulgent—again, it's the exact opposite. It simply means that you support yourself, and far from being complacent, it encourages you to change whatever behavior you're perpetuating that's making you feel unhappy or unhealthy. For example, if you're constantly engaging in negative self-talk, then practicing self-compassion encourages you to find ways of reframing negative thoughts. If you're engaging in physically unhealthy behavior, self-compassion encourages you to find ways to reduce the unhealthy behavior, or take care of yourself physically to reduce its negative effects. The key is that when you're practicing self-compassion, you don't judge yourself for engaging in unhealthy behavior, whether or not you're actively trying to change it.

How to Practice Self-Compassion

Self-compassion is an easy concept to understand, but it's hard to practice, and even harder to master. It's a natural reaction to respond to bad moments with negativity, and for many of us it's just as natural to turn those bad feelings inwards and use them to attack your own self-worth. The solution is self-compassion and kindness, and learning how to take control of the negative thoughts to reframe them into something positive.

Perhaps the most important and useful general rule is to treat yourself like your own best friend. Most of us are much harsher on ourselves than we'd ever be on a friend or family member, and we say things to or about ourselves that we'd never say to someone else. When you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, try to reframe what you're saying as though you're saying it to your best friend—someone you love very much, and whom you don't want to hurt—and always try to remember that you deserve that same level of compassion and kindness. There are many ways to practice being kinder to yourself, whether it's with self-care routines for cheering yourself up on bad days, or learning strategies for combating negative thoughts. For example, you can try guided meditation, positive affirmations, or comfort yourself physically with gestures that “take you out of your head” by engaging your physical self. If some of the tried-and-true strategies don't work for, you, don't worry—there's no single "right" thing to do; it's all about what works for you.

Acknowledge your mistakes, and then let them go. It's human nature to bring up old memories of embarrassing moments and errors—things we said or did that we wish we hadn't, errors in judgment, and times when we didn't live up to expectations—and spend far too long internally obsessing over them. While it's virtually impossible to stop yourself from bringing up old memories, you can resolve to think of your past self more kindly when it does happen.

Focus on growth, rather than improvement. Framing personal development as self-improvement can be a subtle way of telling yourself that you're not okay the way you are. Growth is a much more neutral term, because it doesn't imply that there's anything wrong with your current state.

Don't rush yourself or try to force things you're not ready for. Personal growth doesn't need to be rapid, or even consistent—often it's a case of one step forward and two steps back, and sometimes it's just about standing still to appreciate where you are and how far you've come.

References

http://www.psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/06/27/5-strategies-for-self-compassion/

http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/affirmations.htm

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201202/why-caring-yourself-makes-all-the-difference

I subscribe to Coast to Coast a paranormal and other oddity stories radio station that streams on the web. Attached is an hour's worth talking about stuff. You'll enjoy.ooops Its a media windows file but it's to large. check it out on your own.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/08/02

World Affairs / Conscious Evolution
Date: 08-02-11
Host: George Noory
Guests:

In the latter half, visionary, social pioneer and author Barbara Marx Hubbard discussed the idea of conscious evolution, and how humankind must evolve or face extinction. She suggested that evolution can occur by choice rather chance, and while many are focused on doom & gloom 2012 scenarios, she presented a hopeful vision of our future. "I think we're seeing the emergence of a universal species...we're going to have extended life, extended intelligence, extended contact throughout the universe, that we'll be freed up from repetitive labor...and the species itself will evolve into a co-created humanity... But if we don't, if we stay self-centered, separate, competitive, overpopulating and polluting, we won't make it," she stated.
We're seeing a breakthrough of more people becoming conscious of god, super-nature, spirit, or tendency of higher order-- a transcending impulse of higher evolution, she continued. Hubbard, now 81, shared some of the fascinating paths in her life, how she turned from a housewife into a "futurist," her relationship with Buckminster Fuller, and details of her run for Vice President in 1984 (Neale Donald Walsch recently penned a biography of Hubbard called The Mother of Invention).

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/08/02