If your life has become root-bound and you have stopped growing, it is time to re-pot.
~Lucy MacDonald~

Your attitude can spread like wildflowers or weeds… Finally had a few moments of nice weather here in the Northwest. I planted a few blossoms. It’s been a late spring and many have been in a sour mood around here.

Develop a positive attitude

The way you think does affect your life. Listen to yourself sometime. What is your "self-talk" saying? Is much of it negative? Your self-talk may be affecting you.

The key to living free from negative self-talk is to remember you are in charge of yourself and the self-talk. Next time you hear negative self-talk running through your head, take a moment and consciously shift.

Positive self-talk may feel like it is taking only "baby-steps," but soon the negative will be replaced by the positive. Consider trying a couple of these ideas next time you want to develop a more positive attitude:

• Own your feelings. They are part of you. Accept them and commit to changing them.

• Rewrite your negative self-talk. Take a piece of paper and jot down the negative thoughts that are running through your head. Now, right under it state that same thought, but in the positive. E.g. “How stupid can I be. I ate that whole cake” rewritten "I re-commit to eating healthy.”

• Give voice to the self-talk. Find a trusted friend or counselor and ask for permission to just vent for a while. Holding it in can lead to frustration, hurt, anger, etc. Once done, state it in the positive and get on with it.

• Find the humor in the negative self-talk and situation. Some of the funniest stories are based on bad times. Write a humorous letter to someone dear recounting the situation.

• Walk the dog. Call a friend, volunteer, read a book, take a bubble bath or just blow bubbles…

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” ~ William James~