Life Is What You Make Of It

Stop right now and think about all the good things that are happening in your life.  Are you healthy?  Are your children doing well?  Do you have a wonderful significant other?

Identify the good and every time the “not so good” gets in the way, make yourself focus on one of the good things on your list.

No matter what is on your mind… a bad marriage, a troubled child, a lost job, a deflated 401K, there are good things too.  Whenever your brain starts to focus on the negative, fight it and go for the positive.  It is a tool you have to work on and it’s not always easy, but you can make it a habit.

On top of focusing on the positive, here are two things I recommend to help have a good attitude everyday are:

1. Exercise.  Make it the kind of exercise where your body is moving, your heart is pumping and you are working out hard enough that you can’t focus on anything else except putting one foot in front of the other.

You can be a beginner to make this happen.  It’s all about the intervals.  Whatever you are capable of doing, whatever feels pretty easy; add a 30 second or 1 minute interval.  So if you are walking, every 3-5 minutes pick up the pace for 30-60 sec and walk as fast as you can.  Recover.  Then do another interval.  This can be done if you are walking, running, biking, swimming, the elliptical or whatever form of exercise you choose.

I am a triathlete and this is how I train.  Yesterday I did 3 min run sprints with 1 minute recoveries.  I did this 12 times.  This makes you faster, it speeds up your metabolism, the endorphins kick in and you will enjoy a natural high.

Don’t get me wrong…it is hard…and while I am doing it I hate it!  When I am done I feel like a million dollars.

2. Write in your diary or write on the attitudeisit.com blog
Writing and sharing what you write is cathartic.

I read in the newspaper yesterday that writing about your feelings helps alleviate stress.
In uncertain times it is really important. At all the low points in my life, I have kept a diary.  I write what I feel and when I’m done, I always feel better.

I mentioned in my last newsletter that I was starting to blog and I was experimenting to see how best to make it work.  When I read the article about writing about your feelings, a light bulb went off.

If you need to release some stress or have something on your mind that you just need to release, go to my blog, click on “Comments” and write away.  You don’t have to sign your name unless you want to. If you have a solution to someone’s feelings, respond to that too.  As they say, misery loves company.  We can help each other have a great attitude.

In conclusion, we are all in this chaotic environment together.  We are all feeling a sense of unease.  We are all feeling it differently, but we are all feeling it.

Run, bike, swim or write to keep your Attitude elevated.  Run, bike, swim or write to keep you motivated to accomplish more than you ever thought possible.

If you know of anyone who needs help saving a home, financial planning, or a motivational boost I am available.  Send this to all of your friends and go to my blog at Attitudeisit.com.