Using the power of the mind to build self confidence
Life will not be all plain sailing. Indeed, hardship, trials and tribulations are part and parcel of being. Encountering difficulty is not a bad thing, the main concern is the approach we take to deal with it. A positive frame of mind is vital for so many reasons. Positive thinking is proven to boost performance in productivity and quality. We tend to be more confident and do better if we are feeling positive and well.
There are biological examples of this. A positive frame of mind is as a result of increased amounts of neuro transmitters such as serotonin that regulate the efficiency abilities of the mind. The knock effects of a positive frame of mind also include enhanced health not just enhanced mental health but better in the physical sense aswell. This is due to the boost to the immune system that a positive frame of mind can give you.
The opposite is also true, when we are depressed we are far more liable to getting other diseases and mental health issues. Our interaction with others degrade, we begin to think irrationally and our confidents can drop. In a nutshell this is a frame of mind that is best to avoid at all costs. Feeling unhappy from time to time is not unusual but the way in which we decide to deal with a dilemma comes from our state of mind.
A positive mental attitude is also about giving you a can do attitude. People who think positively are more likely to see challenges instead of issues or opportunities rather than difficulties. For instance, entrepreneurs who are successful usually are because they are able to spot opportunities for growth in a marketplace which other people only see problems in. The positive mental attitude of a successful individual means that opportunity becomes a reality; because they also have the drive and motivation to ensure success and make their vision come true. So as you can see there is much to be gained from a positive mental attitude. The difficulty for many people is in developing one in the first place.
Developing a positive frame of mind is not some new aged fad. For hundreds of years religious men and scholars alike searched for and created methods to harness an inner harmony. While this may have begun to make mankind closer to god the essence of this idea is just as relevant in the present day. That a positive frame of mind makes us closer to the divine while a negative frame of mind can only steer us in to ways of being that are a detriment to our lives. Monks realised this long ago which is why they devote themselves to a life of abstinence and mental and spiritual fulfilment.
One of the simplest ways to determine your frame of mind is to reflect on how you are with other people. A great way to do this is to picture how you behave towards people you do not know. Are you outgoing and open to meeting and talking with people? Or are you insular and shy. Believe it or not one of the best ways to overcome a negative frame of mind is to alter your frame of mind to the world around you and that means the people in it too. If you are generally awkward around others then try this experiment.
One night push yourself to strike up a conversation at random in a public place. Do not worry about how you look or appear or what you discuss. A reference about the weather or anything will do. Just try it and note how you feel afterwards.
You see, how you are with others will influence the opportunities you get presented. Consider it like this who is the most likely to get a job between two people of equivalent ability and knowledge except for one difference, One is uptight and uncomforable with others and the other is easy going and comfortable with people. If I was the boss I know which one I would pick for the Job.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 4:28 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.