The secret to a happy, successful life is simple consistent positive thinking, coupled with a consistent expectancy of positive outcomes. The hard part is how you change habits of a lifetime to make positive thinking and positive expectancy your default setting … as opposed to negative thinking and worrying about the future.

It’s not easy to change your default mind set … but thankfully it is possible. It just takes a bit of time and perseverance to make it happen.

If you monitor your thoughts you will be able to catch any negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. It will be hard at first but if you stop the negative thought and try hard enough you will find something positive, even thinking the smallest positive thing about any situation is a million times better than any negative thought. Think of your negative thoughts as damaging factors that you must eliminate as quickly as possible.

Start appreciating what you have (gratitude list), tell people about the great experiences of your life instead of going over and over any hardships you have had. Negative people glorify their problems and tell anyone that will listen how bad things are or how unlucky they’ve been … you don’t want to be one of those people. Give bad news, bad situations and bad “luck” as little publicity as possible.

The next challenge is to start thinking that positive things will happen. Replacing anxiety, worry and fear with positive expectancy of the best outcome. It may always come but it’ll make you feel better about it. Start by writing down or imagining the best outcome in your head. How it will look and feel, how you will feel if that outcome happens rather than the negative worry you usually focus on. Any time you start worrying stop yourself, take a few calming deep breaths and start picturing the outcome you want … not the outcome you would usually expect to get. You will  feel better and start seeing opportunities rather than threats.

Once you start closing your mind to negativity you will be ready to try out some of my other Happiness Management techniques.