How to Manage the Employee with Attitude

Mary had “attitude”. Her manner was rude and uncooperative and her colleagues complained, but she was efficient.
Her supervisor believed he was stuck with a problem that couldn’t be solved. He reasoned that in any office there was always someone that didn’t get on with the rest of the staff, and as long as Mary was doing her job, he couldn’t do much about it. Wrong.

Behavioral problems in the workplace can and should be addressed quickly and effectively for the sake of clients, colleagues, customers and suppliers. Here is how.
There are two key dimensions to performing successfully: what is done and how it is done. Yes, the clerk did her job, but her behavior was such that the team was not functioning well.

Managers are often surprised to learn they can take effective action to address the behavior of employees - how they go about their jobs rather than the end result.

It helps to look at the inputs and outputs of the job. While we normally prefer to measure the outputs, we also need to manage inputs and employee behavior is one of these. The sales assistant in a department store may not have much control over total sales from his area; they could well be dependent on the stock held, pricing, advertising or some other element of the mix. However, the sales assistant does have control over his own behavior.

How he presents himself, greets customers, solves their problems and handles queries are all inputs to the sales process. These inputs can be measured against established standards and the employee managed accordingly.

To look at this issue from a positive perspective, one in which we can shape the culture of the organization and consequently the behavior of our people, we need to define the type of organization we want in terms of what we call core competencies. (One of our clients prefers to call them attributes.) These can be such aspects of business as innovation, results-orientation, flexibility or customer focus.

There are in fact countless terms we can use to describe what we want to be. With every client that we have taken through this exercise, a different picture emerges. Looking at what successful people have demonstrated, and what the business requires, is a useful technique to identify the specific core competencies for your organization.

These competencies can then be expanded by describing them in a little more detail: it’s amazing how many different descriptions there can be for the word “flexibility” for example. Then comes the really useful part.

What does someone with these competencies or attributes actually do? To find out, we need to describe the behaviors we witness so that we can encourage others to behave in a similar fashion.

For example, a behavior associated with teamwork may be that the team member willingly shares information with others, or compliments others on their successes. Someone who is results-oriented will usually set clear and measurable goals - both at work and outside.

Once these behaviors are defined and communicated to the workforce, the company can then confirm that individual employees are more likely to succeed by demonstrating these traits. Employees welcome such guidance as most organizations rarely make it clear what it takes to succeed. Similarly, the company can reasonably expect employees to meet some minimal standards.

Building these behaviors into the performance management system, along with the results required from each job, provides clear measures of not only what has to be done - but how.

It is often said that we hire people for what they can do and fire them for how they do it. But, in practice, often we do not directly address the issue of how they are doing it. The usual solution is to restructure and make problem employees “redundant” or find some other reason to let them go. With a properly identified and well-executed set of competencies and behaviors we can manage the workforce much more effectively and fairly and focus on specifics. At the same time we can reinforce the positive message to other staff and customers that core competencies represent “the way we do things around here.”

There is a sample competency available as a free download at the website shown below with the author’s details.

It’s All about Attitude and the Way We Think…

The Mind - Body Connection What would it mean if the thoughts
we have when we start our day actually affect what happens
without our having to do anything about it? What if all
thoughts, conscious or not, influence the world? Would we start
the day yelling at our children? Dashing out the door? Making
“to do” lists? How would it change our lives?

We are learning, from quantum physics, neurosciences and
consciousness studies remarkable connections between mind and
body. Thoughts, or the way you decide to think, has a dramatic
effect on your body chemistry and on your physiology. For every
thought you have, a physiological event occurs in unison with
that thought. Your physiology determines your energy and action
level. If your internal self-talk is negative, then the
physiology that simultaneously occurs will be just as negative
resulting in suppressed energy and action. You are mentally and
physically programming yourself to go through life in a
particular way. The same is true with positive thoughts. When
you think positive, happy thoughts, there’s actually a different
chemistry that goes into your body than when you think
depressing, negative, anguished thoughts.

Since you can only hold one thought at a time, if you think
about what you want and how to get it, and then take the steps
that come to your mind, eventually you won’t have time to think
about all of your problems. Pretty soon it becomes habit. You
develop a series of neuro-connections in your brain that make it
easy and automatic for you to focus on what you want. Once it
becomes a habit, your whole life starts to move faster and
faster towards creating what you want.

You may recall the old saying, “If you think you can or think
you cannot, you are probably right”. The mind is so powerful
that it will create what you believe is true or possible. In
fact, the mind is such a powerful instrument, it can deliver to
you literally everything you want. But you have to believe that
what you want is possible. You also have to believe that you are
capable of making it happen…Whether you call it self-esteem,
self-confidence or self-assurance, it is a deep-seated belief
that you have what it takes-the abilities, inner resources,
talents and skills to create your desired results.

Quantum Physics Experiment- Why Vizualization and Positive
Thinking are Powerful Nuero scientists have done experiments
with the brain measuring what part of the brain becomes active
when we are looking at an object versus visualizing the object.
They’re conclusions are amazing. Dr. Joe Dispenza explains in
the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know! an experiment where they
had a person view an object as the scientists measured the
electrical pulses in a certain area of the brain that were lit
up. They then asked the person to close their eyes and visualize
the object they had just look at. The same exact areas of the
brain lit up with electrical pulses which gives a very startling
finding. The brain can not tell the difference between what you
are seeing and what you are visualizing. This finding explains
why you can think about something in the past and get very
emotional about it- almost like it is happening at the moment.
It also explains why visualization and positive thinking are so
powerful. Just think about it…

Self-Esteem- The Fundamental Power of Your Life Why am I writing
about Self-Esteem in this book? The more clients I see, the more
I realize that the quality of your life comes from your
self-esteem…and it determines the actions you will take in life.
You see, how you feel about yourself extends to every area of
your life- your relationships, your career, what you do, how you
speak, even how you dress. Just think about it for a moment.
Your self-esteem, or opinion of yourself, is basically what will
eventually make or break you in life. Our beliefs about
ourselves are the most telling factors in determining the level
of success and happiness in life.

One of the most consistent messages in any self-development
seminar or book is that the way you speak to yourself will
eventually decide how well you go in life. Every negative
thought is an inhibitor- it keeps you clogged up just like
colesterol clogs up an artery. When you are filled with
negativity, you are kept from attaining higher levels of
happiness and fulfillment.

By controlling your self-talk, you decide how you want to view
life. What happens in life happens and you can’t change that. I
love the quote “We can’t control the direction of the wind, but
we can adjust our sails.” In other words, we can adjust our
attitude and thoughts to look at life’s events and deal with
them is in a positive and constructive manner. Now the good
news: with every every single setback or difficulty or life
“test” you gain a lesson. So instead of becoming upset about
what happened, you simply focus on the lesson, and the potential
gain. And the very seeking of the lesson makes you more positive
and focused person. One of Napoleon Hill’s, author of Think and
Grow Rich, key principles is that in every problem or setback,
there is the seed of an equal or greater benefit or advantage.

We all move in the direction of our current thoughts, so where
you are is no accident. Words trigger pictures in your mind,
which then trigger emotions, which in turn decide how you feel
on a given day. Which words do you find yourself using often?
This is a very important issue- how you talk about things really
does have a HUGE impact on how you feel. If you keep affirming
good opinions of yourself as part of your daily routine, you
will start to see a shift in your attitude to a more positive
and energized style. The opposite also applies, if you let your
thoughts drift to negativity, which zaps your energy and
self-confidence and motivation, than before you know it you will
be down in the dumps and feeling depressed. Make a commitment
now to start speaking with upbeat, energize words when having
conversations with friends, family and co-workers.

You also have a responsibility to develop other people’s
self-esteem and worth.

Being FREE to Live your Life the Way YOU Want it So many people
feel like they have to live up to their family’s expectations
and those around them. Make a commitment to yourself to NOT live
your life around the approval of other people. Respect your life
so much so that you are strong enough NOT TO NEED the approval
of other people. Dr. Wayne Dyer says “You can’t go around being
what everyone else expects you to be, living your life through
other people’s rules, and also be happy and have inner peace.”
The the ultimate decision in life is simply to make your
decisions and live your life as you want to live it, without
infringing on the rights of others. What others think about you
and what they think about your decisions may challenge you.
However, the final decisions are your own and you shape your
life either by decisions you make or those you do not make.

Excert from Persoal Growth Strategies by Michelle Rowley
http://www-personal-growth-strategies.com

Notable Thoughts on Positive Living

I went online — and what do I see? A news report scrolled
across my screen: “Murder by Mother’s Milk,” compliments
of the Associated Press. I try to keep up with the news as it
informs me of my environment, the world around me and society in
general. But when I look at a television or monitor screen and
read horrific reports such as this one, I have to wonder what
this world is coming to.

Purportedly, a 31-year old woman (who, by the way has 5
children) was an apparent methamphetamine addict and was
breastfeeding her 3-month old son. According to the report, the
fatal drug passed through the mother’s breastmilk and caused the
death of her tiny infant. Although the child can no longer be
brought back to life, the mother was indicted and charged with
second-degree murder. She could receive up to life imprisonment.

So, are you angry yet? What type of world are we living in when
supposed, responsible parents are so high on drugs that they
“accidentally” poison their children with methamphetamine?

Then I hear reports of a bride-to-be being buried today because
of radical fundamentalists who get kicks out of bombing innocent
people.

Of course, the epitome of news reports is to make our modern,
“civilized” public aware of current events, people, places and
things. But does it really? If awareness is being raised to the
potpourri of countless, violent reports then what has
transpired? Yes — more violence.

Like a flashing billboard of red lights, all the warning signs
come barreling into our faces. However, how often are these
ominous “news stories” going to be taken to heart? We sit back,
view news reports, eat our dinners, do our chores, sit back down
and watch a movie. No more talk about the 3-month old who was
murdered. No more talk about the innocent young bride being
bombed. Suddenly, the rose-colored glasses get put across our
eyes and we’ve become desensitized to all the negative in our
world.

We, as a people, coexist with modern neandrathal-like maniacs
who care of nothing but self-satisfaction and egotistically
charged, radical perspectives of life. A matter of fact, these
nomenclatural fiends of society seem to marvel at their newfound
notoriety by playing to society’s camera view.

“I was abused as a child…” “I didn’t have a Nintendo…”
“My religion is better than your religion…” “I couldn’t help
myself because nobody cared enough about me…” I’ve heard
just about enough excuses for irresponsible, childish and
violent behavior. It’s about time society take note of these
news reports and start proacting.

People, in general, have been brainwashed by alleged leaders of
independent cultures, schools, and even parents to think that
whatever they do will ultimately be an excuse to do as they
please. I’m here to tell you that life is not a bowl of peaches
and cream. Life is not easy. Nothing gets handed to people on a
silver platter without hard work, dedication and willpower.

If individuals want positive things to happen in their lives,
they have to reinforce positive behavior and attitude. I am sick
and tired of hearing people say the reason they act the way they
do is because they had a hard life. Get over it. Jesus had a
hard life and look where He is today.

I look at people like Susan Smith. This woman takes the cake;
and is the poster child for what is wrong with society. Here is
a young woman who one day decides that she would intentionally
trade her children’s lives in on a man who didn’t even want her.
She idly stood by and watched her helpless tots drown in a murky
lake, then phoned police to say a “black man” had stolen her
vehicle and abducted her boys. Sickening. “…but she was
sexually abused as child…” screamed her defense attorneys.
Amazing what antics defense attorneys can squeeze out in a
courtroom. Yet it gets better. Now — if you’d like, you can
personally contact Ms. Smith and have a long-distance
relationship over the Internet with her.

So, here are a few pointers to positivie living that I’ve come
up with — in my own opinion, of course:

• If you’ve had a terrible life and can’t deal with it –
  get counseling for God’s sakes. You are your own person and need
  to take control of your actions by being in charge.
• If
  you think your religion is better than the next persons, don’t
  bomb innocent communities. This is not a positive way to prove
  your point.
• If you don’t use drugs, don’t start using
  them. If you do use drugs, it’s time for you to check into a
  clinic and get rehabilitated. Many are free and provide
  financial assistance to those who cannot afford to go to
  one.
• If you decide that you no longer wish to raise
  your children, please contact social services and get some help.
  You’ve brought life into this world and that life is your
  responsibility. Period.
• If everything in life has gone
  wrong and you’re sitting there wondering if life is worth
  living, think of this: somewhere in the world — children are
  literally starving to death; somewhere in this world, a person
  is dying from some god-awful disease; somewhere in this world,
  people don’t have luxuries like clean, running water and a roof
  over their heads; somewhere in this world, there is another
  person going through the same thing you are
  experiencing.

Positivity is the key to all good things. Always focus your
intentions on the overall good of humanity. Promote peace and
live peacefully. Accentuate the positive, as positive energy
attracts positive energy. Leave this world a better place than
in which you came. In closing, I leave you with a quote from an
incredible human being — Mohandas Gandhi wrote, “Nonviolence
is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier
than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the
ingenuity of man.”

Copyright 2003 - Notable Thoughts on Positive Living by C.
Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

About the Author: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the
Public Relations Director & Staff Writer for Holistic
Junction — Your source of information for Holistic
Practitioners; Naturopathy, Naturopathic Schools, Massage Therapy Schools
and Reflexology Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful
Literature and so much more!

Sell With an Attitude

Sell With an Attitude

When selling a product or giving a sales presentation, you
always want to convey a positive, upbeat attitude at all times.
This will send a crystal clear message to your audience that you
believe in the product you sell, and that they should also.

It is rare that you come across a person in sales that is down
on his luck, moping around with his head down, and feeling sorry
for himself. This person is definitely in the wrong business.

Attitude is everything in sales, from the gleam in your eye,
right down to the polished shoes on your feet.

Have you ever heard the expression “smile, it’s contagious?”
well it’s true, your smile is contagious, so smile when you
greet your customer, they most definitely will return the
gesture.

Imagine someone trying to sell you something without ever
looking you in the eye, or shaking your hand upon meting you.
This would be an indication to most people that the person
selling the product does not believe in, or care about their
product. Imagine asking them questions and being left with blank
stares and empty answers. You will most likely not be doing
business with this person.

The above example would be a description of someone “not”
selling with an attitude.

When I say “sell with an attitude,” I don’t mean that you have
to go out and buy a T-shirt that says “I have an attitude.”

An attitude can be many things, but in sales you want it to be
positive. It can be nice, or laid back. You don’t have to be
loud and boisterous. It is not necessary to give two handed
political hand shakes, or go around back slapping to sell your
products.

The ingredients to selling with an attitude are at your
fingertips. In fact you were born with them.

All you need is a smile, confidence in yourself and your
product, the ability to look people in the eye, and product
knowledge.

Also, appearance can speak volumes about your attitude as well.
So make sure you look the part. If people think that you don’t
have the ability to take care of yourself, they will also think
that you don’t have the ability to take care of them.

So sell with an attitude. Smile, be happy, put a spring in your
step. Let the world now that you are here to sell, and that you
love what you do. Remember, the better your attitude, the better
your sales results will be.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as
the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and
active.

Negative Mental Attitude Can Cause Acne

Acne control has become almost a compulsory thing in our society where outer beauty is so important. Many people do not realize that outer beauty actually starts from the inside and what you think and your mental attitude actually affect acnes. To make things worse, people who who suffer from acne are bound to feel inadequate, self conscious and even suffer from acne depression. This type of depression is often more severe than people realize.

Acne is the result of toxins in the body that are not properly disposed thus leaving skin as the only choice. Mind and body cannot be separated so thoughts can also be expressed as acne. How do thoughts can be expressed as acne? Negative thoughts and feeling produce chemicals which are toxic acids just like the ones produce in the colon and needs to be eliminated through 5 channels.

Past experience which is depressing can be an expression of acne. Past experience such as mental and physical torture or sexual abuse, you tend to compress them. As we get older, our natural defense system for these thoughts tend to weaken and unable to contain it anymore. Thus, these expression breaks out into other form of diseases can also be acne.

Our emotion of fear and anxiety can be inter-related to acne and also expression of remembering bad memories. It is similar to holding on toxic on your face and if your stress level is beyond manageable, breakout does happen.

It is a good way to forget and donâ??t remember too much of a bad thing. It is unpleasant to your heart and soul. It requires a lot of strength to fight it and one may need to seek help from professionals like a psychotherapist. So, start thinking positive and try to maintain a balance healthy diet as this is the best prevention not only for acne but also for other health problems as well. Now you know that the world’s best acne treatment and prevention actually comes within ourselves.

Why Attitude Is Critical

We all have the potential within us to achieve great things with our lives, and to be anything we want to be. I think most people would accept the findings of brain researchers that we only use a small fraction of the potential power of our minds. I also think that most people would accept that if we are prepared to set goals, make plans and work hard, we are likely to achieve much more with our lives and to build better lives for ourselves and our families, than we would if we just do the minimum required to get by.

We may know and accept these things but that doesn’t mean that we are prepared to act on this information and actually do something about it. Why is that? I think that the alternatives are often just too attractive and easy. It may not be that difficult to put in the extra effort required that could make a big difference to our lives, but the reality is that it’s much easier not to do it.

There is one overriding factor that makes the difference and determines our actions, and that is our attitude.

Our attitude is a deciding factor to what we experience and become in so many areas of our life.

If your attitude to your job is that you aren’t prepared to do anything outside your job description, or even less if possible, you may feel pleased to be getting one over on the boss, but you’re unlikely to be considered for promotion.

If you enter into a personal relationship with the attitude that you’ve been hurt in the past so you most likely will be hurt again, it’s this attitude more than anything else that will most cause you to take actions likely to ensure that your predictions come true.

If you approach problems with a ‘why does this always happen to me’ attitude you’re likely to not only attract problems, but also to have difficulty dealing with them.

Your attitude largely determines your expectations for the future, what you want from your life and what you are prepared to do to ensure you do have the life you want.

If your attitude is ‘what’s the point?’ or ‘it’s not worth the effort’ you’re sure to be proven right.

By the opposite also holds true. If you’re prepared to make more of an effort in your job, it’s likely that this will be noticed and you will attract promotion and growth opportunities.

If you attitude is generally optimistic and you don’t expect to experience problems, you’re not only less likely to do so, but when you do, you’ll most likely find solutions more easily so you can quickly get back on track.

If you have a positive attitude and look forward to every day for the opportunities it will bring, you will find more opportunities. If you determine what you want from your life, make the plans to achieve your goals and take action, you will be well on your way to achieving your ideal life.

With an attitude of positive expectation, you’ll not only achieve more, but you’ll also experience more satisfaction in your daily life.

Other people can influence our attitudes, as can all forms of the media and our life experiences. Unfortunately, it often seems there are more negative than positive influences. We cannot control other people or events, and things will happen that we don’t like that may affect us in some way. But what we can and must control is how we react to these things. No person or event can control or change our attitude – unless we allow it.

Likewise, no one else can really cause us to become upset or angry. When this happens we are giving other people control over our lives and relinquishing control of our most basic human right – the control of our own mind.

I’m sure you’ve all seen those signs in offices that go something like ‘Everyone brings joy to this office, some when they enter, and some when they leave.’ Which one of these people would you like to be known as? Would you like to be known as a person whose attitude gives the impression they are walking around with a permanent rain cloud over their head; or would you rather been known as a someone people look forward to seeing? Which person do you think has a happier and more fulfilling life?

A wise man once said, something like ‘it’s not your aptitude, but your attitude, that determines your altitude.’ If your attitude is not working for you, it’s probably working against you and holding you back in ways you don’t even realise. No one else can control your attitude; it’s all down to you. If you truly want to, you can change your attitude and it will change your life.

‘Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us. – John N. Mitchell

How to Live With an Attitude of Success

Becoming successful requires perseverance and consistency. It’s not something you work on for an hour a day, and leave off the rest of the time. One of the best allies you can develop on your journey of self-improvement is an attitude of success. This attitude will govern your responses to the events, good and bad, that come your way every day. An attitude of success is a basic mind change that will bring you satisfaction and, hopefully, success!

So just what constitutes an attitude of success? First of all, get the big picture in your mind. What is the ultimate goal or goals that you hope to see materialize within the years to come? Keep that picture close to your consciousness at all times. For instance, do you hope to lose weight, or to have a successful business career? Then keep that picture in your mind. By doing this, you will be more likely to spot a positive choice and to avoid bad choices as they arise.

Once you have the big picture in mind, the next step in living with an attitude of success is to be prepared to work hard and work consistently to see it come to pass. A positive, hopeful mindset is essential, but so is action if you are ever to see your goals become reality. Realize that dedication and hard work are a vital part of the attitude of success.

Another helpful element of the attitude of success is to devise some way to keep track of your progress toward your goal. Write out your plans, in detail and with deadlines. Plan to reward yourself when you reach those benchmarks. Rewards don’t have to be extravagant. Buy yourself some small gift you wouldn’t otherwise indulge in, or spend half a day knocking off and doing something you really want to do. But don’t forget to get back to work when your reward time is over!

A discussion of an attitude of success would be incomplete without thinking about how we handle stress. A vibrant, hard-working success lifestyle is sure to have moments of serious stress. The worst response to stress is to let yourself get knocked off course in the pursuit of your dreams. Find healthful ways to diffuse general frustrations. Regular exercise is a wonderful habit that helps to relieve stress as well as building confidence and fighting depression. Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep each night, too. And don’t forget the importance of a daily multi-vitamin along with a nutritious diet.

Sometimes, though, stress can help us toward our goals. If the stress you feel is filling you with a restless energy, channel that feeling into some activity that will further your dream.

Finally, keep a positive attitude if you want to live with an attitude of success. Here are several suggestions for keeping things positive. Don’t beat yourself up over small failures – or even big failures. Own up to them, yes, but then forgive yourself, and don’t repeat the mistake. Also, watch out for complaining. Look for things to be thankful for, such as beautiful weather, good health, happy kids, or a snug roof over your head. Be thankful, and watch your happiness soar!

Protect Your Attitude

An important key to high productivity and effective leadership, not to mention sales and marketing success, is to have and maintain a positive attitude. Nothing else will have a greater effect on you than your attitude. Remember the saying, “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”? It’s true.

Having a negative attitude or even a neutral, apathetic one will undermine and sabotage your efforts. There is nothing more frustrating than putting in lots of effort and getting no results. When you have a less then positive attitude it becomes difficult (if not impossible) to be the kind of person others want to do business with. You know how, when you REALLY need to make a sale, it’s almost impossible? Or when you REALLY need to be persuasive, the other person just won’t listen? People seem to sense desperation and it drives them off. The same thing happens when you have a negative attitude. You exude negativity. It causes people to avoid you. When a person is negative, they tend to focus on the obstacles rather than the opportunities and solutions. A negative mind is mired in problems, while a positive mind looks for solutions. A positive person is creative and makes the best of every situation. When a person is negative, they tend only to see the obstacles. And when someone only sees obstacles or problems, they tend to feel stress - sometimes a lot of it. In fact, when a person is feeling lots of stress, they can’t be creative (it’s one of those biochemical things). Therefore, a negative attitude thwarts creativity, progress, productivity, and leadership.

In contrast, a positive attitude allows you to deal with the inevitable challenges with creativity and resourcefulness. A positive attitude helps you experience less stress. Your attitude determines how you experience life. It either pulls you down or lifts you up. Your choice…

How does one turn a negative attitude into a positive one? The same way someone with a positive attitude maintains it. You need to eliminate the negative inputs, influences, and factors in your life and introduce positive ones. We’re bombarded with messages throughout the day and night. Some of them are good and some of them are just plain bad for you. We get “messages” from family, friends, co-workers, radio, newspaper, TV, music, the internet, billboards, books, magazines, and any number of other sources. If you don’t decide what goes into your head, then someone else will. You need to take control of what you feed your mind.

Eliminate the Negatives

Â? Stop reading the newspaper! Everyone acknowledges that the newspaper is mostly filled with negativity - murder, fire, war, disasters, etc. Stop feeding yourself with it! Believe me, you can’t help but be informed about major stories one way or another. We’re bombarded. There’s no need to go looking for it.

Â? Stop watching TV news! The same issues that apply to newspapers apply to TV news. And there’s one more caution in addition… When you go to sleep ay night, the mind starts processing the last things it was exposed to. So, what’s the dumbest thing a person can do just before they go to sleep? WATCH THE TV NEWS!!! Stop watching it.

Â? Stop seeking the negative on the internet! Ever hear the expression, “You get what you focus on”? If you seek out negativity, you find it and it becomes your reality. I had a friend who, as Y2K approached, was absolutely convinced that the world would come to an end (almost literally). Every night, he would spend hours on the internet reading about all the terrible things that were sure to happen at the stroke of midnight. He pleaded with me to stockpile food and water. He never spoke to me again after January 1, 2000. He really believed all his fears would come to fruition. He had sought out and focused on the negatives and came to believe them. Don’t dwell on seeking out and reading about negatives.

Â? Stop hanging around negative people! Ever notice that all the folks with negative, small-minded attitudes always hang out together and all the successful, big-minded people hang out together as well? Coincidence? NO! Remove yourself from the negative crowd. Avoid negative people as much as possible.

Introduce Positives

Â? Start hanging around positive people! Positive association is one of the keys to success. Positive association leads to creativity, partnerships, solutions, and bigger dreams. Mark Twain once said, “”Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Â? Start reading! It’s often said that the books you read and the people you associate with determine where you’ll be in five years. Where do you want to be? Start reading books about people you admire. Read personal growth books, books on success principles, books about others who overcame challenges, and motivational books.

Â? Start listening! Start using your windshield time as a time to learn and grow. Instead of mindlessly listening to music or talk on the radio, pop in a tape or CD. Listen to audio books, motivational CD’s, or even music that lifts and energizes you. Create a mix of music on tape or CD that gets you and your attitude fired up for that next meeting, presentation, or prospect.

I have a list of books that I’ve read and highly recommend for anyone wanting to maintain a positive attitude and wanting to grow as a person and a leader. You can find the list on my website by clicking the Recommended Reading link: www.TheInsuranceCoach.com

By acquiring, maintaining, and protecting a positive attitude, you will see your success grow and your enjoyment of life improve. You’ll become more attractive (in every way) and will increasingly find other like-minded people to be around.

Keeping Your Network Marketing Downline Positive

A prospect reads your business advertisement and is pumped about a new opportunity that is going to bring them personal and financial freedom for life. They join the program and are suddenly filled with enthusiasm, energy, passion, and a drive to build their new network marketing business. Nothing will stop them and they take action right away by contacting prospects, sending email welcomes and support, buying ezine solo ads, and joining a few of the biggest traffic exchanges available. They get a few prospects in their downline within the first few weeks, and business is looking good.

Then comes the dry-spell…No prospects are visiting their site, no one is signing up to their program, their downline is not growing, money is being put in with no results coming out. Suddenly, business isn’t looking so hot, and the initial spark has fizzled away. Your downline stops communicating with you, slowly disappearing into the woodwork. Then they get bitter and angry, and want to quit. While you don’t want to waste your precious time on a downline who isn’t willing to work, you do want step in and motivate, encourage, support, and keep your downline positive right from the start. But how do you go about this?

It may not be the easiest task in the world, and it may sound cliche, but the reality is that it’s all about instilling the right positive attitude in your downline members. Of course other people’s attitudes are not up to you – It’s their business to stay positive, and if they don’t or can’t, they won’t go far anyways. It doesn’t hurt though to remind people what a healthy attitude means and why it is important to maintain in this or any business, and in life in general. Attitude is what we feel, do, and expect. It is important to understand that the message we send out to the world is what we will get back in return. If we have a negative attitude about our business and think it will fail, then it will fail. We must expect great things if we want to see great results. When we are positive, we will achieve greater things.

You may be wondering how to make your downline understand this concept of positive attitude, why it’s so important, and the effect it will have on their businesses and the amount of success they will experience. As I mentioned before, it is really up to them, but you can send gentle reminders that in order to succeed, we must be what we wish to become, and that this takes practice, every day, by interacting with other people who are successful. Another important point to remember is that there will be people in our lives who will not have positive attitudes who will discourage us from doing what we’re doing, and try to bring us down. We must ignore these negative influences in our lives, staying focused only on positive results. Otherwise we will get sucked into a negative downward spiral. If we talk about what’s going wrong, things will continue to go wrong. If we send a message out to the world that we are confident, successful, and have direction, then we will get just that in return.

If you want to give your downline something to think about, then let them know about attitude and how it will determine their success, or lack thereof. Let them know that they must have a dream of what they want to achieve and a plan for how they will achieve it. They must love what they are doing and continually question themselves as to whether or not what they are doing is really what they love and want. They must have energy that will drive them to their goals, flexibility to handle different circumstances, and the ability to learn new things. They must persist even through the dry spells and be determined to achieve success.

As mentioned above, it is up to your downline members to keep up a positive attitude in business, but you can help by reminding them of the difference a good attitude can make. It is not just abstract hocus-pocus. A positive attitude builds the foundation of a solid, successful person and business.

Feng Shui - Develop a Positive Attitude With This Philosophy

The Chinese call the expression of “energy” Chi, but what are the basic qualities of this energy? It is invisible, intangible and changeable however we all feel it, in some shape or form.

If we can lift our Chi or spirit we will get more from life and this is exactly what Feng Shui helps us do.

Lifting Your Spirit & Mood

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of manipulating and arranging your surroundings to attract positive life energy, or chi, so that it flows smoothly, unblocking any obstructions in your body and environment.

The Origins of Feng Shui

The geography of China requires careful consideration when constructing and planning buildings as the mountain winds are unforgiving and the lower areas are prone to flooding, which gave the art its name of wind and water.

Feng Shui evolved from the theory that people are affected by their surroundings Feng Shui is a guide to, respecting our surroundings and working with the flow of nature to create a harmonious environment, making us feel better and derive more from life.

The origins of Feng Shui date back several thousand years and although it originated in China, it now has millions of devotees worldwide.

Feng Shui theory

Take an example such as air, If there is one quality within air that we are all naturally aware of, it is the presence of oxygen as we can’t live without it!

We all feel when we have exercised that our body is well oxygenated and our Chi, our spirit and mood, feels invigorated as a consequence.

Conversely, if we sit for a long time in a hot Smokey room or sleep in an unventilated one we, will feel tired, despondent and unenthusiastic. There are of course a huge amount of examples of how are environment influences our lives, of which the above is just one.

The flow of chi is influenced by a number of factors of the physical environment.

Colors, shapes, orientation, lighting, objects and their positions, the use of space, and the degree of cleanliness, all impact collectively upon our senses and determine a home’s energy flow.

This flow affects us continually and affects our moods. You spend most of your life in your home and workplace and your surroundings significantly influence your Chi and moods so you want them to have a positive impact.

Feng Shui makes our houses and our workspace generate positive energy, which then attracts more positive energy to enrich our lives for the better.

The purpose of feng shui

When you Feng Shui a home or a work place, you’re making a statement of what you want from your life.

Whenever you say the words “I am,” you are making a statement about who you are at an exact moment in time.

When you make statements such as “I am broke” or “I am tired” you are in effect telling the universe about your mood and your condition. When you say you’re sick and tireduniverse about your mood and your condition. When you say you’re sick and tired, you probably will be Sick and tired.

Statements like “what you think about, you bring about,” and “what you do comes back to you.” underline what Feng shui is all about.

Instead of being negative Feng Shui focuses on the positive “I am feeling great”, “I am in good health”, “I am rich” or “I am happy.”

These statements are mood lifting and create an ideal, which be different to whom you are at the moment.

This power of intention and the faith in your potential can help you get more from life.

If you’re intent on getting rid of negative beliefs, Feng Shui will create a method for you to adopt positive beliefs, in your personal space and a method to help make more positive things happen in your life.

How Feng Shui enriches your life

If you think about it, your surroundings are so important to your mood and how you view the outside world that, getting an environment to reflect your aims and aspirations makes total sense.

Learn how to Feng Shui your space and you will change your life for the better.