Life is not all plain sailing. Indeed, hardship, trials and tribulations are part of parcel of living. Encountering difficulty is not necessarily a bad thing –what matters is the way you deal with it. A positive frame of mind is important for so many reasons. Positive thinking is proven to enhance performance in productivity and quality. You tend to think more and actively and perform better when you are feeling positive and well.

There are biological explanations for this. A positive frame of mind is due to enhanced levels of neuro transmitters like serotonin which is required to regulate the performance capabilities of the brain. The knock on effect of a positive frame of mind also include better health – not just better mental health but better in the physical sense. This is due to a boost to the immune system that a positive frame of mind can give you from positive hormones .

The reverse is also true, when you are depressed you are far more liable to contract other diseases and mental health issues. Your relationships with others deteriorate, you begin to think irrationally and productivity can ground to a direct halt. In short this is a frame of mind that is best to avoid at all costs. Feeling unhappy from time to time is not unusual- but how we choose to deal with a problem comes from our default state of mind.

A positive mental attitude is also about giving you a can do attitude. People who think positively are far more likely to see challenges rather than problems or opportunities rather than difficulties. For instance entrepreneurs, who are successful,often are because they are able to spot opportunities for growth in a market which others only see as problems. The positive mental attitude of the successful businessmen means that opportunity becomes a reality ; because they also have the drive and motivation to succeed and make their dreamsTh come true . So as you can see there is much to be gained from a positive mental attitude. The problem for a lot of people is in developing one in the first place.

It is true that some people seem to be more positive than others. Having a so called ‘ sunny disposition’ implies that there is something inherent or genetic to account for a frame of mind. While this may be true in some cases it is also true that a positive frame of mind is not an attribute for a privlleged few. It is something that is open to everybody. Anyone, that is, who is prepared to put the necessary work in to attain it.

Developing a positive frame of mind is not some new aged fad. For centuries religious men and scholars alike searched for and developed techniques to harness an inner harmony. While this may have begun to make one closer to god the essence of this idea is just as relevant today. That a positive frame of mind makes us closer to the divine while a negative frame of mind can only lead us into 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 best ways to determine your frame of mind is to think about 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 others? Or are you insular and afraid. Believe it or not one of the best ways to overcome a negative frame of mind is to change your attitude to the world around you and that means the people in it as well. If you are usually uncomfortable around others then try this experiment. One night force yourself to strike up a conversation at random in a public place. Do not be concerned about how you look or appear – or what you talk about. A reference about the weather or anything will do. Just try it and note how you feel afterwards

You see, the way you are with others will affect the opportunities you get offered. Think about it in this way – who is the most likely to get the furthest in a workplace between two people of equal ability and experience except for one difference- One is uptight and ill at ease with others around them, the other easy going and comfortable in the company of others. If I were the boss of those two people I know which one I would pick for promotion.