"The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible." - Anonymous When someone said that it is your attitude that determines your altitude, he was absolutely right! When we go through our journey on earth, which is called life, we all face difficulties, struggles, rejections, and setbacks. Some of us get bogged down by them while others stay on top, choosing happiness over any feeling of dejection or failure. Have you ever thought what is it that these people have which keeps them going even in tough situations? Well, it is their ability to inculcate positive thinking in life. Contemplate Your Life Many a time people are unhappy and look at life negatively, because they are not living the life they always wanted to. They are simply working cause they have a family to feed. They are in a relationship, not because of love, but due to a feeling of obligation or duty towards the children. Here, I would just like to say that we all have just one life to live, and if we live it the way others want us to, it's a waste! So, think, introspect, know what you want - both out of your professional as well as personal life. Finally, arrive at a decision, however hard it might be. For once in life, be who you are! Do Social Work To stay positive in a negative world, start working for the people in need. Work for the terminally ill or the oldies who need care. If you can spare some time, visit handicapped children and see if you can bring a smile on their faces. When you see that you are able to make some healthy changes in their lives, the positivity will spread to your life too! Meditate Undertake mind control activities like meditation on a regular basis. A simple way to meditate is to close your eyes and think of any object that gives you happiness. It can be anything - the way your child laughs or perhaps a stream that you visited last summer. Concentrate on it for about ten minutes. Practice it everyday, till you find that your mind does not waver. Believe me, you will find a sea of change in yourself after this. You will be much more calmer and relaxed, which will definitely help you in staying focused at work. Enjoy the Small Things in Life For maintaining your equilibrium in tough times, start enjoying and appreciating the small things in life. If someone has ever helped you or touched your heart in any way, thank them for that. If there is anything in yourself that you are proud of, it can be something as simple as your ability to play a guitar, be happy for that. If you learn to be grateful for all the small things that you have, you will remain positive even when things go wrong for a while, leading to immense happiness in your life. Look at the Bigger Picture Have you ever heard of the adage, "Adversity is opportunity in disguise"?Well, it certainly holds true in many situations in life. Whenever you are feeling down and out, when you feel that you are in the worst of situations, simply tell yourself that it is God's way of testing your strength. And that, just like after every night, comes a day, your life will soon turn around too. Whatever struggles, failures, and setbacks you are facing are just momentary. You are being subjected to them so that you can finally emerge as a winner! Read Motivating Literature Although, many of the self-help books are trash, yet there are some which have made a lot of difference in many people's lives. So get hold of these books or some articles on positive thinking in magazines and go through them. If you search the Internet, you will find many quotes, which will motivate you to always look at the brighter side of life. Reading these as well as other literature will surely inspire you to stay happy. Be Creative For finding inner peace and to make your life worthwhile, indulge in a creative activity. Learn how to dance or how to sing, take pottery classes, or paint some canvases. Give wings to your imaginations and thoughts. Being creative will give an outlet to all your bottled negative emotions! Here's hoping that practicing these tips contribute to your personal development. In the end, all I can say is that many of our problems and issues in life are due to the rat race we are in. Our whole life gets wasted competing with our neighbors, colleagues, and sometimes even friends! So, for starters, take a break from everything and everyone. Go on a holiday alone and start contemplating on how exactly you want to live your life! All the best!