Spending Time With Positive People

A mind ill with negative attitudes is more dangerous than a sick body, for its sickness is always contagious.

Experts in human behavior have discovered that it is virtually impossible for an individual member of a group not to be affected by other members. Likewise, the group itself is only as strong as its weakest link. It is rarely possible for the entire group to raise itself to higher levels of achievement than that of which the weakest member is capable. It is only possible for individuals who break out of the group to exceed the potential of the group as a whole. Don’t associate with those who are afflicted with the mental sickness of constant negative thinking. Associate with happy, positive, productive people. Your time is an asset to be managed more carefully than your money; spend it with people who share your desire to succeed and your commitment to maintain a Positive Mental Attitude. –Napoleon Hill Foundation

The above quote is such an important life lesson. Positivity breeds positivity and vice versa. I must say, I am very fortunate to have positive thinking friends. Not that we don’t have our share of hurdles and obstacles in our lives but our attitudes towards them is what really counts. And we rise above.

Be sure to surround yourself with positive, cheerful people but also be one as well. Like attracts like, so keeping a positive mental attitude will surely attract similar thinking people and help to influence others that may need a boost.

When I am feeling down or negative towards a particular thing or event, I make a mental list of all the positive attributes relating to it. For example, we host Thanksgiving dinner at our house for my husband’s side of the family. We’ve had as many as 34 guests. It overwhelms me every year. We have a rather small house so we have to move our living room furniture out in order to set up tables for everyone have a place to eat. It’s not just the rearranging, cleaning and decorating but also the fact that this particular holiday focuses on the meal. I want there to be enough food and I want it to be good!

I take the day before Thanksgiving off to prepare all the food I can ahead of time and get the tables set up and decorated which helps to make the following day run much more smoothly. This year, I had planned to get a head start and decorate and clean the basement a week in advance but I was sick all last week. Yesterday, I started feeling some anxiety about getting everything done and was in a negative state of mind when I stopped myself and thought….what is Thanksgiving all about? A clean house? Perfect table settings? Whether the windows have been washed or not? No, it’s about family. It’s about sharing a meal and making memories and telling stories and playing games. It’s about giving thanks for our health, family, friends, life, country, etc. It’s about being happy. Instantly my attitude switched from dread and anxiety to joy and excitement. Thanksgiving is coming next week and so are our 30+ guests whether I fret and worry about it or approach it with happiness and excitement, I choose the latter.