One of the best ways to increase your personal positivity is catching negative self-talk as it’s happening and stopping it. Easier said than done, right? Actually, in this case, it IS easy.

I used to have perpetual arguments in my head. You know the kind:

“I should have said ______ to ______. Then I should have said _______. That would have shown him/her!”

“What the heck does he think he’s doing? Can’t he see I’m next in line? I’m going to take this can of beans and ______.”

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking feeds on itself. Pretty soon, there’s a negative feeding frenzy going on between your ears.

My technique is based on simple cognitive psychology technique.

Just say “stop.”

I know it sounds simple - and it is! - but it really works. You just have to become more aware of your negative self-talk. Listen to the voices going on and on inside your head. Decide which ones are not serving you, then say, “Stop!” Out loud.

It seems silly or a light fix, but it’s the first step toward a deeper awareness of your internal bickering.

JUST SAY “STOP!”

Let’s hear it for the out-of-the-box thinkers, transforming an urban eyesore into a work of art!

Who says that transmission towers need to be ugly? One of the biggest downsides of having easy access to energy has long been the unsightly way it’s carried from place to place, but one US design firm hopes to revolutionize all that — by giving electricity pylons a human touch. In a project entitled “The Land of Giants” those normally stark, utilitarian structures are transformed into more aesthetically pleasing sculptures that folks might not mind having in their backyards.

The artful pylons were designed by the Massachusetes based firm Choi+Shine for submission in a recent competition hosted by Iceland’s national power transmission company who sought designs that had a low environmental impact. Although the project ultimately received only an honorable mention, it has gone on to win praise closer to home, taking home an award from the 2010 Boston Society of Architects Unbuilt Architecture.

In the spirit of Easter Island’s iconic rock sculptures, “The Land of Giants” is intended to express “quiet authority, belonging to their landscape yet serving the people,” say the designers. But much like the architecturally appealing aqueducts of Ancient Rome, which transported another type of resource that made urban life possible, these artful towers breathe life into a structure that is otherwise quite stark.

Source: Treehugger.com

Forced positivity has always made me deeply uncomfortable. “Smile!” “Just look on the bright side!” “It’s not that bad.”

Unfortunately, when you are feeling badly, those apparently well-meaning phrases can feel like a jab in your side. Not only do you feel down, but now you feel guilty for feeling down!

For me, I appreciate practical approaches to feeling positive. One lesson I’ve learned over the years is finding bright spots, literally and figuratively.

Literally speaking, finding a bright spot means getting outdoors and being in the sunlight. Being outside is a natural mood lifter. A friend of mine swears by this simple technique: look up. Look up into the sky for a moment or two. He believes it “opens up your mind and frees your spirit. It reminds you that your problems are small in relation to the vastness of the sky.”

Figuratively, finding a bright spot means noticing the smallest of things that lifts your spirits. Today, I saw a mimosa tree in bloom. The pink was so vibrant and eye-catching. Staring at it for a moment was like looking at a work of art.

Or perhaps its a positive interaction, albeit brief, with a person throughout your day; like a cashier or a passerby who smiles. If you take that moment in, for all it’s worth, you’ll be surprised at how much power a simple and seemingly meaningless interaction holds.

So find some bright spots today. They aren’t hard to find - they’re everywhere. But more importantly, take one moment to recognize that it lifted your spirits, even slightly.

by Beth Mann

Tekapo, NZ - a village among the stars

A great piece about the power of a little generosity and ingenuity. Check out the Facebook page at the end to see how you can pay it forward too!

It all started with a trip to Trader Joe’s. Jenni Ware had just rung up her groceries, which came to a total of $207. But as she reached into her purse, she discovered that she’d left her wallet at home.

Ware was about to go home grocery-less when she received a kind offer from the stranger in line behind her, a woman named Carolee Hazard. Hazard offered to pay Ware’s entire bill, simply asking her to send her a check to cover the cost.

The next day, Hazard received a check for $300—$93 more than she’d lent to Ware.

“I didn’t know what to do with the money,” Hazard told USA Today. “I’d thought to mail a check back to Jenni, but in the day and age of Facebook, I turned to my friends to decide what to do with the money instead,”

A friend suggested donating the cash to charity. Hazard thought that was a great idea, and selected the Second Harvest Food Bank, matching the $93 with an additional $93 of her own.

Several of Hazard’s friends were so inspired by her actions that they decided to make their own $93 donations. Soon, their friends were following suit. The group of philanthropists created “the 93 Dollar Club,” and a Facebook page to go along with it. A year since that fateful day at Trader Joe’s, the club has raised more than $100,000 to fight hunger in America.

Now that their story is getting so much attention, Hazard has a bold new goal: doubling donations to $200,000. Want to help? Check out the Facebook page for more info.

Source: Gimundo

Last night, a friend stopped over. We talked to the wee hours of the morning, sipping some great wine. While it was all worth it, today I’d prefer to do nothing rather than…something. Ah, laziness. It gets such a bad rap, doesn’t it? Here’s some quotes to NOT inspire you!

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.  ~Jules Renard

I like the word “indolence.” It makes my laziness seem classy.  ~Bern Williams

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.  ~Mark Kennedy

Efficiency is intelligent laziness.  ~David Dunham

People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy.  ~Bob Hope

Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.  ~Jimmy Lyons

It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?  ~Ronald Reagan

What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient.  ~Bodie Thoene, Warsaw Requiem

There is no cure for laziness but a large family helps.  ~Herbert Prochnov

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.  ~Charlie McCarthy

We have produced a world of contented bodies and discontented minds.  ~Adam Clayton Powell, Keep the Faith, Baby!, 1967

The time will come when winter will ask you what you were doing all summer.  ~Henry Clay

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?  ~Paul Sweeney

The present generation, wearied by its chimerical efforts, relapses into complete indolence.  Its condition is that of a man who has only fallen asleep towards morning: first of all come great dreams, then a feeling of laziness, and finally a witty or clever excuse for remaining in bed.  ~Søren Kierkegaard

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
Sam Keen