Rewards of a Positive Mental Attitude

"Every day in every way I'm getting better and better" - This positive affirmation, developed by French psychiatrist Emile Coue around 1920 was repeated often by his patients and created such improvements that his method became the talk of medical and scientific circles, first in Europe, then in America where he was booked on a lecture tour. At one of his early speaking engagements here, a cynical newspaper reporter made a joke of the technique which followed Coue wherever he spoke. The press coverage was so negative he cancelled his tour and returned to practice in Europe. (Because of language the reporter used, contact me if you want the quote)

Dr. Coue's belief was if you give the subconscious a positive instruction, but leave it open enough that it did not tell the subconscious how to do it, the mind could influence the body toward health. And that was exactly what was happening in his practice. Lately, there has been a resurgence of research and literature which backs up this thesis. I believe this is why test results demonstrate the effectiveness of prayer - when there is a "sacrifice of praise," those prayers go right to the subconscious, the powerful process used in our spiritual being.

I recently ran across 10 rewards of a persistent positive mental attitude, as well as accompanying 10 consequences of a persistent negative mental attitude that are worth contemplating. (Remember.... as a man thinketh.)

Penalties of negative thinking:

1. Poverty and misery your entire life
2. Mental and physical ailments of all kinds
3. Self-limitations which trap you in mediocrity
4. Fear and all its destructive consequences
5. Hatred of the means by which you support yourself
6. Many enemies and few friends
7. Every brand of worry known to humanity
8. Being a victim of every negative influence you encounter
9. Subjection to the will of others
10. A wasted life which does nothing to better the human condition.

By contrast, here are 10 attributes of positive attitudes:

1. Success consciousness
2. Sound health, both physical and mental
3. Financial independence
4. A labor of love in which to express yourself
5. Peace of mind
6. Applied faith, which makes fear impossible
7. Enduring friendships
8. Longevity and a well-balanced life
9. Immunity from self-limitation
10. The wisdom to understand yourself and others

Which will you choose? If you don't choose to embrace a positive attitude wholeheartedly, the effects of negative attitudes will be forced upon you. Remember, it all starts with gratitude for what you already have and a continual mindset which looks for the blessings in your life, rather than the problems. Problems are to be the focus of a plan to be addressed, not a focus of your life.