Accomplishment breeds happiness. This is really important in the long run. A very good way to reach long-term goals- like getting your son into college or saving money for buying a home- is by setting short term (smaller) goals, such as studying with your son daily or saving a set amount of money every month. A goal is always measurable by time and quantity, like "I will save $25,000 by the year 2020." Set a long-term goal and break it down into short-term goals that will help you reach the final outcome.
Become aware of your natural gifts and talents. Each day for at least one week , make a list that begins: "I am good at ..." Then list all the things that you have done well that day, even little things like being patient with your family, friends and coworkers. Put your list in an easy access place. Having a bad day? Make a list on that day too, and you'll see that even on a bad day, you're still doing a lot of things well.
Mythology, folktales and books contain great archetypes of human excellence. Think about a character in a book or story. What did they do in that showed heroism? What do you admire about this character? What positive traits does he or she have that you would like to develop? List all the attributes you consider exemplary and why.
Turn negative thinking into positive thoughts. Come up with ten things that people often say that are negative. For each item, figure out a way to turn it into a thought or idea that is more positive. Share your list with friends to get an even better perspective on how to take positive actions.
Create a "IWA Box': With your family, friends or coworkers, write positive statements on index cards about each other (include the name of the person the statement is about). Each person should write one positive statement about every person in the group and you should each write one for yourself as well. Distribute all the cards and keep them in a special container e.g., the IWA Box. When you are feeling "down," pull out a card and read it.
Helping others can help you feel good about yourself. Use one or more of your natural gifts to do a good deed for someone else. Ask for nothing in return. Consider it a blessing to share and serve.
