Do you yearn to feel more positive? Would you like to be a person who sees the glass as half full rather than half empty? Do negative thoughts capsize your mental boat? It's time to take charge and create more positive thoughts and a better attitude,NOW!

We've all heard the saying: "You are what you eat." Well, that's not only true physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. If a person eats nothing but junk food, day in and day out, they will inevitably quickly begin to feel the negative effects. They will notice the pounds piling on and they may feel lethargic and sick much of the time. In much the same way, a person who constantly feeds themselves negative thoughts will begin to feel the ill effects. So many of us have learned to allow our thoughts to take us captive, rather than the other way around!

Well let me tell you, your thoughts do NOT control you, you are in control of your thoughts. Simply coming to this realization can make all the difference for some people, yet for others once they reallygetthis concept, they then have to take some time and effort to retrain their brain; either way, this is one of the most powerful and profound changes you can make in your life.

So this is the time to go on a diet, a mental diet of positiveattitude food. You have to stop fueling your mind with negative thoughts and replace them with more positive, uplifting thoughts. What do negative thoughts look like? They start with "can't" rather than "can," "no" as opposed to "yes," "should" as opposed to "want," "hate" as opposed to "love."

When you're not feeling your best, ask yourself – Are the thoughts I'm indulging right now negative or positive? And then adjust them accordingly. It's a pretty safe bet if your thoughts are making you feel bad, then they're negative and if they're energizing you and make you feel good, then they're positive. If you find yourself brooding over little things like -the things your husband won't do around the house, worrying about an upcoming test or mulling over all the things you think are wrong with the world today - simply flip your thoughts around.

Change the:

•    "I hate it when he doesn't take the trash out in the morning!"

TO

•    "I love it when he remembers to take the trash out in the morning!"

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•    "I should really exercise today, but I hate exercise!"

TO

•    "I want to feel better and look good, so I'm going to exercise today!"

It will take some work at first to train your brain to approach things from a different angle, but before you know it you will automatically start doing it and seeing things in a more positive light and in turn,feelingbetter! It really is that simple. A little work will create BIG results! You will begin to notice positive changes taking place in your life. Your family, friends and co-workers will all notice it as well. They may not know exactly what is different about you, but they will notice that something in you has changed for the better and they will love the change!

You can do it. You can and will have a positive attitude if you simply take control of your thoughts rather than allowing your thoughts to controlyou. You do not have to live the way you did in the past. Our thoughts are one of the most malleable parts of our lives, it's quite easy to shift your thoughts, it just takes being present in the moment. Once we get present, we are able to catch ourselves when our thoughts start taking a turn for the worst.

There's a simple cognitive-behavioral strategy that works best when you find your thoughts are turning negative – STOP! Yep, it's that simple. It's call "thought stopping" and it works, so long as you do it repetitively, kind of like training a puppy.

So, each time you bring your awareness into the moment and you don't like what you find in your head, simply say "Stop!" (I recommend doing this silently, unless you're alone or simply enjoy freaking people out, then by all means…) and refocus your thoughts to something thatfeelsbetter. This is one of the basic rules for manifesting a better life. Each new day can truly feel like a fresh new start when you begin taking control of your own thoughts. The choice is yours. Youcanbe a better you - Starting today!