10 Everyday Actions That Produce a Positive Attitude

PUT YOURSELF FIRST. When planning your day remember to put your own self-interests first, as every single thing that you do for someone else takes energy away from a progression to your personal goals. Women have a very hard time doing this. Learn it – work hard at it – feel the difference in your attitude.

DO FIRST THINGS FIRST. Do things in their natural order. For instance have breakfast to take care of your body and then make important phone calls. Don’t make business calls before brushing your teeth. Don’t plan the evening until you have the morning mapped out. It’s about flow.

TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE. Some people choose difficulty over easiness as they feel it empowers them. It is results that count, not the level of difficulty. The famous martial artist, Bruce Lee described this way of being when he said:

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.”

MULTI TASK AT WORK, NOT AT HOME. In your professional life doing two or three things at once is efficient. However at home this is perceived as a lack of interest or commitment by loved ones. Nothing ruins an attitude like an unhappy family. They are more precious than any meeting, phone call or business lunch.

ACQUIRE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT. Hours can be wasted dealing with computers, printers and fax machines that don’t work. Don’t waste time with broken tools. Nothing frustrates me more than stuff that does not work. Use what works!

DON’T MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN’T KEEP. Promising to over deliver can cause late nights, frustration and exhaustion. Always under promise and over deliver.

LEARN TO SAY NO. Again, women find it hard with this one. Let others know your boundaries or you will be exploited. Saying no allows you the freedom to create an attitude that revolves around your wants, desires and needs – not others’.

LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. If a situation is ruined, don’t waste time fighting to save lost causes. Know when to surrender from a losing battle.

KEEP THINGS SIMPLE.  Eliminate the things that cause clutter in your life such as unnecessary email subscriptions, post-it notes all over your computer and files lying around.

Your attitude is key to how well you take care of your life. It is the very foundation upon which you build your daily life. It is with you always – take care of it!

Your Turn:

What other actions do you do that successfully help your attitude?

P.S. One of the things I should have put in the list is surrounding yourself with people who have a good attitude. Being involved in a community of like-minded people is a sure-fire way to take care of your life and attitude. UP Woman is such a community and an UP Woman Membership may be right for you. Check it out!

Are you at the mercy of events or are you in control? Do not allow your busy schedule to manipulate your time so that you are trapped in a web of confusion, constant catching up and exhaustion?

I understand. I have been there.

For the next few weeks, we will be talking about taking care of our whole life. Our lives are multifaceted. We have many things going on and, in the fast pace of it all, we need to make sure that we are taking care of every area of our busy lives.

We will talk about taking care of our:

Spirit
Attitude
Appearance
Every Day Practice
Power

Today we start with 7 Spiritual Techniques That Help Us Take Care of Our Whole Life

1. REMEMBER TO SMELL THE FLOWERS. Take time out to enjoy the little things in life. Being just as impressed by small events as large ones cultivates wisdom, clarity and is spiritually sophisticated.

A friend of mine has a great saying. He says: “we are how we rest.” In our fast-paced, busy lives we need to stop, breathe and smell the roses. We become how we take care of ourselves.

2. DECIDE WHAT YOU VALUE MOST. Chances are you are spending the least time doing the things you value the most and the most time doing things you value the least. Try to switch your priorities around. Without the switch, you will stay frustrated and confused.

3. DEVELOP A LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT. Develop a goal and make it the purpose of your life. Eliminate activities that don’t contribute to it.

DeLores, that sounds too easy!

Have you tried it?

When you get yourself all into a knot of anxiety and worry, it is sometimes the easy things that will lead you out. Choose to eliminate all activities that do not fully contribute to your Life Purpose Statement.

4. DON’T BE ADDICTED TO PERFECTION. Nobody is perfect so don’t waste valuable time trying to make things perfect. Know when to stop at “good enough.”

5. SPIRITUAL, NOT MATERIAL, GRATIFICATION. Consider that happiness does not come in the form of “stuff” and that the more stuff you have the more you have to worry about. Gratification ultimately comes from what is going on inside you. Your outside should be a manifestation of a healthy spirit.

6. DO WHAT YOU WANT, NOT WHAT OTHERS EXPECT. Much of our quality time is wasted doing things because others expect us to. Fulfill your own needs first.

I know this may sound counter-intuitive to such admirable qualities like giving and kindness and selflessness, but it is not.

Simply put – if you don’t take care of your needs and your life, you won’t have the necessary energy and drive to take care of others. Doing what you want, not what others expect is the fulfillment of this truth.

7. CULTIVATE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. People who meditate or take the time to go to church are in general much happier and lead a more grounded balanced life.

That sounds like a broad, generalized statement, but I have found it to be true over and over again throughout the years. Having some sort of spiritual practice allows you the time, focus and power needed to take care of the rest of your life. It is, in my estimation, foundational. Everything starts here.

It is high time many of you start taking care of your whole life. You know it. You feel it throughout the day as you move from one thing to another. You sense the need.

Start today.

Stay tuned here for more tips – next time we will talk about taking care of your attitude.

Your Turn:

What other spiritual techniques do you use? How have they helped?

P.S. Check out our all new UP Woman Power Store for resources to help you take care of yourself!

Today we will draw to a close the Courage To Be Series. In previous weeks we have defined courage and then looked at The Courage to Be: You, Happy, A Leader and Spiritual.

Today we will end with The Courage to Be: UP

If you have been around this blog or our Facebook Page for any amount of time, you know that UP stands for “Undeniably Powerful.”

In answering the question “Who or what is an UP Woman?”, we will investigate:

1. What characteristics define an UP Woman?
2. What will an UP Woman encounter on the way to the undeniably powerful life?
3. What are the benefits of living UP?

On the front page of the UP Woman website you will find the 8 characteristics of an Undeniably Powerful Woman.

Here they are:

An Undeniably Powerful woman will…

Stand UP – for what she believes in; she’s a fierce advocate for others and does what she can to support her cause. She stands up for what is right. She believes in her own self-worth.  She has the courage to live her dreams.

Show UP – early (or at least on time!) Woody Allen says, “80% of Success is Showing Up” and we couldn’t agree more. How do you show up to the world? Are you showing up the way you want to? An UP Woman never gives her power to someone else.

Step UP – be a team player. Volunteer to support your cause, be a mentor and offer your support to others. Don’t take the easy way out. An UP Woman steps up with a plan ready, willing, and able to help move herself and others to the next level.

Speak UP – to be heard. Are you using your voice? An UP Woman will tell everyone about her vision and dreams. She will ask for what she wants; never allowing fear to get in the way of what she wants.

Fill UP – by continually learning. An UP Woman knows she must enrich her mind by constantly filling it with knowledge. Knowledge is power.

Fire UP – by being a motivating and inspiring leader. Be courageous. Be authentic. Give back. An UP Woman inspires the women in her life to be the best they can be, to follow their dreams, and work through fears that may hold them back. She leads by example to create more leaders.

Connect UP – to create meaningful relationships and leverage opportunities. Every woman needs to be connected. Connect with like-minded woman. Connect with a coach who guides you toward your goals. Connect with a mentor who is more experienced. Connect with a Higher Power — God, Universe — whatever or whomever that is for you personally.

Power UP – by recognizing and using her personal power to live each and everyday as an Undeniably Powerful  Woman.

For a deeper understanding of these UP Woman characteristics check out our Life Lift program. It is action-packed and life-changing with videos, action sheets and more!

Let me pick out the seeds of each characteristic.

A woman who chooses to live an UP life is:

• Self-confident
• Present
• A team player
• Heard
• Knowledgeable
• Inspiring
• Connected
• Powerful

She is also, as we have seen, authentic, a leader, happy and spiritual.

When you look at these words, can you say with certainty that you are living a life defined by it’s characteristics?

Are you willing to Stand UP, Show UP, Step UP, Speak UP, Fill UP, Fire UP, Connect UP and Power UP?

What is missing? Are you doing well in some areas and falling short in others?

I understand.

Living as an UP Woman is a journey. It is an ongoing process that takes definite, consistent and continuing effort. It is a ritual played out each day of your life.

Along the way you are sure to meet up with these truths:

Time – Like any journey, this takes time. 

For some of you the change from less to UP will seem almost instantaneous. You will see the possibility, grasp it and never look back. Your life will change in the twinkling of an eye.

Note: I think, if we are honest, we know that many things have led up to that point of “instant” change. They happened subconsciously and were not on our radar. Either way, celebrate it!

For most of you, the fullness of the UP life will come over the course of months, even years. Stay on the path and enjoy the journey!

Sadly, for some, the undeniably powerful life will linger just beyond your reach. Can you have it? YES. Will you have it? It’s totally up to you.

Pain – Often this process is painful.

You may have to lose something, someone, some way of living in order to gain the UP life. This will cause pain.

Pain is growth. I know this sounds like a cliche and that it does not make the pain any easier to take, but it is the truth. I have seen it over and over and, deep down, you know it to be true.

Pain is part of the deal.

Know it. Accept it – even embrace it – for out of it will come strength, courage and power.

The benefits of being an UP Woman are plentiful. 

Here’s the short list:

• Increased self-esteem
• Courageous living
• Motivation
• Happiness
• Deep connections with others of like-mind
• Personal power

Sounds good doesn’t it?

Do you have the courage to be an Undeniably Powerful Woman?

Are you ready for the journey?

Are you willing to start?

When?

I’m rooting for you!

Your Turn:

What keeps people from living the undeniably powerful life? What keeps women from it?

P.S. Thank you for being a part of this Courage to Be series. I invite you to take the next step and consider getting a Life Lift. You will not be disappointed!