Did you ever stop to consider that the difference between can and cannot is 3 letters. If it was only that easy. Well, it can be but it all has to start with you! Do you want to be a totally “can-do” person? All you have to do is change the brain filters you subconsciously use in your day-to-day life. You know it as selective hearing. Like it or not, many of us are tuned to hear things we want to hear while we shut out those things we consider noise or excess. In a sense we have pre-programmed ourselves to admit things that are not contrary to our own thinking. If we view something negatively then we will be much more receptive to hearing things that support our own suppositions and beliefs.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with selective hearing and in fact I believe it helps us all cope with the bombardment of information coming at all of us today. BUT, this is the important part for you to take away from this article. Think honestly about how we approach the majority of things we deal with daily. Do you rejoice in good news and acknowledge the successes of others? Or would you rather hear the negative to support your own beliefs that things are tough, that others have it worse than you, that life’s not fair and why bother dealing with things because they can’t be changed. Do you know people who have many positive things in their lives yet they fail to see them because they are focused on the things they don’t like about their life? Did you ever wonder what might happen to them if they changed their focus?

So, what is positive thinking and what are these filters I just mentioned. Positive thinking and filters are the process that allows you to admit the positive thoughts, words and ideas that nurture positive feelings and positive growth. Sure, you may still hear negativity but as you strengthen your filters these things will be channeled to a less important place and the positive things will start to accumulate and share a greater part of your consciousness. I’m going to steal something that you Stark Trek fans should be familiar with and it concerns the “Borge”. Their goal is to assimilate. Now consider this. Everyone, including ourselves, are a collection of others ideas, thoughts and emotions. It’s how we are educated so that we fit in and can work together in a cooperative way. We share history, feelings of love, rejection and so on. We can empathize with others because of this. What happens sometimes is that many problems arise concurrently and we get exposed to too much negativity; we start to assimilate it. As things in our own life get tougher, we become susceptible to the negative and a spiral starts.

Here’s how it all works. Instinctively and subconsciously we all transfer and receive to everyone we meet, our moods and feelings. Through body language and facial expressions we determine what others are feeling. Through words and inflections we hear their subconscious come through. Now we have to ask ourselves this. Would we rather spend time with those that bring us up and buoy our own emotions and dreams? Do we feel lighter after a day or an evening with a friend whose cup is always half full, who may have problems like we all do but focuses on the things that are going well and seems to attract good things regardless of what negative items come their way? Or do we want to spend our time with those who only see the down side of everything, which regardless of what they have, can never be satisfied and think that if they only had this or that their lives would be better? You have one nano-second. OK, times up!

Most of us know or have known people who fit both descriptions. I don’t think I am going out on a limb when I suggest that we all would prefer association with the first group. But if you want to be a part of that group you need to be like them to attract them. Positive people anticipate joy and good things filling their lives. Good health, success in business, life and relationships. They carry an aura that attracts like minded individuals. Others want to be around them because they make it easy and fun to do so. When we present a positive image we are more likely to attract others willing to help and guide us because they share in the success of others when they contribute.

Positive thinking is visualizing as an already accomplished fact the things you want to achieve. Reality often is nothing more than a mirror of your own thoughts so to expect anything less than success is jeopardizing your ultimate rewards. I know that not everyone subscribes to the whole spin on positive and negative thinking but think about it for a moment. Think about those people in your life you like to be around and why. Think about those you try to avoid. And remember, success cannot just be measured in wealth. People have many different measures; money, health, friendships and happiness and much, much more.

Remember, a positive attitude is infectious. Whether you subscribe to the above or not just give it a try. Turn your mind towards more readily accepting the positive. Train your mind and subconscious to consider and accept the benefits of being positive. Make the successes, no matter how insignificant, be the focus of your day. Visualize things that are favorable to you and to your situation. Start smiling more and using positive words in your communications and see what happens to others around you. You might think that people around you are changing when in fact it is you who has changed and what you are seeing is the impact of your changes. It may take time but don’t give up. Keep smiling, don’t surrender to the negative. Eventually you will see a change and it will all be because you decided to think positively!