Being positive and having a positive frame of mind is something we all strive to achieve. Staying that way is always the challenge of course, and what with all the negativity that we are bombarded with daily through the media and social contact, we need to be able to confront the assault and deal with it in a way so that it doesn't affect our attitude or cloud our brain with thoughts we don’t really need. Easier said than done, right?

Okay, so I'm not saying that watching or reading the news is bad for you, just don’t saturate yourself. Sure, we need to keep in touch with what’s going on in our world, but, like many of our daily activities, do it in moderation. Either read the newspaper or watch the nightly report on TV. Bad news sells and that’s what the media thrive on. Don’t dwell on it, especially if it is out of your control and may not affect you personally. Once you’re up to date, move on to something else. It’s the same with social contact, whether it is in person or on the internet. There are always going to be people out there who love to bring you down or make a negative comment about something that may not always be true or necessary. Too much negativity can build up in our brain and stop us from thinking clearly.

A way to deal with this is to program our mind so that the positives outweigh and even cancel out the negatives. By this I mean creating thought patterns that build a wall against negativity and knock it on the head when it interferes with our life. A good and simple way to start is by a daily affirmation or positive saying. It could be a goal you set for yourself or a quote from a famous person or book. Here are some examples:

• “I am doing work that I enjoy and find fulfilling” (affirmation)

• “I bet today will be a day to remember. Let us go and greet it” (affirmation)

• "Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done." Jimmy Bo Bennett (positive quote)

• "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley (positive quote)

There are many of these available on the internet and you can subscribe and have them emailed to your inbox daily. You can make up your own and repeat it regularly throughout your day. The important thing is to do it daily and make a habit out of it. It’s like listening to a song on the radio or watching a TV program that has a catchy opening theme. Once you've heard it several times you know it by heart and sing along with it.

We may then want a more advanced strategy which involves more than just a quote or affirmation a day. This is called cognitive or intellectual restructuring. It consists of several forms of mental stimulation and can be in this format:

• An affirmation or quote a day

• Reading a chapter or paragraph from a self-help publication

• Listening to an audio program while exercising or travelling to work

• Writing down something you have achieved in your day

This then identifies your own cycle of negative habits, thinking patterns and routines and subconsciously replaces them with the opposite that will reward you with long term benefits. When you regularly add a new positive habit or regimen to your life, you will then be able to reach your goals and deal with the negatives in life in a more confident manner. Your motivation and energy levels increase and you may find a dramatic change in your lifestyle. The power of the mind is possibly the most important of the human strengths and, if we harness it correctly, the possibilities are limitless.