"Those people who think they can do something and those who think they can't are both right." - Henry Ford

What ever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.

Here are the basic principles and steppingstones to change your life.

The starting point to all success is having a positive attitude.

Your attitude is going to play a large part in becoming successful in whatever you wish to achieve. It's the passion in your life that is necessary to achieve your dreams.

When you're at work and someone else gets a promotion that you felt like you deserved or somebody gets a new car are you happy for them or does it make you jealous? How often do you wish harmful thoughts to people around you? Do you lust for and covet the material possessions of others? These are signs of a negative personality and require extreme change.

"If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting". - Stephen Covey

Mary is very lonely and often spends most of her time at home alone. Friends and family suggest that she should get out more often to meet other people. Mary feels this is useless. I have tried to meet new people. No one really could like me. People are all mean and want something from me.

These thoughts have the power to control your environment and your emotions. Thinking negative thoughts about certain situation will change the way we look at certain things. Soon you will see that if you can change the way you look at certain things (in a negative way) the things around you will soon change into a positive way.

There may be mean and selfish people in our world. There may even be people who dislike you and don't ever want to get to know you. Not every body will fit that description. By assuming that everyone doesn't like you, you are building a wall that often prevent you from having what we crave the most out of life" Love and Affection". We all need to be cared for and wanted.

"Happiness can be defined in part at least, as the fruit of the desire and the ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually" - Stephen Covey

Let's say for example someone gets a promotion at your work and instead of looking at it negatively, like they got the promotion that you deserved. You should look at the situation with a positive outlook. It's all about how you choose to let these events effect you.

1) There could be good reason why you didn't get the promotion.

2) Working as a team at my company may be the choice they made benefits the Company and therefore benefits me.

3) There could be a better position opening later.

4) I wanted this job very much, but it went to someone with more experience.

5) This doesn't mean I'm not a good employee.

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power".- Alan Cohen

Let's take a situation that seems to happen to most people. While at work you're walking through the hallways and you look into the office and see Paul standing there. You proceed to say 'Hi Paul how is it going'. He looks at you as if he has never met you. You met Paul at the company picnic about three months ago. You sat next to him and talked about his favorite football teams for a couple of hours.

You could react in two ways to this situation:

Your negative reaction would be to think what kind of an arrogant jerk is this guy. Who does this guy think he is? Wow I go out of my way to say hi to this guy and he acts like he's never seen me before.

You're positive reaction would be to think "Humm I wonder if he might have forgotten my name". Maybe he just got a call from someone with some bad news. Paul could be in a stressful environment and therefore not thinking clearly.

Feel free to assume but often there is a reason for someone's negative behaviors that will explain their actions. I'm not saying this is acceptable behavior. People's reactions often are the product of your reaction to them if you look at Paul and say.

"What a Jerk here I am trying to be nice to him and he acts like he doesn't even know me". Paul's: reaction will be something like "Who the Heck does that person think he is talking to me like that". And the conversation will continue to get hostile. NOT GOOD

If your reaction is a positive reaction to the conversation an goes like:" Hi Paul and he looks like he is never seen you before and he reacts with a negative attitude. You then reply with 'Hi Paul it's me Jerry remember from the picnic' said enthusiastically. Most people will reply to this with a positive response. Now let's say that they reply with a negative response. It's up to you to continue the conversation or politely disengage by saying something positive like 'I'm sorry Paul my name is Jerry we sat together at the picnic and talked about Football, do you remember. If he remembers that could start a positive conversation If not then excuse yourself politely and walk away.

You will soon see a positive change in negative thinking personalities if you persist with a positive attitude and continue to be kind and caring to them. Most of these people live in a protective shell of doubt and anxiety but by chipping away constantly with kindness this shell can be lowered or removed. Try it tomorrow with someone you have problems with.

Whatever you think just happened try not to have a negative opinion. Think Positive .

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." - William James

A positive mental attitude has a definiteness of purpose.

We translate into reality the thoughts that appear in our minds if they are good thoughts that is what our lives will become if they are negative thoughts that is what our minds will see.

There is something you can give away all the time and it doesn't cost any money. You can give this away every day and never run out of them. Most people don't realize they have an endless supply of them. "Smiles" Start Giving Them Away.

Try a little experiment on the people around you. Start smiling at people you see during the day. Make note of their reactions while smiling at them. You will find that most people smile back and might even say hello. The next day continue the experiment by saying "Hello" with a smile.

I have went through most of my life with a smile on my face as a matter of fact when I was in the eighth grade my metal shop teacher made up a nickname for me and Started calling me 'Smiley'. Soon most of the other kids in the class started to call me Smiley. They said it in a negative way as if they were making fun of me. I took the named Smiley in the only way I knew how to in a positive way. My metal shop teacher probably never realized the impact that the named Smiley would have on my life and the lives of others.

"Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down". - Jimmy Durante

A positive mental attitude is associated with:

Unconditional love, joy, happiness, courage, strength, helpfulness, compassion, freedom, mercy, forgiveness, diplomacy, tact, poise, purity, perfection, self-discipline, morality, hope, life, spiritual bliss, humility, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, intelligence, divine love, beauty, harmony and creativity.

A destructive negative attitude is associated with;

Anger, fear, hate, resentment, bitterness, selfishness, depression, sadness, pride, sulking, Stupidity, narrow-minds, ignorance, negligence, discord, self-pity, lack of self-control, immorality, discouragement, loneliness, vanity, perversions, evil, injustice, intolerance, hardness of heart, cruelty.

I'm sure you can add to the list with many more. Try to keep a positive mental attitude an soon you notice a negative change in your attitude or of those around you. When you start to see negativity around you visualize something positive or funny. As time goes on you will form anchors in your mind to break up the negative attitudes from those around you

I often use humor in an uncomfortable environment to break any tension that is developing among the people I am around. I will tell a joke, poke fun at something they said, make up a quick story or change the conversation. This might upset a few but for the most part it takes the wind out of the person creating the negativity.

Remember this quote "Things always seem to turn out best for those people who can make the best out of the way things turn out".

Greg Vanden Berge has been involved in personal success for over 35 years. He has educated himself through everything you can think of almost :) He has written a top selling book http://startlivingyourdreamstoday.com and is currently working on creative ways to educate people on how to become suceesful in business. http://100moneymakers.com