I took a few days break!  After all, it is a “holiday” season - is it not?  Everyone needs a break somewhere along the way and yesterday seemed a good time to just walk from the office and do other things.

I recall that before my brief sabbatical, I was sharing some thoughts gleaned from an Indy Star article on 5 things we can resolve to do in 08 to achieve greater work-life balance.  Number two on the list is “keep a positive attitude”.

I admit that this is very difficult for me to achieve.  I tend to be more pessimistic than optimist; something most likely related to my particular temperament as well as things left over from youthful years that just want to hang on.

But it’s a fact of life that maintaining a positive attitude is due partially to surrounding ourselves with those who also maintain positive attitudes.  Although we should not let it happen, it is true that we are most often affected by the attitudes of those around us - especially those with whom we spend much of each day while at work.  Negative folks tend to create confusion, disruption and chaos; whether in the workplace or in the entrepreneurial environment. 

We do have a choice as to which attitude we will project each day.  When we are surrounded by positive attitudes, there is positive energy and creative productive work gets done - whether we are in a professional career environment or building our own business.

One suggestion put forth by the author of the newspaper article is to focus on those who are much less fortunate (unemployed, ill and can’t work or disabled in some fashion).  When we recognize that “in comparison”, we have it pretty good in our lives, we will begin to project a more positive attitude.

One of my techniques for moving from dour to serendipitous is to reflect on the previous days blessings.  The things that went well, the things I achieved.  I look for those serendipituous moments that came unexpectedly that said “things are working out well, Fitzgerald!”  Reflection on the “positives” of yesterday are always good preludes to feeling more positives are on the way today - and lifts the mood and creates an attitude of expectancy that naturally lifts mood and attitude.

Once we choose to be positive (and find the right technique for making it work for us), we’ll be amazed at how our work environment and business-building activities change for the better.

When doing your 2008 work-life resolutions (goals and objectives); make one of your primary goals to find something each day to be positive about and then carry that ’something’ with you everywhere and the accompanying positive attitude will accompany you everywhere!

I’ve been reading the past several days and found some great ’stuff’ to share, so once we reach the stroke of midnight on Monday, I’ll begin talking about each of them as they will be ‘meat’ for us as we follow our dreams, visions, passions and purposes into another year!

Have an awesome day with much love and many blessings!

  Linda