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How do you make people happy?

We all make people happy. Some people do it by entering a room. Other people do it by leaving a room. You probably know both types of people. Which type are you? It is a choice. The difference between the two types of people is their attitude.

There are those people who seem to always have a smile on their face. Their walk and their body language shows confidence. They are happy, positive and upbeat. They are encouraging. They are good listeners. They care about others. They are fun to be around. If you are having a bad day, being around these people will make you feel better. These are the people with a positive attitude.

Then there are those people who seem to always have a frown on their face. They walk slowly and hunched over. The first words out of their mouth are negative. They always have something to complain about. They will do the talking and don’t care about your problems or how you feel. They will tell you why you can’t achieve your dreams and why your idea won’t work. These are the people that turn your happy, sunny day into a storm in just a few minutes. They can bring you down and discourage you. These are the people with a negative attitude.

We get to choose our attitude and which of these people we want to be. If we choose to have a positive attitude how can we get and keep a positive attitude. Life happens to us and it isn’t always good. When life or Mr. or Ms. negative brings us down how can we get our positive attitude back.

A few years ago, I was speaking to grade school students. They complained that their parents always wanted to know who they were with. So I asked, “I you want to be an athlete who should you hang out with? “Athletes” they responded. “If you want to be smart?” “Smart people they shouted.” “If you want to be happy?” “Happy people,” they yelled. They were on a roll. “If you want to be a druggie?” Suddenly the auditorium fell silent. I could see by the look in their eyes that they understood. We are no different. Who we hang out with is who we become.

Here are some ideas that work for me and others I know on getting and keeping a great attitude.

They may help you.

Hang out with people who have positive attitudes. Also avoid or at least minimize the time you spend with people with negative attitudes. They can destroy your attitude and your dreams.

Smile. Your face is one of the first things people see. If this is difficult, try forcing a smile and hold it for 30 seconds. How do you feel afterwards?

Make a point to focus on others instead of doing all of the talking. Ask people open ended questions about themselves or the work they are doing. Then stop talking and listen.

Read positive books and or listen to CDs by people with a positive attitude

Practice a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of rest. Exercise. Eat healthy.

Watch what goes into your brain. Don’t start your day with the morning news. The news will be negative and predictable. There will be a shooting, a fire, a car accident, a robbery and politics. The only change will be the names and places. If you do need to listen or watch the morning news do it once and be done. Continuing to expose your brain to those same negative stories won’t help your attitude.

Treat everyone with dignity and respect. This is how we should treat people. It also opens your mind to seeing the good in people before you see the bad. Looking for the good in people will help you to develop a positive attitude.

Finally, and most important start every day with gratitude. Think of at least 3 things every morning that you are grateful for. We are blessed just to live in this country. We have our family and friends. We are alive. Starting your day with gratitude puts our mind in a positive state by realizing all that we have rather than what we lack.

To develop a positive attitude, we need to take action. I challenge you to start right now by thinking of three things you are grateful for.

If we want our valley to grow and prosper we need to start with a positive attitude and the belief it can happen. When we have a visitor, what is the chance of them coming back if they meet smiling, happy, positive people, the ones who make us happy by just entering a room. That is a choice we can all make.

Smile. You will feel better. Thoughts to ponder.

Greg Kozera is the Director of Marketing for Shale Crescent USA www.shalecrescentusa.com. He has over 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert with a Masters in Environmental Engineering and the author of four books and numerous published articles.

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