Category: Positive Attitude

The Voices in Your Head

1/31/2026

There are many voices inside our minds, all of them crying out for attention. Get to know your unique inner talk so that you can effectively control it, much like the way a choir director leads a group of singers. What kind of voices are in your head? Are they sad, negative, joyless, frustrated, dispirited ones? Are they happy, positive, joyful, peaceful, passionate ones? Most of us have a blend of those two extremes. . . .

Take charge of your inner dialogue. When disturbing and negative voices emerge, notice them without judging them harshly, and direct them gently to soften and ease up. Simultaneously, pay attention to the voices that express gratitude, joy, compassion, kindness, love, peace, strength, humor. Direct your voices toward hope, happiness, harmony and your life with reflect those very qualities.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha

Write a Gratitude Letter

1/24/2026

The simple act of writing a gratitude letter to someone can boost your level of happiness and place your focus toward the positives about your life. In a recent experiment done by Steve Toepfer, assistant professor in Human Development and Family Studies at Kent State University, he asked subjects to write a meaningful letter of gratitude to anyone they wanted. The more letters people wrote the less they reported feeling symptoms of depression, and they noted feeling happier and more satisfied with life overall. "If you are looking to increase your wellbeing through intentional activities, . . . write letters of gratitude to someone," Toepfer says. "There is a cumulative effect, too. If you write over time, you'll feel happier, you'll feel more satisfied, and if you're suffering from depressive symptoms, your symptoms will decrease."
-Victor M Parachin, "Five Steps to a More Positive Attitude"

Control Your Thoughts

1/20/2026

Only you can exercise control of your thoughts. The ancient Indian sage Patanjali had this advice: "When presented with disquieting thoughts or feelings, cultivate an opposite elevated attitude." His wisdom is a reminder that we have the power to manage our own minds, that we can abruptly change what we imagine, feel and think. But there are times our mind seems to be engaged in a struggle for territory--a fight between positive thoughts vs. negative thoughts. Become a mental warrior and rally yourself to win that battle by taking control of your thoughts.

Here are some examples of switching perceptions from the negative to the positive:
- For "I'll never get that job," switch to "I've got a strong resume, better than most."
- For "I'm too old to return to college," switch over to "Many second career people return to school, and I can be one of them."
- And for "I never get what I want," switch over to "I deserve the best life has to offer."
-Victor M Parachin, "Five Steps to a More Positive Attitude"

Just Smile for a Positive Attitude

1/17/2026

"You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile," said silent screen star Charlie Chaplin. A study recently published in Psychological Science revealed that breaking into a genuine smile--one that engages the muscles around the mouth as well as those around the eyes--reduces your heart rate after a stressful event. "Whether you feel happy while smiling doesn't matter," said lead author of that study Tara Kraft. "Muscle activation alone does the trick."

As you go through the day, try smiling at everyone you encounter--be it family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers. And, when you smile, it is highly likely they will smile back, making the brief encounter friendlier and warmer. You'll see that your spirits will rise and you'll experience a positive feeling. "A warm smile is the universal language of kindness," said American motivational author William Arther Ward.
-Victor M Parachin, "Five Steps to a More Positive Attitude"

Attitudes are More Important than Facts

12/20/2025

Those who are grieving should think about that truth--attitudes are more important than facts. The fact is that you have lost a loved one to death. The grief is hard, and the journey is lonely. Yet your attitude can triumph over the fact about loss. Adopt the attitude that you will overcome, that you will transform pain into gain, that you will become an enlarged person as a result of this hard experience.
-Victor M Parachin, Healing Grief

Coming Back from Crisis and Loss

12/2/2025

Minister and psychologist Ann Kaiser Stearns has interviewed and studied survivors from all sorts of tragedies--people whose lives were shattered by disease, death, chronic pain, and being prisoners of war. In her book Coming Back: Rebuilding Lives after Crisis and Loss, she cites the following as attitudes crucial for overcoming adversity:

- I will not be defeated
- I will vividly examine the future
- I will take advantage of available opportunities
- I will not assume the victim posture
- I will accept life's challenges
- I can do it if I set my mind to it
- I have to be willing to expand
- I will find a way to get what I want
- I am consciously deciding to be in the company of good people

Study this list carefully. Make these your attitudes as you manage mourning. And when facing discouragement or even despair over your circumstances, keep in mind the truth that attitudes are more important than facts.
-Victor M Parachin, Healing Grief

The Voices in Your Head

Write a Gratitude Letter

Control Your Thoughts

Just Smile for a Positive Attitude

Attitudes are More Important than Facts

Coming Back from Crisis and Loss

Victor M. Parachin ... a

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