This is Volume 28 of the Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love series.

This series will be published weekly and will be comprised of links to quality blog posts that have proven to be extraordinary in their ability to assist, inform, or empower the reader. Enjoy!

As is often the case on the Internet, you can find the best ways to offer service to your visitors by simply going through the list of keywords that people have used to find your site, and that is the case here today.

Recently someone found the Today is that Day website (specifically this post) by searching MSN for the phrase "what will make me positive".

Well, the short answer to that question is that no person or set of circumstances can make someone else positive. Positivity is something that comes from the inside, and it is up to us as individuals to decide the level of influence that outside factors will have on our own attitude.

However, there are certain things that you can do which will keep you on the right track, so to our new visitor (and everyone else), here is a list of 7 ways to become a positive person. Enjoy!

1)  Mind your feelings, Luke!

One of the hardest things about keeping a positive attitude (or about self improvement in general), is remembering to constantly focus on the desired end result.

Life throws lots of negativity at us and it can sometimes get to the point where lashing out against the onslaught is nothing less than self defense. However, if you create a negative state of mind by reacting in a less than positive manner - no matter how justified that reaction may be - you will still have created that negative state of mind.

If you need to, bust out your Jedi mind control and get those emotions under control, lest they control you! 

2) Take out the Trash

As you learn more and more about having a positive attitude, it may become easier to take on the belief that the higher you get, the more you can look down on others. Don't do that.

However, no matter how open-minded and understanding you manage to become - even in the face of adversity - there will always be people who regularly insist on bringing negativity into your life. Get rid of them.

Yes, yes, I know. You can't get rid of your family members, you can't fire you co-workers, blah, blah, blah. No, you may not be able to completely get rid of them, but you can limit your interaction with them, and you can tell them to take a hike when they are being negative.

What's the worst that could happen? Some negative family member or annoying co-worker stops talking to you?? Don't be afraid to tell negative people to get out of your bubble! 

3) Reach for the Golden Nuggets

Okay, so what about those situations where there is negative energy, and you just can't get away? Look for the good!

There is some positive aspect to even the most mind-numbing situations, and by finding that silver lining, you can turn a perceived bad set of circumstances into something that works towards your own interests.

Having trouble figuring out how to be happy about obnoxious teenagers, what is good about your jerk of a boss, or what possible positive outcome could happen as a result of your car breaking down?

Each of these things gives us contrast. They teach us how to behave (or not behave), they teach us to be better prepared, or they simply teach us to enjoy the times in our lives when those circumstances are not present.

Would you really know how to appreciate a roaring fire and a cup of hot cocoa if you had never come close to freezing to death after walking a mile in the snow after your car broke down? 

4) Plan your good Samaritan Effort

Every day, plan to do something completely selfless. No, it can't be something that looks selfless, but is actually all about you. It has to be something that you do for someone else, and you expect absolutely nothing in return.

This act doesn't have to be some major undertaking, either. Do a chore around the house that you normally wouldn't do. Bring your co-worker a cup of their favorite beverage from the coffee shop. Buy someone lunch. Help an elderly person load their groceries into their car.

Do something like that every day. In fact, plan it out in advance, so that you are sure to get it done. Can't see what helping other people has to do with becoming a positive person?

Try it every day for a week and then come back and post a comment on this blog about how great you feel! 

5) Plaster a Smile On

When all else fails, smile like you mean it - even if you don't! Human beings are naturally social creatures, and even if we are in the foulest of moods, by interacting with other people in a positive manner, we start the slow or even sudden climb to feeling more positive.

Whenever I workout at the gym, I have zero interest in talking to other people. I am there to workout, I am very focused, and I would prefer not to be disturbed.

However, when someone motions for me to help them with something, and I begrudgingly take off my headphones so I can hear what they are saying, something miraculous happens:

I help them, or answer their question, and then I feel better afterwards! Even if I just wrap my headphones back around my head and go back to working out in my undisturbed manner, I always feel better for having interacted with and assisted another person.  

6) Mainline the Good Stuff

Experience positive and uplifting circumstances throughout each day. It's just not possible to run around in a negative mood all the time if you consistently experience and appreciate things that you consider to be positive.

Everyone has their own definition of what is positive for them, but here is a brief list of things that you can experience frequently throughout each day:

• Affirmations - No, not affirmations that you say (although those are great, too), but rather affirmations that you see. Put uplifting messages on your computer wallpaper or around your office, set up your email program to send you affirmations at certain times each day, use your cell phone or PDA to send yourself positive messages and reminders at preselected intervals.
• Audio content - Listen to empowering audio while you are driving, on your computer, or on your portable music player when you are working out. Again, by constantly inputting positive information, it just won't be possible to maintain a negative state of mind.
• Look around - Everyone has things in their immediate surroundings at any given time that they can be grateful for. However, if you don't take the time to consciously appreciate those things, you will get into the habit of just taking them for granted. Every few hours just stop what you are doing, and for 5 minutes just look around wherever you are and appreciate things that you normally just take for granted.

7) Remember why you Care

And last, but hardly least, remind yourself several times per day (or several dozen!) that you want to have a positive outlook on life, and remind yourself about why you even care.

Remind yourself with Offline Merchandise!

You can use exercises like those mentioned above all day long, but if you don't have a true desire to actually have a positive attitude, then these types of activities won't do you much good. If you choose to live your life as a positive person, then you must have some reason for choosing that path.

Each time a potentially negative influence crosses your path, remind yourself of your reason for wanting to be a positive person. Your desire to be positive will outweigh your desire to have a negative reaction to the outside stimulus, and after awhile this entire process will become second nature.

Related Content: For more information about living a positive lifestyle, take a look at The Power of Positive Habits, search for other positive thinking downloads, or check out some of the popular books below. 

This is Volume 25 of the Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love series.

This series will be published weekly and will be comprised of links to quality blog posts that have proven to be extraordinary in their ability to assist, inform, or empower the reader. Enjoy!

Positive thinking has been touted as a success tool for decades, and its alleged uses have ranged from helping to deal with difficult situations all the way up through and including playing a part in the physical healing process of the human body.

I'm a big believer in positive thinking myself, and encourage its proper use in order to help us through rough times, as well as simply making life a more enjoyable experience. I am a member of the Positive Blog Network, and, along with my fellow members, enjoy using my writing as a tool to help people make positive changes in their lives. 

However, that being said, positive thinking has not been accepted by everyone as the "cure all" that some others seem to think it is. As a result, like most powerful processes that are known to mankind, there is a debate as to the real value of positive thinking vs. whether or not it amounts to little more than wishful thinking.

The positive thinkers in the world will swear that positive thinking is an actual lifestyle that is the basis for everything that they do. However, people who aren't quite so convinced tend to focus on success tools that are more measurable in their effectiveness.

So, although I myself am an admitted (and proud!) positive thinker, I also believe that keeping an open mind and being aware of both sides of any given coin is always a good idea. To that end, I have put together a few of the potential problems with positive thinking so that you, dear reader, can make your own choices about whether or not to include positive thinking as part of your lifestyle success strategy.

The Problems with Positive Thinking

Positive thinking doesn't "fix" things - Although it is true that any imaginable situation can be made better by having a positive attitude about the situation itself, that does not mean that positive thinking can change the details of the situation.

If you forget to zip your laptop case and your beloved portable pal comes tumbling out onto the sidewalk and smashes into a thousand pieces, having a positive attitude will not change the fact of what happened. Yes, you can "look on the bright side" and say that you were thinking about getting a new computer anyway, but you will still have to get the new computer! 

The difference between a positive and a negative thinker, however, is that the negative thinker will consider all of the ways that the broken computer is going to cause problems in their life, while the positive thinker will consider all of the ways that life will be better now that this has happened.

Both people, however, will still need to get a new computer. One of them will just be happier about it than the other one. 

Positive thinking is not the only action to take - Looking on the bright side of any given situation is a powerful way to get through times that otherwise might bring you down. However, having a positive attitude is not the sole answer to any given problem.

Using the previous example of the laptop that went for a tumble on the sidewalk, the option is there to have a negative or a positive response to that incident. Yet, even if you manage to conjure up a list of reasons why your laptop being smashed on the sidewalk is a good thing, you cannot lose sight of the fact that you need to zip up your laptop case in the future.

Having a positive attitude may make that situation better, but if you fail to take action on the lesson that you learned, then you may find it difficult to see the silver lining after another laptop or two comes tumbling out of your bag and smashes on the sidewalk! 

Positive thinking can blind you - Perhaps the biggest problem with positive thinking is that running around with a big ol' smile on your face like life is nothing but a big vacation is simply not realistic, and having that attitude can blind you to circumstances that are not so positive.

I'm not saying that you should go through life with an expectation that something bad is about to happen, but you should go through life aware of the details of any given set of circumstances.  

Whether you are talking about something as mundane as a work-place full of people who are just looking out for themselves, or if you are talking about something more physically dangerous, such as walking through a bad part of town at night, there are things that a positive attitude will not protect you from.

If something does happen to you that you perceive to be negative, then yes, your positive attitude will help you to recover from it quickly, to learn from it, and to go on with a better life afterwards. However, there are plenty of people and circumstances in the world that are not positive, so do not let your own chipper demeanor keep you from seeing those people or situations for what they really are. 

Positive thinking can damage relationships if used improperly - No matter how much any given person wants to have a great attitude about life, there will always be people who won't - at any given moment - be prepared to hear that "every cloud has a silver lining". 

When negative things happen to some people, they need to let off some steam or do some healing before they are ready to start looking for the positive lesson in whatever negative thing just happened.

As the consummate positive thinker yourself, you already have a well-stocked bag of  tricks for dealing with the negative situations that life throws at you. However, not everyone wants the "mojo" that you keep in your goodie bag, and by trying to force it on them before they are ready, you could permanently damage that relationship.

If you are the type of positive thinker who has zero time for negativity, and you don't want to hear people whining or complaining about their lives, then that is your choice.

However, don't be surprised when some people turn away from you and start seeking solace and comfort with someone else who is more willing to give them their time to grieve, mourn, or even just throw a much needed temper-tantrum.

Personally, I fall more into the "don't bring your negativity into my presence" crowd. However, at the same time, I recognize that not everyone sees life as brightly and positively as I do, so I keep a reasonable amount of patience saved up for rough times.

If someone comes to me with a negative circumstance in their life, I have a shoulder for them to cry on, and some good words of encouragement. However, if - after a reasonable amount of time - they are not willing to find the silver lining and move on with their lives, then I have to let them find their answers elsewhere.

Is that a positive attitude on my part? That probably depends on who you ask! However, no matter who you ask, it is a growth attitude on my part, where I encourage people to grow, rather than stagnate in a pool of negativity based on the curve balls that life throws at them. 

So, does all of this mean that I am giving up on the "power of the positive"? Hardly! However, no matter what aspect of life you are talking about, it is wise to understand how and why it all works so that educated and appropriate decisions can be made.

I hope that this information has helped you be prepared to do exactly that!

This post was inspired by the very positive efforts of Kirsten Harrell, whose Positive Thinking Day project is one very much worth checking out! Click on through to Kirsten's website at ipopin.com to see how you can participate and take part in a new ebook that she is publishing. The book will be given away as a bonus to people who make a donation to the very worthwhile Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Awesome stuff!

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This is Volume 20 of the Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love series.

This series will be published weekly and will be comprised of links to quality blog posts that have proven to be extraordinary in their ability to assist, inform, or empower the reader. Enjoy!