Examine Your Motives First: How to Develop a Positive Attitude

“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” ― Dale Carnegie

I love choosing questions from Quora to answer. I chose this question about how to develop a positive attitude towards reading, but you can apply this principle to just about any thing we do, so feel free to check out my answer below.

How can I develop a positive attitude towards reading?-Quora

I did not invest in reading books until I reached my forties. I never had a real desire to pick up a book until I was going through a difficult period in my life.  I wanted answers and so I turned to books for answers, answers that my friends could not help me with.  

I think when you take time out to examine why you do anything is the key to determining how you feel about doing it in the first place. So many times, we just jump in and start doing things without examining the “why” behind it.  

• Are you doing it because it is popular?
• Are you doing it to fit in?
• Are you doing it because someone else told you that you should?
• Are you doing it because you want to learn something, and you feel drawn to do it?

The intention behind the activity will help you either stay motivated to continue or eventually cause you to fizzle out.

Here are some suggestions I would like to offer:

1. Before diving into anything, take a moment to think about why you are about do it in the first place.  Be honest with yourself and if you need to, write it out. What do you hope to gain?
2. If it is something you must put money into it, place a cushion between the thought and the action. That helps to reduce impulsive actions. 
3. Regarding reading, you can look for free resources before committing to any kind of subscription or purchasing books that you might not even want to read after you buy them.  This reduces the emotional energy and guilt that comes with buyer’s remorse. 
4. Connect with other readers and create or join a book club. It’s always more fun when others get involved.  
5. Don’t feel like you must stick with one genre.  Lessons can be found anywhere when you are looking for them.

Whether you are looking to create a reading habit, workout regiment, or jump into a new career, take a moment to examine your intentions behind the action.  By taking a moment to understand the driving force behind our desires, we are also preparing ourselves for the obstacles and the resistance that will inevitably come with that change. 

In all that you do, the key to achieving your desired goal is your mental attitude towards obtaining that goal. With a positive mental attitude, you will become unstoppable!

I also would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup

Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/attitude

To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides