What is an Attitude Shifter?
What is an attitude shifter? An attitude shifter is something you can think about or focus on that will make you feel good.
Shifters can come in any number of forms. A picture of a person, place or thing that makes you feel happy. A song or movie dialogue or comedy routine that puts you in a good mood. A scent, the smell of something that brings your mind to positive thoughts. Pretty much anything that stimulates your senses in a manner that makes you feel good can serve as an attitude shifter.
Because shifters can take on so many forms and can come from a vast landscape of lifetime experiences, it is a good idea to choose specific shifters. It is also a good idea to have certain shifters that can be used in particular circumstances, as some may be more readily reached than others.
Attitude shifters are more often than not memory. They are the recollection of a thing, whatever sense it stimulates, that is most useful in changing your mood. Because you are working on a memory, you do not need to have a physical object in order to use the shifter. This can be very useful when you are somewhere you cannot physically change, but mentally take a new approach – meetings, waiting in line, horrid traffic, etc.
How do you know if something is an attitude shifter for you?
When you think about that image; scent; touch; or taste; sound; or emotion; does it put a smile on your face? Does it make your heart happy? Does it make you feel good? If the answer is yes, then you have found a shifter.
Using attitude shifters takes practice. It is not hard work, it is conscious work. All too often we get caught up in the goings-on around us, and let the neutrality or negativity overwhelm us.
Two steps for employing attitude shifters
- Ask yourself this question – How do I feel? You might be amazed how seldom you actually pause to ask that. If you are feeling good or feeling positive, you don’t need an attitude shifter. In fact, the experience may create a new shifter for future use. When you find that you are feeling nothing or you are feeling negative, go to:
- Choose an attitude shifter. Sometimes this takes more work than others, depending on whether the situation you are in is passive or active. Remember that child’s laugh; think about that song that makes you want to dance; remember holding your lover’s hand – or whatever shifter you can use to change your attitude. If one is not working – choose another.
The great thing about attitude shifters is that they are many, varied, and constantly being renewed. It is not so difficult to take a moment in your mind to bring forth that memory in order to change how you are feeling.
Finding positivity is not hard, but it does require action.
Knowing that you can employ tools to shift you attitude, you can change your feelings. When we change how we are feeling, and working on feeling good, we empower ourselves. When we feel empowered, we often spread that feeling to others around us, and as such can build more positive feelings in the collective consciousness. We can use the positive feelings this generates to dissolve negative feelings. When we take away negative feelings, we open up space to let in positive feelings, and that is something we can be grateful for. Gratitude leads to happiness. Happiness is the ultimate positive attitude. Positive attitude begets positive energy, and that is always a good thing.
This is the one hundred seventy-ninth entry of my Positivity series. It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone. Feel free to share, re-blog and spread the positivity.
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