Today, more than ever before, we are empowered to choose. And understanding that we have that power and seeing the world from this perspective is a key element in developing a positive mindset. You see, when it comes to positivity, perspective is key. As the saying goes you can either see the glass as half empty or half full, it is the same glass but the significance is in what it represents to each individual. Having the right mindset is crucial to success. It’s a proven fact that a positive outlook will influence your decision-making as well as the way other people perceive you. When you look in the mirror, do you beat yourself down? Are you often extremely critical of yourself even though you work hard? Many people are. In fact, more than 90 percent of girls below 17 years old want to change at least one part of their physical appearance, and only 4 percent of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. Most people believe that you’re either born a positive person or you’re not and this simply isn’t true. We now know that while perspective is influenced by a myriad of things, we have the power to change it. The first step is awareness, and the second step is choosing to act! So if you are ready to cultivate a positive mindset read on for some actions you can take today to help you nurture this impactful trait. 1. Become aware of your perspective and reactions. It’s easy to step in front of a mirror and pick yourself apart, it is easy to get frustrated when others make mistakes. But simply paying attention to how you react to things and noticing whether you are looking at things in a negative way or not is a powerful act. Once you are aware of your thoughts and perspective, take a moment to think about how you can flip the switch to turn it into a positive thing. This takes practice and you may find it challenging at first, but tuning into your thoughts and consciously influencing them will impact so many aspects of your life. 2. Give yourself (and others) room for error. You aren’t perfect, and nor should you be! Mistakes in life are inevitable and should be anticipated. The choice you face is whether you choose to see that mistake as a failure or see it as a learning opportunity. Yes, you might skip a day of training because you had an extra drink or two last night. No big deal! Simply learn from your mistakes and come up with some strategies to help you avoid it happening again. This turns a mishap into a chance to make yourself stronger and more resilient! 3. Try new things and don’t shy away from hard work To get results you’ve never seen, you must do things you’ve never done. As Einstein said; doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results is the definition of insanity. For example following the diet and training regimen over and over again will yield the same results. If it didn’t work for you six months ago, it will probably not work a month from now. Learn, adapt, and implement. 4. Practice Gratitude When we consciously choose to point out the positives in our lives we are more likely to notice them. Creating a daily gratitude practice is one of the simplest ways to make us realize how fortunate we really are. You can do this by simply writing down 3 things you are grateful for at the start or end of each day. This is a simple yet powerful and positive activity we can all do that will cultivate a positive perspective. 5. Seek out sources of encouragement and inspiration You are a product of the 5 people you spend the most time with, so take a look around you and assess whether you want to take on the traits you see. If not, find like-minded or inspirational people that you can surround yourself with so you can all grow and move forward together. Ensure those people that influence you are leading you in a direction you want to go. 6. Love yourself no matter where you are on your journey If you don’t already love and appreciate yourself at your ‘worst,’ you won’t suddenly start loving yourself once you’re leaner or skinnier, smarter, have more followers or earn more money. Accept yourself through the different phases of your journey and consciously look for the positives within. This will help you to fall in love with yourself every step of the journey, meaning happiness will be an everyday phenomenon, not a far distant promise.