Steps to a SuCCeSS caRREEr

Positive thinkingHow Does Positive Thinking Impact Your Stress Level?

From Elizabeth Scott, M.S"I've heard that positive thinking can reduce stress levels. Why, and how, does this happen? And how can I change my thought patterns to be more positive?"Research shows the benefits of optimism and a positive frame of mind are huge: optimists enjoy better health, stronger relationships, are more productive, and experience less stress, among other things. This is because optimists tend to take more risks, and blame external circumstances if they fail, maintaining a 'try again' mindset; this makes them more likely to succeed in the future, and less upset by failure in general. Pessimists, on the other hand, tend to blame themselves when things go wrong, becoming more reluctant to try again with each negative experience in life. They begin to look at positive events in their lives as 'flukes' that have nothing to do with them, and expect the worst. In this way, optimists and pessimists both create self-fulfilling prophecies.

Self Confidence what is self confidence?And just how can we get some when we've run out or just aren't feeling up to par?

It can be as (if not more) important to look at how your self confidence can be undermined or lost as opposed to trying to work out how to get it. When people are wrong-footed or tripped up that's the time when they'll feel de-skilled, demoralised and unconfident. It only takes one episode where someone is humiliated, embarrassed, caught 'napping', not quite sure what to do next, and any self confidence they had goes right out the window (and then is really hard to get back). It's the difficult or tricky situations that erode self confidence, and though it might be a lovely fantasy to imagine going through life avoiding such situations, it's simply not possible. They're out there lurking, waiting to trip you up anyway. Once you identify the kinds of issues and scenarios that undermine your self confidence, and as importantly, identify the things you can do to change those situations. Then you are truly on the way to developing a stronger, more solid self confidence.
Practising self confidence
A good place to start is with those things you know you have some ability to deal with. What you are looking to do is get a series of small 'wins', events where you feel you've tried something out and made it work for you. For example, returning something to a shop. Find a shop with a guaranteed returns policy, then buy something you are not sure you want. Next day return armed with your receipt and return the item. This may sound small and contrived, but it is the way to practice self confidently doing what you've decided you want to do in this world. As you go on practising, you will get more wins, and more wins means a feeling of success which automatically creates a gain in self confidence. Gaining and developing self confidence underlies all our work.

Etiquitte

Etiquette, one aspect of decorum, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior, according to the contemporary conventional norm within a society, social class, or group. Usually unwritten, it may be codified in written form. Etiquette usually reflects formulas of conduct in which society