Having the right attitude can literally change your life! Finding joy in life is a choice you have to make every day. Finding joy in life is sometimes not easy. There are many real and significant problems in this world. There are also countless inconveniences and annoyances that we can equate with real problems unless we choose to view them in their proper prospective.

Many times, it is the people who have life’s most tragic circumstances who are the most joyful. One of the ways we can make the decision to choose joy in life is to take control of our speech. Words are powerful; not only the written word, but also the spoken word. Most of us are aware of the power our words have on others. Words directed at others can tear down or lift up. They can change previously “made-up” minds. They can encourage the discouraged. They can inspire those who previously had no inspiration.

However, we usually do not realize that our words exert that same power over us. When we make a statement, such as, “I am just having a terrible day”, we re-enforce that concept in our own mind. It then can become a self full-filling prophecy. If we say to ourselves, “I’m not like Joe; I just can’t write that well”, you can be sure of one fact. You will never write as well as Joe. Your statement will influence your actions and you will not put forth your best effort. You could, however, use your words to encourage yourself with statements such as, “Joe is a great writer.

I believe if I put my mind to it, I can also write that well”. By the simple act of using your words to encourage yourself, you will have given yourself a chance to put forth your best effort and equal or perhaps surpass the writing ability you see in others. I am not a Pollyanna. I know we all daily cope with circumstances that make life difficult, at best. I would like to say that I always put into practice the principles in this article. I would like to say that, but, of course, I cannot say that. But I do believe that words have great influence and that the first person who should reap the benefit of your words should be you.

When you are influenced positively by your own words, then you are much more effective in using your words to influence others. Quite often, those words are ones that we speak out loud during the day. Try listening to your spoken word to identify ways you could change your attitude and improve your life. Besides our spoken words, there are also words we just speak to ourselves.

It is our internal dialogue and it affects our whole interaction with the world around us. What you believe about yourself determines how you will operate in the world. Even if you are not aware that you carry on an internal dialogue with yourself, it is still there. If you tell yourself, “I am not a person who is late to work”, you will fulfill that statement and except for the rare emergency, you will not be late for work.

If you tell yourself, “I am an honest person; I do not steal what belongs to someone else”, you will find ways to be honest in all of your dealings in the world. This internal dialogue will work in every area of your life. You will live out what you believe to be true about yourself; you will be influenced by your spoken and unspoken word. There is an old folk story (author unknown) that goes like this.

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods. Two of them fell into a deep pit. The others gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them, “Stop! You are as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying. He gave up, fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him, “Stop the pain; just die. But he jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” They had to ask him several times. Then the almost deaf survivor explained that he had told himself life was possible because the others were cheering him on with such encouraging words.

Speak only words of life and encouragement to yourself and ignore all other words. Your words will change your attitude and your new attitude can literally change your life.