I had interesting feedback from last week’s post about six key components to bring awareness to our lives. With some of the questions and responses, I wanted to go a little more in-depth to each of the six ideas I shared last week. The six awarenesses were:

Be aware of your thoughts and words.
Be aware of adversity and its purpose. 
Be aware of what is in your control and what is not. 
Be aware of your emotional response.
Be aware that our mind gravitates toward the negatives.
Be aware of the practice needed to achieve what you want.

Be aware of your thoughts and words. Last week, this is what I shared: Our thoughts and words are going to dictate what we can become. Accomplishing what we want starts with the belief that we can achieve great things. Belief ultimately comes from our thoughts and words. We have to be aware of our thoughts and words daily, and make sure they truly align with what we believe.

Belief in our ability to accomplish challenging tasks, overcome difficult times, or keep a positive outlook in adversity is paramount to our success. Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, explains, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

So to begin, we need to examine the origins of our attitude. Often our attitude has to do with the story we tell ourselves. It is dependent on the thoughts in our heads and the words that come out of our mouths. If those thoughts and words tend to lean toward the negative — guess what?  Our attitudes will probably lean toward the negative. If we find ways to bring our thoughts and words back to the positive, even in difficult situations, guess what will happen? Our attitudes will align with our thoughts and words.

Having awareness of our thoughts and words impacts our attitude. This awareness cannot be a thing to which we sometimes pay attention. We have to be aware of our thoughts and words regularly. This awareness will allow us to bring ourselves back to the positive when we tend to drift away.

An awareness of your thoughts and words is the first step in creating a positive, productive life. Pay attention to your thoughts and words this week. Be intentional about it. If you find yourself drifting towards the negative, change your thoughts, change your words, and watch its impact on your mood and productiveness.