Mix with positive people: People we associate with influence how we feel about ourselves and about life in general.

• Make a personal audit of the people you see regularly. What do you admire about them? What sides of your personality do they bring out? Do they encourage you? Do you learn from them?
• Eliminate negative people from your inner circle. Move away from anyone who does not positively influence you or who stresses faults rather than qualities.
• If you must be with negative people at work, be polite but don’t let them into your inner circle.
• Seek people who have positive, « can do » attitudes. Spend your time with these positive thinkers.

Even if your first reaction to “Just be happy” is “Bah, Hum Bug”, give yourself a chance. Multiple research shows that people who have a positive attitude and are optimistic live happier, healthier lives. Test these AgeEsteem techniques for finding happiness at every age.

Smile: Did you know that it’s impossible to be depressed when you smile and look up?

• If you’re feeling low, smile! Smiling actually makes you feel happier.
• Need help? Put a pencil horizontally across the front of your mouth. It forces the edges of your mouth up, making you feel better. Look at yourself in the mirror. Who knows? You may really smile!
• Look up! Do this when you are caught in traffic, too. Rather than stress out, look up. You will feel better – and there is a whole new world up there to discover.

“If you want to be happy, just be happy!”

This may sound simplistic, but let the strength of the message sink in. Yes! If you want to be happy, just be happy.

Your happiness depends on you. Think about it. No one can force you to be happy or to be sad. You control your emotions. Whether you’re a teen, a single parent, or a retiring professional, how you greet each new day or deal with unwelcome surprises is up to you. Do you see the glass half empty and feel sorry for yourself? Or do you choose to imagine the glass half full and learn from the situation and the challenges it presents?

Your happiness is up to you no matter what your age, income or physical condition. Decide to be happy!

Reach out. AgeEsteemers know the importance of meaningful contact with people of all generations.

• Build relationships with men and women of all ages. Join a chorus or book discussion group, speak regularly with different people at your health club, meet your neighbors…
• Commit yourself to one small action to help others: serve once a month at the soup kitchen, mentor an underprivileged youth. Use your special talents and interests.

None of these is difficult. Nor do they have to cost money. All they take is time, thought, and the commitment to begin building your own AgeEsteem for the soul one step at a time. Enjoy!

Life is too short to loose time complaining. It gets us nowhere. And usually our complaints act as scapegoats for another problem: lack of a personal image of confidence and age-esteem. It’s not too late to change this image.

Reinforce your confidence and age-esteem!

Focus on your qualities. Often it’s easier to see qualities in others than in ourselves. Recognize yours! You have many.

• List your talents, skills and qualities. Don’t be bashful. Pretend you’re writing a recommendation for this person who is you. Keep the list where it’s visible. Read it often and add to it.
• Keep a journal of praise. Write down the praise you receive. No matter how minor it may seem, when someone praises you write their words in your journal. Copy praise received electronically or via the post into your journal. Refer to it as a confidence booster.
• Flash yourself a smile when you pass a mirror and remind yourself of one of these qualities as though saying it to your best friend: “You organize great events!”…

Soon this will become second nature to you as you accentuate the positive and build your own AgeEsteem for the soul.

Abundance is a mental state. It’s not because we have less that we are poor. While visiting rural areas in several countries I’ve been struck by the generosity among those who have the least. They share their meager “abundance” with pride.

Express gratitude. Be thankful. Expressing gratitude for your blessings, however great or small, has a multiplying effect. The more we identify what we have to be thankful for the more abundance we attract.

• Before you go to sleep at night, identify three things you are thankful for: meeting someone new, talking to your grandchild, attending your first opera, having enough to food and water to see you through the day…
• On waking in the morning revel in the present of today. It is yours to unwrap and to live as you wish. That’s why it’s called the “present”. How will you make the most of it?
• Before beginning your day, remind yourself of three new blessings: feeling thankful for a bed to sleep in, hearing birds sing, friends, family, being alive… Make this a habit!

No matter what you are thankful for, the simple act of expressing gratitude is powerful. As we express gratitude, we discover how much more we have to be thankful for – and our abundance actually increases!

You control your life. Only you can decide how you will think and act in any situation. Even the decision to breath is yours!

Acknowledge it’s your choice.

• Remind yourself often « It’s my choice how I think and act. I am in control.» Repeat this to yourself when you step into a new situation, lack confidence or feel threatened.
• Flash back to positive experiences where you were confident and in control. Relive those experiences in the present. Focus on what you can repeat from each positive experience.
• Stretch yourself to try something new each day. Try wearing that new color. Speak to a stranger. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s a good sign. You are opening your blinders and stretching your boundaries.

With these three easy steps you will already move beyond your self-limiting thoughts. There is no limit.

Would you like to wear a particular color or style but think you’re too old or too young? Do you worry about wrinkles and question whether you should invest in surgery or injections? Are you concerned about losing your job and being too inexperienced or over qualified to find a new one in today’s market?

Whenever we self-limit ourselves due to age we put on blinders to the opportunities surrounding us, opportunities that wait for us to open our eyes to them.

Too often people think that when a door closes, it’s the end. They’re again wearing blinders to opportunities, and to their own potential. AgeEsteemers know that although doors may be closed, they are never locked. It’s up to us to push them open.

Begin to grow your own AgeEsteem for the soul now, at the age you are today

Cultivate a positive attitude. People with age-esteem are happy, optimistic and share a positive attitude. The glass is always half full.

• Catch people doing good. Make a game of finding the qualities in people around you. Once you focus on the positives you’ll find even more.
• Keep a positive talk diary. Become conscious of what you say to yourself in thoughts and words spoken out loud. Each time you catch yourself saying something negative like « I can never remember names », change it into a positive, « I can remember every name I set my mind to ». Repeat the positive statement out loud. Do this regularly so it becomes second nature.

As it becomes second nature for you to seek positives, you’ll be amazed at the positive impact it has on all aspects of your life. Your AgeEsteem life force will draw more positive people and events to you!

The closest synonym for the word soul as it relates to AgeEsteem is « life force »: impulse of life, vital spirit, life essence. AgeEsteem is what keeps that inner force alive. It’s a way of life.

Simply put, AgeEsteem is feeling good about yourself at the age you are today, every day. It’s opening your life force to opportunities to develop your potential at every age. AgeEsteem is tuning into your life force for a positive approach to living.

Begin to develop your AgeEsteem life force.