January marks the start of the fiscal year in many businesses. Their coffers are filled and plans are put in place for a New Year. Do people prepare for the New Year in a similar manner? It is a New Year and many of us are trying to build a stronger personal and professional foundation to help carry us through the next twelve months. We wear our new clothes, new shoes, watches, perfume and jewelry to help lift our spirits and start our year with a better more cheerful attitude. These props help lift our attitude for a little while and are often necessary to help jump start the power of our mind. The power of our mind is a subject that is acknowledged by many of the greatest thinkers in history. In fact, a good mental attitude is the cornerstone of any foundation for a better you.

Returning to work after the holidays may bring some regrets of the time away being too short, but many people are happy to be back with friends and doing work they find fulfilling and fun. Yes, fun! Yet, when the holiday decorations are taken down, the holiday smiles and cheers are packed away with the lights and decorations for another year. People put back on the clothes, expressions and attitudes of fall. Attitudes are no longer bright and cheerful. Smiles are no longer free.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Emerson wrote, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” Philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius used eight words to sum up life when he said, “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Epictetus the philosopher issued the warning that we must be more concerned about removing our wrong thoughts from our minds than the tumors from our bodies. In addition, philanthropist and teacher Dale Carnegie said, “by far the most vital lesson I have ever learned is the importance of what we think. Our thoughts make us what we are.”

What is the message of these examples? They are examples of the power of the mind, of the impact our attitudes exhibit towards our lives. The message is if we are unhappy with the way our life is going, or our job is going or relationship is going, we need to change our attitude about it before we try changing the job, or the relationship. Our life will change when we make up our minds to change and put our plans into action. When we take on the characteristics of whom and what we want to be, instead of dwelling on things beyond our control or holding in resentment, our minds form new habits, new attitudes, new directions.

January marks the start of the fiscal year in many businesses, their coffers are filled, and plans are put in place for the New Year. Do people prepare for the New Year in a similar manner? Does it matter if we start in January, May, or September to prepare and take stock? No, when we start is not important, unless we feel that now is as good a time as ever. Now would be a great time to revive that holiday spirit in your attitude. It does not have to be a seasonal thing, like the flu, or allergies. Perhaps we have a larger say in our attitudes and in how our days pass than we are aware. Norman Vincent Peale said, “You are not what you think you are: but what you think!” Rule 1 in developing a mental attitude that will bring us peace and happiness is to think and act cheerfully, and we will feel cheerful.

William James, renowned for his “practical psychology” made the observation that feeling and action went together and that by regulating the action, which is more under our control than the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling. In other words, he says we cannot instantly change our emotions just by “making up our minds to do it” but we can change our actions, which will change our thinking. All we would have to do is start smiling more, laughing more, being more helpful, and being more aware of others.

Why would you want to change your attitude? Consider the power we have to change the atmosphere in our homes and workplaces through our positive and healthy actions. These actions could start a snowball effect with more people smiling at other people, more cheerful attitudes, and people going beyond to be more helpful.

Whatever you choose, make that choice for yourself now. Smile!