Positive Focus

1. Positive Focus Impact of Negative & Positive

2. Having a Positive Focus • Objective: • Students will gain through an experience how negative statements dissipate energy and how positive statements empower. • Today students will learn how focusing on the positive increases energy.

3. Main Activity • Take two minutes and write down all the positive things about yourself. • Now take two minutes and write down all the negative things about yourself. • Which group is larger?

4. Negative Input • The most devastating negative input comes from ourselves. Often we tend to focus on what is wrong with us. People give themselves negative input in two ways. • They think it • They say it. What are some examples of how people give themselves negative input?

5. Negative Input • Another source of negative input is other people. Lots of times people point out to us that we’re doing something wrong or incorrectly. • What are some examples of getting negative input from others?

6. Positive Input • How do we give ourselves positive input? • thinking “I can” • thinking about things I have done well • What are some examples of getting positive input from others? • give you a compliment • point out what you did correctly

7. Positive Input Let’s look at the effect that positive thoughts and feelings have. Whether they come from yourself or others, positive thoughts allow you to focus or concentrate your energy on a specific task. They help you draw your energy together. Then you have more energy to devote to your growth. They put you in a strong, POWERFUL position. I am going to demonstrate the effect of the negative and positive on energy.

8. Positive Focus Exercise • Need strong student volunteer • Explanation and demonstration. • What do negative thoughts do to your energy level? • What do positive thoughts do to your energy level?

9. You make a choice between being powerful or powerless in your life just by choosing to think positive or negative thoughts. No matter who or what your negative thoughts are about, the person those thoughts effect is you, they drain your energy. When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about others, remember you are actually doing yourself harm by dissipating your energy and putting yourself in a weak, powerless position Positive Focus

10. Positive Focus • Positive focus is a major step in claiming self-esteem. • Put a star on your list of the positive qualities you possess that employers look for. • Remember these qualities for interviews when an employer asks about your strengths or things you can contribute to a business. • More, now then ever, your interviews must leave an employer believing that you, above all other interviewees, possess qualities that will best support their business.

11. Positive Focus • Now write each of your positive list in a complete sentence including the word “I”. • Examples: • An admirable quality I have is that I am a good friend to others. • An admirable quality I have is that I am keeping my grades up in Science. • I am proud of studying hard for the history test. • I am proud for staying in school • I respect my ability to keep my word. • One of my commendable attributes is that I am helpful to others. • One of my commendable attributes is that I work well at my job. • I am pleased that I am controlling my temper better. • One of my praiseworthy characteristics is that I care about others.

12. Make The Best of Each Day Outside my window a new day I see and only I can determine, what kind of day it will be it can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay or boring and cold, unhappy and gray My own state of mind is the determining key for I am the only person I let myself be I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help or be selfish and think just of myself I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun or gripe and complain and make it hard on someone I can be patient with those who may not understand or belittle and hurt them so much as I can But I have faith in myself and believe what I say and personally intend to make the best of each day.