"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ President Abraham Lincoln

It may be hard to believe sometimes, but we all have the power to create positive thoughts, and to even "think" ourselves happy.

With the economy and the stock market in a tailspin right now, it's more important than ever to keep our focus on positive thoughts. Unfortunately, our media focuses on the negative news - and buries the good - which makes it very difficult to think positive.

But you have a choice... you can either complain about your situation and feel sorry for yourself, or you can change it. You can be negative about an event or you can be enthusiastic.

Here's an example to demonstrate how powerful positive thinking can be...

Tim applied for a new job, but he had low self-esteem and considered himself a failure and unworthy of success. He had a negative attitude towards himself and was sure that he was not going to get the job.

His mind was filled with negative thoughts and fears concerning the job for the whole week before the job interview. Everything went wrong and his negative attitude showed through in the interview. Consequently, he did not get the job.

Steve applied for the same job, but approached the interview with a completely different attitude. He was sure that he was going to get the job. During the week preceding the interview he often visualized himself making a good impression and getting the job.

On day of the interview he woke up earlier than usual, and had ample time to arrive at the interview before the scheduled time. This allowed Steve to be confident and relaxed during the interview. Not surprisingly, Steve got the job.

Was Steve more qualified for the job than Tim? No... But Steve's positive attitude prepared him for and allowed him to be confident and to create a good impression in the interview.

So how can you think yourself happy? Positive thinking does take some work (it doesn't happen overnight... especially if you're used to entertaining negative thoughts all the time). Here are some exercises to help you create positive thinking a habit:

• Seek out positive people to associate with. Associating with negative people can bring you down, so you may need to change who you spend time with, or ask them to think more positively with you.
• Expose yourself to all the wonderful books, music and movies available. A great tip I learned is to put on my favorite music when I'm in a bad mood. There's nothing like your favorite song to help cheer you up!
• Use affirmations. Write down positive statements - either written by you or found in a book or program about positive thinking - and state these affirmations on a regular basis.
• Show kindness and respect towards others. You will be amazed at how a small act of kindness (given or received) can really brighten your mood.
• Use visualization methods to view the positive aspects of life. There are many ways to do this - you can use vision boards, a notebook, a website, or even create a mind movie.
• Exercise! Studies show that exercising reduces chemicals that help your mood, so whenever you're feeling down, go for a walk, a bike ride, or just do some jumping jacks. It really helps!
• Become your own best friend. Sounds kind of silly, but you can't think positive if you're constantly talking bad to yourself. One of the best ways to "think yourself happy" is to learn how to like yourself.

Happiness is not a genetic trait we are born with. In fact, it's something we have to really work for. It's difficult to think happy thoughts when we're constantly reacting to whatever is going on around us.

It is up to us to start making a habit of thinking positively, maintain that habit, share it, and build our lives around it. Think happy, and you will be happy.

One last thought... All the positive books, audios and videos in the world won't help if you don't take action! Get started "thinking yourself happy" with 18 self help workbooks and email programs to support you towards a lifetime of positive thinking.