7 BENEFITS OF HAVING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE   The benefits of having a positive attitude are immense. Not only are you much more likely to be successful in life, but there are numerous other advantages to looking "on the bright side". Here are 7 of the best! 1) Perhaps the most important benefit is better health. By thinking positively, you will tend to look after yourself more, with the result that you will be healthier. Being happy and having the ability to laugh certainly makes you feel better! 2) Positive thinkers have less stress in their lives and have much more control over how they react to events. If something bad happens, optimists will review the situation. They will then assess what the actual problem is and try to resolve it. It is much better to take control and sort out the problem. These are major contributions to reducing stress in your life. 3) It is probably fair to say that those with a positive attitude will have more friends and a better social life. People with a negative attitude are best avoided whenever possible! 4) Positive people will be more confident. They look forward to meeting others and accepting daily challenges. 5) They will also have a greater belief in their own abilities. Challenges and opportunities will be regarded as possible rather than impossible. 6) Positive thinkers enjoy life more. Getting up in the morning with a positive attitude will ensure that you are able to face the day ahead with energy and enthusiasm. 7) Optimists look forward to the future. As positive people enjoy life more, they look forward to meeting the opportunities and experiences that life presents. They appreciate that every day will help them to increase their knowledge and experience. Positive thinkers plan ahead to help themselves get nearer to reaching their full potential! Do your utmost to be a positive person and to surround yourself with positive people and experiences. Enjoy the benefits of having a positive attitude!   Get Past Your Excuses and Start Exercising There are countless benefits to exercise, including disease prevention and weight loss, but for every benefit, there’s an… There are countless benefits to exercise, including disease prevention and weight loss, but for every benefit, there’s an excuse not to work out. Here are the top four excuses people make, and how to get past them, courtesy of Oprah.com: #1: “I don’t like exercise.” We don’t like brushing our teeth either, but we do it to avoid the dentist’s drill. Exercise is the same. You should do it because you need to stay healthy. So, find a way to make your workouts less of a chore – say, by walking with a friend – or your kids. Or hiking with your dog. Or try something fun, like a dance class. The next excuse: “I don’t know what kind of exercise to do.” Well, to get results, you need to do a combination of cardio, strength training, and functional fitness. Functional fitness focuses on building a body that’s capable of doing real-life activities. Like if you lifted a 60-pound suitcase, would you throw your back out? If so, you're not paying enough attention to your functional fitness. You might be toned, but are you ready to lift your toddler out of his car seat? That’s different than lifting a certain amount of weight using a gym machine. To find functional fitness exercises, just google it. Web MD has some functional fitness exercises too. Another excuse people use to avoid exercise: “I’m injured.” Experts recommend you return to activity gradually, but as early as possible. Movement helps you maintain flexibility and range of motion and increases blood flow to the injured area, and that helps speed recovery. Exercise also strengthens the surrounding muscles, taking pressure off the injury. The next anti-exercise excuse: “I have a medical condition.” It’s true that arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, a neurological problem, or obesity can limit your exercise options, bu