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Thoughts Are Learned The thoughts that circulate in your head have a profound affect on your health and well being. Scientists have evaluated test subjects to determine if thought patterns have any affect on our general health and well being. The results of their research show people with the most positive thought profiles have the best health and longevity. People who take life in stride and have confidence that they can change their lives for the better live longer. But just how do these more positive people get that way?   The Chicken or the Egg When first presented with the idea that thoughts affect your health, you probably said, "well of course my thoughts would be better if I felt better.' But scientists have determined that it's the thoughts that actually change the chemistry of our brains and bodies. Thoughts are learned habits. If you change a thought pattern from negative to positive, measurable changes occur in the amount of serotonin in the brain and levels of cortisol in the body. The more serotonin, the better you feel. The less cortisol, the healthier your body stays. So to feel better, you literally retrain your mind to view the world differently producing a healthier, more positive thought pattern.   3 Steps to More Positive Thought Patterns   1) Adopt a Hopeful Outlook Without hope or a determination your future can be better than your present, positive thoughts are next to impossible. You may find yourself caught up in thinking about all the problems in your life or all the things that have happened to make your life so challenged. These thoughts do not solve the problems nor are they beneficial to your physical health. Problems are solved by thinking about solutions, getting expert advice when needed and deciding to move forward and change your circumstances. Read the stories of people who have gone from nothing to something and overcome adversity when all hope was lost. How did these people do it?   2) What You Read and Watch is Important Even though few people realize this, what you read or watch on television has a significant impact on your mental health which in turn affects your physical well being. One of the best ways to improve thought patterns is to read empowering books and watch movies or television that makes you laugh and is uplifting. The mind is especially impressionable right before bed. Take some time to read a book that can inspire you to solve your problems. Read a few pages and then sit or lie quietly thinking what you read and how it applies to the problem you are trying to solve.   3) Believe in Yourself and a Better Day No matter what you call it, self-empowerment, positive self-esteem or personal power; feeling good about yourself is important to a healthy mind and body. Thoughts like "what a bad person I am or I'm just not as good as my friends" need to be critically analyzed and removed from your thinking process immediately.   To build personal power, first start by learning to respect and treat yourself kindly. Once you can respect yourself, changing what you do and say to others and treating them with respect will be easy. Personal  kindness helps you grow as a person. It is never enough to just treat others better. Trying to be kindly to others and neglecting yourself is a form of self-abuse. When you begin to start believing in your own good, treating yourself with genuine care and kindness will be easy.