Often, we find ourselves down and in the dumps over our jobs, our families, our friends, or just our lives in general. What most people don’t realize is that positive thinking is an extremely powerful tool for personal growth. Here are 8 tips that I hope can help you harness positive thinking and help you in your journey of personal growth.

1. Identify your negative thoughts and stop them right there. Learn to recognize the signs of negativity and put them on hold before they root and take shape.

2. Mindsets are is contagious. Surround yourself with positive people, and keep negative influences to a minimum. You'll find that positivity is infections.

3. Just do it. Nothing is impossible. Combine the tag lines of two of the greatest sports brands out there and believe it. If someone tells you that something is impossible, prove them wrong. Inspire others with your success.

4. Keep yourself physically looking great. Eat right. Live right. Work out. When you see yourself looking spectacular in the mirror, it’s much easier to feel good on the inside.

5. Remove physical clutter. Take a weekend to clean your home, an hour to clear your work desk, or even your computer desktop. Then surround yourself with things that you love and make you feel good.

6. Express gratitude. Whenever you think your life sucks, remember that there is always someone whose life is even more awful than yours. Take 15 minutes out of your day to count all your blessings instead of ranting about your "misfortunes".

7. Give back. When you realize how awesome your life actually is and how we're all blessed in so many ways, spread that awesomeness and blessings. Don’t just write a cheque every month — be involved. Not only is it incredibly sobering to realize that there are people with graver problems than yours, people who give back experience an otherwise unattainable emotional joy and fulfillment.

8. Take time off. Often, its the daily pressures that get us down. So take some time off with your loved ones, or take a personal reflective trip one weekend to meditate on your life. Don't worry about the costs of going out of town, you don't have to,. Book yourself a hotel within the city, go on a camping trip in the nearby forest, treat yourself to a day spa. There are many de-stressing locations within reach - all you need to do is get out of the daily monotony you’re in.

Now that you’re thinking positively, you’ve just excited your journey of personal growth even more than usual! All this positive energy will positively contribute to your personal development and help you realize how awesome your life really is.