Positive thinking: Practice this stress management skill

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Overcome negative self-talk by recognizing it and practicing with some examples provided.

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic.

In fact, some studies show that these personality traits — optimism and pessimism — can affect how well you live and even how long you live.

With this in mind, take a refresher course in positive thinking. Learn how to put positive thinking into action. Positive thinking is a key part of an effective stress management strategy.

Africans Living Better Lives Through U.S. Development Foundation

Washington — Women, youth and the disabled in 18 African nations are living better lives and realizing their dreams of economic self-sufficiency, while also strengthening their countries’ economies, with the help of the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF).

USADF President Lloyd Pierson told America.gov recently that the ideas for the foundation’s small and medium-size enterprise development projects come directly from the Africans themselves.

“We don’t go in and say, ‘Here is what you should be doing.’ We want those ideas to come from the local community — for Africans to say, ‘Here is what we want to do.’ Suggestions,” he said, “could come from an entrepreneur within that community” or from a group. It is grassroots, rural-focused development at the community level, he said.

USADF has local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working as business development officers to help it carry out its development programs, Pierson noted.

“They search out for opportunities and are constantly seeking ways to build up from the grassroots level to spur economic growth and development,” he explained.