If you had your life to live over, would you live it differently? We can’t go back and change what’s past, but we can certainly change our future. How we think determines that.

I come from a family of naysayers. I learned early in life, if I asked to do something, just a little bit out of the box, “no” would be my mother’s first response. However, I also learned from an early age, that “no” did not have to end there. For me, it was the starting point of a negotiation that could eventually lead to a ‘yes’.

There is a difference between saying ‘No’ and being negative. The word ‘no’ sets boundaries, shows commitment and priorities. Negativity is an attitude, a dim view on the world. It closes you down and can make you unhappy.

If you don’t make changes, nothing will change. So, here are 6 Empowering Life Tips For Instant Change.

1) Say ‘YES’: If you are one of those people whose first response is ‘no’, catch yourself and change that. When someone says, ‘would you like’, your answer should be ‘yes’. If you’re asked to a movie, or give a presentation to a group, it doesn’t matter what it is, don’t give yourself excuses take the risk and say ‘yes’.

2) Face Problems: If you have a problem, don’t avoid it, pretend it doesn’t exist or pray that it will go away. This behavior leads to feelings of being powerless and out of control. The more you avoid or procrastinate the more anxiety you build, so face any issue. Get help if you need it, have a back-up plan, discuss a solution, and act on it. You’ll feel so empowered when you do.

3) Passion: Never give up on your dreams. If you’ve always loved writing, start writing create a blog, take a course. The same for anything you’d like to pursue. Don’t give yourself excuses: ‘you’re too old’ or ‘no time’. There’s no such thing as being too old, and you can always make time for what you want to do. Do what it takes to make yourself happy and to have a purpose.

4) Competition: Stop competing. There will always be richer, prettier or smarter. Don’t make life a race or a competition. Don’t judge yourself or others. Regardless of what you have or don’t have, just be grateful and you have it all.

5) Laugh: When times get tough, humor can change the perspective. Hang out with friends who make you laugh and help you take life less seriously. Laughter always lightens the load.

6) Self-care: It’s not selfish to take care of yourself it’s a necessity. When you nurture yourself you feel better, and how you feel reflects on everything else you do. So eat well. Exercise. Listen to music, take a hot bath, meditate and get plenty of rest. Treat yourself with the same love and kindness that you treat others. The better you feel, the more you’ll be able to take on the challenges set before you.

You can’t live your life over, but you CAN live it differently. So take the risk, make a change and embrace it! Take every new opportunity to open yourself up and say ‘yes’ to change.

What’s on your wish-list that you’d like to change?