In the early twentieth century, one of London's most prominent physicians, Dr. Bruce Porter, was treating a young teen suffering from a life-threatening illness. Her one comfort was reading a serialized newspaper story in which the heroine struggled with the same illness. Dr. Porter noticed that if the heroine was doing well on a specific day, so did his patient. However, as the story progressed and the heroine became sicker, so did his young patient.

Realizing that his patient's fate was linked closely to the fate of the fictional heroine, Dr. Porter was concerned how the story would end. He tracked down the author and arranged to speak with him. The author informed Dr. Porter that he had already written the final newspaper installment and that the heroine was to die. Explaining the condition of his young patient and her identification with the heroine, Dr. Porter said: "I am sure if she reads the final installment in its present form, she too will die. Would you change it and give her a chance of recovery?" The author rewrote a happy ending, and Dr. Porter's young patient gained hope, recovering from her illness.

That story reveals the power of attitude, which is something noted in the Bible: "Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is a slow death to be gloomy all the time" (Proverbs 17:22, GNT). While everyone would agree that a positive attitude is ideal, it's often hard to remain positive, especially when we experience failure, disappointment, setback, and daily frustrations. Rather than becoming stuck in negativity and gloom, we can intentionally choose to have a positive attitude. Here are seven ways — spread over seven days — for developing a more positive attitude.