Fear...or trying something new

I am going to try something new today. I am only going to think happy thoughts, and whenever I start to think something negative or sarcastic, I am going to counter that with one that is positive or happy. I already know that while this is difficult, I can do it because I've done it before. I find myself with a lot of negative thoughts bouncing around in my head, which before you know it translates into negative action. It doesn't make for a happy day around my house.
Its difficult for me because I automatically go for the negative, and I am starting to see that trait rub off on the little man. He's starting to pick up on my bad habits. I don't want that to happen because he is normally just the happiest little kid, but he can become cynical and jaded very easily. It happened to my sister, but I don't want it happening to my son.
The powers of negative thinking go back to my own childhood. My family of origin are definately not the poster children for positivity. Based on the laws of attraction, there is a reason why there is so much "bad" going on. If you keep thinking negative or bad thoughts, you are going to attract bad or negative energies. The more negativity you put out there, the more you are going to get back. When you feel like your life is a country song, examine what you're thinking and doing...it might be causing the problems.
A few years ago I read the book the Secret, which to me seemed like a big advertisement for more new age mumbo jumbo, but there was a lot of discussion on the laws of attraction. Many years ago, when I took my yoga class (the one that in many ways changed my life) there was a discussion on the laws of attraction and meditation. Basically, when you meditate, you should think happy thoughts because you will then attract happiness. When you meditate on darkness and misery, that will come back to you. I know lately I have not been focusing on the good around me, and I know that its affecting everything else-the trickle down effect.
I am a reader-always have been, always will be. One book that I read many, many years ago that did change my life was Simple Abundance by Sarah ben Breathnach (http://www.simpleabundance.com/principles.htm). I read the book everyday after I do my morning prayers. Well, that's not entirely true...I try to read it everyday. I have noticed a correlation in my life between skipping the essential step of morning prayers (http://www.missionstclare.com/english/January/cal.html for a digital version)and my simple abundance journey with feeling out of sorts.
One of the hardest parts of the simple abundance journey is the gratitude journal. Basically, you take a few minutes in the morning or evening and list 10 things you are thankful for. Its a simple concept, but I have struggled with it for as long as I've been doing simple abundance. Its not that I am not thankful for the things in my life, its just putting them on paper (or online even). The other part, which comes from my childhood, is that I am so afraid that if things are going well in my life that something is going to go wrong. My grandmother was the master of that-it was reinforced daily, along with being told everytime something did go wrong that God was punishing me. Gee, you wonder why I struggle with these things!!
At dinner time, when we say grace, we each thank God for something every day. Its a great way to teach the little man about the concept of gratitude. I want it to come easy to him, and for him to "get it". It took me 30+ years to get it myself, and I don't want him to go through the same struggles I did.