Don't worry. I'm not going to tell you to stand in front of a mirror making positive affirmations. There is an easier way.

What you look for, you find, and this changes your mind. Want to prove this to yourself? Watch for polite drivers for a few days, making a mental note to yourself each time you see one. Focus just on polite ones, ignoring rest. It will change your experience of driving in a positive way. Then watch for rude drivers for a few days, and you'll begin to see them all over.

If you actually do exercise above, you'll get point. You experience world not just according to what is there, but even more according to what you pay attention to. Now, to apply this to your thinking process:

Find your successes. Notice when you learn something new. Write it down even. Point out your problem-solving successes to yourself, and you'll have more of them. When you are thinking clearly and effectively, tell yourself, "Look at that brain go!"

Telling yourself you are intelligent may help, but evidence is more convincing than affirmation. So if you are working to improve your mind, just watch, and you will find examples of progress, however large or small. Focus on these, and remember them. You can start doing this right now.

The point isn't to ask other people silly questions, but to ask yourself, just to see what new ideas they suggest. If you consciously do this for a few weeks, you will do it out of habit thereafter, and you'll always have something interesting to add to a conversation.

Be A Master Problem Solver

You probably have heard of problem solving techniques such as "attributes listing," "assuming absurd," and using "what if" word lists. If you haven't, you can learn about them at http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com. The point isn't to know them, however, but to use them until they become a part of your habitual thinking process.

Imagine you need a new seating design for restaurants. If you've trained your mind to challenge assumptions (another creative problem solving technique), you automatically begin to ask things like, "Are chair legs necessary?" If seats were extended from wall, table, or ceiling, it would be easier to clean under them. Are chairs necessary? Has anyone tried a stand-up cafe? Less space is required.

You won't automaticaly have great ideas, but you'll have enough creative ideas that it is more likely you'll find a useful one. And this "spontaneous" creativity will be result of your brain training exercise. So why not start developing those creative habits of mind today?