How to Stay Positive When It is so Darn Hard

Hanging in my room this sign is a great reminder for life...

It is so easy to be negative. There are days where I am surrounded by complainers and "woe is me" type personalities, rude emails, work hassles and relationship troubles. It can be hard to look at the so-called bright side. But what does a bad mood get you? Unhappy friends that you're complaining to, headaches and stomach aches, unhappiness and other unpleasant bad mood side effects.

So what to do when a glass half full attitude is so hard to picture? Just the other day, I had been having a relatively good day when one rude email sent me spinning. It got me over thinking, upset and angry. Should I have let those few sentences ruin my day? Definitely not. Did I? Just about. It put me in a rough mood and caused me to complain to several people which I'm sure in turn did not help their moods. The cycle keeps going.

So how do you become one of those people where seemingly nothing affects you? I'm not saying you should be fake. I'm not saying you don't have the rights to complain or get upset. Just don't let it define your day or even your life. When something rough happens, I try to look at it closely. Is this an annoyance or even a catastrophe? Sure. Should I let it rule my mind and my day? No way! I think of all the people who are there for me and that love me, all the great things I have in my life and how it could be much, much worse.

The best advice? They say when a problem arises, ask yourself if you can change it. If you absolutely cannot change the situation, accept it. Accept that xyz happened... maybe your car broke down but you can get it fixed and everything will be alright, etc. Put a smile on your face and watch your luck turn around.