Positive Thinking

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” -Melody Beattie Do you ever stop and think about all the things you are lucky enough to have? It’s easy to get caught up in all the hardships and negativity that surround you. You aren’t feeling well, you didn’t get much sleep, you forgot to do your homework, you fail a test, you’re late to work, you lost your keys, or you forget your phone and you basically decide that any chance you would have a good day went out the window. It doesn’t. Instead of jumping to the worst, jump to the best. I’m not feeling well, but I have the day to catch up on my favorite TV show. I didn’t get much sleep, but I can go to sleep early tonight. I forgot my phone, but I’ll pay more attention to the beauty around me today. We have so much around us every day that we can be grateful for. You can be grateful for the people who smile at you in passing. You can be grateful for the places you’ve been. You can be grateful for the people who support you. You can be grateful for your talents. You can be grateful that you have a beautiful body. You can be grateful for your family. You can be thankful for your friends.  

You have the power to turn everyday into a good day.  Wake up every morning to tell yourself you will have a good day.  Although people often think otherwise, you are in control of your emotions.  Positive thinking is not an easy thing to get used to because most people automatically think things can't get any worse than they are right now.  If you are at that point, where you think you are at your lowest, take a second to realize- that means things can only get better from here.  

I started practicing my positive thinking at the beginning of the school year.  I got a new journal, and every night I write down at least one good thing that happened that day.  Some nights I can go on for pages, and some nights only have one or two things.  That's okay.  I've learned to accept that not every day is going to be perfect.  Most of the times that I have a long list of positives, there was still a negative or two.  That's okay as well.  Negative things are bound to happen to everyone.  But, rather than let them get you down, learn from them and let them help you appreciate the positives more.  

I also try to take pictures of the things I know I am lucky to have so I can see them when I'm feeling down.  I keep them all in a folder on my phone and check it from time to time to put myself into perspective.  

Keep fighting, and keep growing.