Choose to be positive.

Since my life transitions in 2024, I have been focused on being positive in an effort to heal my body, mind and spirit. I’ve blogged about it, spoken about it at programs, preached to the people around me about it.

But recently I had some life setbacks and without realizing it, I allowed myself to regress into a negative frame of mind. It spilled into my relationships, my interactions with people in public and my body started to suffer.

Suddenly one day, after a series of “annoyingly negative” things happened, it came clear to me that the universe was trying to tell me something. The same day, two of my closest friends confirmed I had been a downer lately – one told me I had lost my “hippyism.”

This was my message and reminder of the Power of Positive.

I realized my negative energy was impacting:

·       how I physically felt

·       how others around me felt

·       how people interacted with me

·       the outcomes in situations

·       how I slept at night

·       how my body felt each day

My friends helped me reframe my mindset. It was a wake-up call. After less than a month of allowing my negative thoughts to win, I was literally becoming sick again and it was affecting the people around me as well.

I’ve been listening a lot to this podcast about being mindful and one of the key lessons I am taking away is: your happiness is about your mindset and you choose how you will allow things to affect you.

Every morning you wake up and you set the tone. You can choose to be happy and this translates into how you allow things to shape your day.

Every day, good and bad things will happen and you have the power to control your reaction.

Here are some of the ways I make my day happy:

• I start my mornings talking to a friend who motivates me and I them

• Conversely, I try to avoid negative people and situations

• I read happy quotes

• I make eye contact and smile at people in stores

• I think of one nice thing I will do for myself or someone else (sometimes as simple as ducking other Jeeps or texting someone I haven’t spoken to in a while)

• I spend a few minutes just breathing

• I remind myself of all the great things I have in my life and all that I have overcome to be where I am

• When my mind starts to go into a negative place or I start to stress, I purposefully reel it back, instead of feeding it

• When someone does something that may normally trigger me, I consciously ask myself why I am allowing it to ruin my day and I try to recognize what they may have going on in their own lives

• I end every day writing down one thing that made me happy (usually it has to do with wildlife I saw)

• And I journal and blog because it helps me explore my racing thoughts and give them focus.