Have you ever been through a struggle or a difficult time in your life and you dwell on all the trials and tribulations you have faced? It is so easy to focus on the negative. To only see the bad. Learning to see the good or the positive is so much harder! Our brains are wired to see the negative in things as a defense mechanism. You know, from back in the day when we were cavemen and we had to watch for dangers everywhere! Well now that’s not normally an issue for us, but our brains have not evolved from looking for dangers or the negatives, so they are easier to find, thus making it easier to focus on. But what if you put in the effort and asked yourself, what am I learning/have learned from this journey? How have I evolved? How have I become a better person at this point? Has it strengthened you in a place you were previously weak? Find the good and leave the bad behind. Seeking out the positive aspects will help you in so many ways!

I will not sugar coat this. If you tend to be a more negative person, or even if you are normally positive, but you’ve been stuck in a negative rut… It will take some elbow grease to pull yourself out of that hole. But get to pulling dollface! It will be worth the work. It will take an almost constant reminder to yourself in the beginning not to dwell/think negatively/create scenarios in your head that aren’t there, lol. But quickly it will require less reminding and become a habit of being more positive. Change the way you think! Pay attention to your thoughts and your words… You may be shocked in the beginning to realize how often negativity pops its ugly head out! When you notice that, contradict it with something positive. For example: When Stephanie walks into your office in the morning if you catch your first thought being “Oh great what is she in here to complain about?” you are putting that vibe out there! Grab yourself and set the tone! “Good Morning Stephanie! What can I help you with?”  You now have changed everything to a much friendlier, inviting setting than what your thoughts started off as.

This is something that takes work, and lots of it! I try to keep little reminders at my desk, in my car, my calendar/journal… so I have a glimpse of something positive and reassuring at different times of the day. It just seems like when you need it, you notice it. Positivity is like bathing… you need it daily. I am not always good at “looking on the bright side”. I realize that my surroundings tend to have a lot to do with that. I let my self get so engulfed in those around me or what is going on around me, that I very easily, can become consumed with the bad vibes that I am “breathing in”. I have been working on being more aware of my surroundings and limiting my exposure or giving myself a chance to detox from it. Sometimes that may be a situation or a person. And not to say this person or situation is always bad, but it may be bad, for me, at the moment. You must be able to realize this and do what is best for you. Which could be taking a step back for a minute and assessing is this person/place/thing just having a bad day? If so give them their space and reevaluate another day. When the evaluation time comes up… Make the best decision for you. Be sure it is the vibe you need and not something you have to tolerate! That’s not healthy and it won’t help your journey.

Exercise! Eat well (aka eat your veggies!)! Get some rest! I know this sounds crazy but taking care of yourself, will in turn help you in this journey. These are all things that will get you in a good mind set and help you to see the best in everything. You can’t make everything around you right if you have started with yourself! So, start there! Make the best version of you and it will help everything else fall into line.