Positive Thinking!

I get lots of "flap" for my positive attitude, but you know what?  It's okay!  I would not change a thing!  There are some very important things that I adopt into my daily life that make it possible for me to handle what life throws at me.  I would like to share them with you!

1)  Realizing that no one is perfect:  You heard it right.  NO ONE is perfect and we all make mistakes.  How you handle that makes all the difference.  When you make a mess, mistake, or slip and fall, would you want someone to constantly pin point your failures? Do you want someone getting angry at you because you spill something on the floor? I don't think you do.  This is where the old saying comes in "Don't cry over spilled milk".  Is it really that important?  Learn to understand that people handle things differently, contain your temper, and don't judge. I am pretty sure there will be some who take this out of context (as there always are) but I also know they GET what I'm saying. Don't allow yourself to blow small things out of proportion.

2)  Be grateful for what you have:  this includes tangible items AND PEOPLE!   Don't take your loved ones for granted, because we truly aren't promised tomorrow.  Don't look at what you DON'T have, but what you DO have.  I am a firm believer that in order to be blessed by God you need an attitude of gratitude. When you start to feel sorry for yourself and say "I have nothing!  I hate my job, I have no real friends, I am not rich (even though I can make my payments on all my bills), I don't drive a Mercedes, etc.....that is the wrong attitude to have!  Change your attitude to say "I am thankful that I have a job and a paycheck so my bills are paid. There are so many people without jobs right now. Now that I think about it, I do have 1 or 2 good friends that I can count on no matter what. That is better than having 10 friends who truly wouldn't be here for me.  I may not drive a fancy car, but I do have a car that works and it's mine! There are people who don't have car to drive.  I am thankful that I do have transportation to take me where I want to go".

3)  Find the good in everything:  it is so hard to do, and takes work.  Once you start finding the good in things, the way you look at things change. The way you handle things change. Some questions and thoughts I asked/had when wading through life's storms:

• I feel so weak. How can I get stronger?  I learned to pray my through, and BELIEVE that this trial was meant to make me stronger and I was meant to learn from it.  Take it as it comes and you deal with it day by day.  Don't look at the long road and say "I have so far to go", but rather "I will make it through this day, I will learn all I can from it, and it WILL NOT take my joy".  I am meant to learn something from this.
• I believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  There always is.  I will see it soon enough.  God brings me through these trials and I may not understand it but I know I'll learn from it. This trial will come to end and I will see it through.
• Do I have what it takes to make it through?  YES I do!!  I will make it through because God gives me strength. I will come out stronger and better than ever before.  I will praise Him through this trial.  I will not give up.  All the great leaders in this world have gone through trials and I am no different. I can do this!!! 
• Let's see what I can do to alter this.  What can I do to make it better?  I will use my resources to find ways to change the outcome and remedy my situation.  There are hundreds of resources at my fingertips!!

These are three steps that I take in everything.  I simply refuse to allow the darkness that comes with trials and tribulations overtake me.  I will do everything I can to learn from it, apply what I learn to my life, and grow stronger in the process!