"How do you stay so positive?"

Somebody recently asked me, "How do you stay so positive?" It was such a sweet question because deep down, I felt like it was a compliment as well. Me? Positive? Thankful that my actions and attitude bring encouragement and discouragement, I said, three simple words. 

"It's a choice"

You see, I've realized something, if I choose I wait for something "good" to happen in order to be positive, I could be waiting a while. And even then, under the best of circumstances, they are fickle at best and who knows how long that moment will last. We've all had those days that start off well and by mid morning you're wondering how everything derail so quickly. 

Life happens, and things aren't always great, but I've decided in my own mind that I can't wait for a reason to be positive, I have to just do it. 

Choose to see the best in a situation. 

Choose to react with love and not lash out in anger. 

Choose to see my full life as a blessing and not a burden.

Choose to see your need as an opportunity to GROW rather than evidence of past or future failures. 

Most of all, choose to be grateful. I've heard it said "Gratitude is the best attitude" and quite honestly, I don't think it could be any more true. 

When you CHOOSE to be grateful you switch your attention from wanting to thanking, from frustrated to focused, from fickle to fixed. 

We live in a society where complaining is just "venting" and celebrating is bragging. 

That's fine for others, but for me I choose to stop complaining and start celebrating. 

Thank God I have a job to go to.

Thank God I have a daughter who gets into everything & turns my house upside down. 

Thank God I've been blessed with such an awesome husband, even if he leaves his shoes everywhere. 

Thank God I have clothing piled up into massive piles of laundry, so many others have nothing. 

Every moment presents a choice, what you decide is ultimately up to you. I guess there's no right or wrong but, I'll tell you this, since I switched my thinking from complaining to celebrating my life has been happier, fuller and more fulfilling then it ever was. 

Not because I have everything I want, or my life is absent of problems, but because I choose to live with my heart postured towards gratitude and rather than having a bad attitude. 

If you don't believe me, take a chance today. Make the CHOICE to see things differently. Make a CHOICE to remain positive in difficult  situations. 

I've heard it said that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of what you make of it. 

What will you make of your life? 

The choice is yours.