Happy Hump day friends! We have made it half way through the week! Today, I want to chat about POSITIVE THINKING.
POSITIVE THINKING is so much more than that cute Pinterest quote you came across or those pretty letters on your coffee mug. (side note: that fancy mug above came from Target!) Those things aren't bad… at all. In fact, they’re actually great reminders for us to “put on our POSITIVE pants!" I know for me, seeing a quote on Instagram doesn't automatically turn my frown upside down! I will admit that I’m often guilty of being that "Monday morning Facebook quote poster," complete with hashtags! Like I said before, posting that quote isn't going to change anyone's life, but it might be a great reminder to slow down and look for things to be thankful for.
I think (or at least I hope) we all have a few people in our lives who are just SO POSITIVE! I immediately think of two women in my life who are the human embodiment of POSTIVE THINKING. They both speak joyful and POSITIVE words, and I don't think I have EVER heard either of them speak negatively about anything! They always seem to focus on the bright side of things. They are the kind of women you want to hang out with and be like!
When I first came home from the hospital I was in a lot of pain. I was mad at my situation… I was bitter about the things that had been taken away from me… and all of that negativity was showing up in my words, my face, and my attitude! I can remember the conversation that began a slow transformation in me. My husband politely told me that, "being cranky wasn't helping anyone involved." It was a hard truth to swallow. I felt like I had the right to be CRANKY! However, as I began to think about the effect my attitude was having on myself, my family, and others around me, I knew I had to change something.
It was not like a lightbulb that immediately switched on. I still struggled with finding joy in certain situations, but I started by finding ONE THING, just ONE TINY THING that I could be thankful for each day. Some days were easier than others. Some things were more obvious to identify.
Eventually, I noticed that by finding things to be thankful for, I was finding the source of happiness- and my entire family's focus began to shift. We became the family who got EXCITED about the small things. My boys began to cheer for my progress instead of feeling sad about what I still couldn't do. I began to find the “small wins” in my life such as:
- Walking across the living room unassisted
- Getting out of the bathtub on my own
- Cooking a meal
- Tying my shoes
It would have been easy to point out all of the things I COULDN'T do, but those simple, small things that I used to take for granted had suddenly become huge victories once I had trained my mind to see them and celebrate them!
I hope anyone who is reading this is able to walk across their living room, tie their shoes, and take a bath on their own power… But, this principle can be applied to anyone. We all have days, weeks, or months that just seem overwhelming. We all have seasons in our lives when it is so hard to find joy in things or give reasons to be thankful… but make today a season of change!
Do me a favor. Start that change today, right now, and find ONE THING you are thankful for. Don’t just say you are thankful for your family, your house, or your friends, etc… Find something unique to THIS DAY that makes you happy. Look for some reason you’re EXCITED! Write it down, type it in your phone notes, post it on Facebook, or tell a loved one. Then, when that becomes a habit, increase the number you write down. I promise you, it will change the way you see things. You will start finding joy in the small things, and that will lead to a more positive outlook on life!
Go out there and be POSITIVE, my friends! The world needs more of it!
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