Thankful Thursdays

For shots of positivity.

Have recent events made it difficult for you to be positive and stay hopeful about the future? That is a YES for me. Some days I feel like I need a positivity injection (make that an IV) to make it through the day. But my local drug store doesn’t sell any. However, I have found other remedies that actually do the trick and infuse me with just the right dose of good thoughts. Let me share a few.

First, the obvious – I try to surround myself with positive people. They say negativity is contagious, so why risk it. Of course, we can’t discard from our lives every negative person we know, but we can outnumber them.

2. I try to watch my words. I have learned, for example, that if I use words that heal, not only am I elevating someone, but those words could serve to uplift me as well.

(c) I try to focus on what I can control instead of what I cannot. For instance, I can control my attitude, I cannot control people’s opinions. If some of those opinions put me in a bad place, I try to focus my attitude on engaging civility by either nodding, counting to 10, or accepting it for what it is…just an opinion.

(d) I try to read worthwhile material. There is so much good in this world. Look for it, pay attention to it. I subscribe to a couple of websites that publish feel-good articles. Check these out:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/category/news/inspiring/  http://www.dailygood.org/

5. I try to reflect on my blessings. Among them, the community of prayer that surrounds me. It is extremely comforting to have family and friends who pray for one another. There is great power in communal prayer, and nothing like it to instill hope.

Lastly, I try to let my faith exceed my fears. Time is precious, why waste it on worry. Most things are better left in God’s hands anyway.

Notice I repeat, “I try” because none of the above is 100% easy to do. At least for me it’s not. Nevertheless, these shots of positivity are worth injecting, especially if we value our sanity.

I hope my suggested remedies help you maintain a positive outlook when the world seems negative. We must remember that life is basically good, with just a presence of evil, not the other way around.

For shots of positivity that help me combat the ugly, today and always, I am thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post…si Dios quiere.

“People tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance. And while they seem quite eager to feed you their negativity, please remember that sometimes the diet we need to be on is a spiritual and emotional one. Be cautious with what you feed your mind and soul. Fuel yourself with positivity and let that fuel propel you into positive action.”
-Steve Maraboli

“Affirmations are our mental vitamins, providing the supplementary positive thoughts we need to balance the barrage of negative events and thoughts we experience daily.”
-T. Walker

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
-Lao Tzu