"We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."~Charles R. Swindoll
It's important for everyone to maintain a positive attitude despite life's challenges. Let's face it, life is hard. No one sails through it without any problems.
Being positive isn't always easy and sometimes it takes a lot of hard work.
"Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin
I enjoy the website Brain Pickings by Maria Popover and its weekly newsletter. If you're not a subscriber I strongly suggest you become one. It's a treasure chest of smart, insightful pieces about fascinating subjects that will enrich and empower you into living a quality life. (Sounds like part of the mission of An Empowered Spirit!)
This week's newsletter discussed a book called "A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life" by the founder and senior partner of the Center for Courage and Renewal (where do I sign up?) Parker J. Palmer. The book sounds like a worthy read, seeking to align our professional and personal lives so that we are undivided, relying on community to help support us, and persuading us to stop denying and listen to our inner voice to help us uncover our true selves.
"Afraid that our inner light will be extinguished or our inner darkness exposed, we hide our true identities from each other. In the process, we become separated from our own souls. We end up living divided lives, so far removed from the truth we hold within that we cannot know the "integrity that comes from being what you are." ~quote from Brain Pickings from "A Hidden Wholeness" by Parker J. Palmer
This quote from Anthony Robbins sums up how I look at the power of staying positive by trying to learn a lesson from even the worst of life's catastrophe's:
“Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.” ~ Anthony Robbins
We have the freedom to choose how we think and feel, and although we can't always stick our heads in the sand to ignore the bad things that happen to us, we can change our approach to how we look at things.
If you need more reasons to be positive here are a few from The Mayo Clinic:
If you're finding life particularly difficult to cope with please seek the help of a qualified therapist.
I read this quote from the incredible Elizabeth Edwards and thought to myself that if she believed this while facing imminent death, how could we not be grateful and positive?
I am grateful for walks with my son in our hometown
How do you stay positive?
Interesting. I immediately felt we had a lot in common when I first discovered your blog. That quote by Charles Swindol, entitled Attitude, hung right over my work area for over seven years. My copy was a longer version. I used to encourage my co-workers and the bosses, to read it when they would stop by to chat.
Great message as always Cathy! I am learning to think positively in all things and to have a little more hope. Sometimes we can feel so down we think we are never getting back up and we just have to remember that there is always a lesson to be learned, a way to improve our outlook it just is alot harder sometimes.
I love this post Cathy! All the quotes are wonderful.
Great quotes! I am glad to have the reminders to be positive. I get whiny far too often. Thanks for always shining your light to help others.
Staying positive has become a habit for me. Do I slip and move back to Eeyore? Oh my goodness yet. But THAT place feels less like me than the positive place and most days positive is just who I am rather than who I want to be.
Great post/topic! I try to keep gratitude in my heart, and focus on all of the wonderful things in my life (not what I may think it's lacking). Keeping a positive attitude/outlook helped me through my third miscarriage last month -- it made me realize how much of a miracle my son is, and how grateful we are to have him.
Sharing this with my followers today. Goes right along with the post I wrote this weekend. I think someone wants me to learn a lesson.
I love these quotes! I always try to stay positive and look for something to be grateful for in whatever the situation. I try to put things in perspective and hang around with people who send out positive energy. You are definitely one of those people, my friend!
I'm a believer, although I do tend to have a sarcastic way of framing things, self deprecating, that i have to stop.
I tend to brush off memes of any kind, but last year, one in particular stayed with me (it was probably posted by you). It said simply, "choose to be happy." Because I journal every day, I went to the pages of the last few entries and saw that everything I was writing was pessimistic. "I hope this doesn't..." or, "It's probably not..." etc. I made a conscious effort to restate my thoughts and to my surprise, it was not that easy!!! I'd taught myself to be negative. My writing bore this out clearly.
I fixed it, but to your message...we can't control how everything will go. Why then would we do anything but think/hope/pray for the best?
Thanks for this post, Cathy, you always make me look a little harder at life.
I love all of these positive thoughts. The problem is that they only stay with me for a few minutes and then I'm back to my old complaining self, LOL. Perhaps I should find one that really speaks to me and have it tattooed on the inside of my wrist, you know, for ease of reference 🙂
It is a daily mindset and a habit worth developing isn't it? I love your voice, your choice of quotes, and your sincere hope that we all follow this positive path! And I love that we share all of that both personally and professionally - inspires me to be more positive! Keep radiating good my friend!
Great post Cathy, if it weren't for this sort of attitude I can't imagine where I would be at this point in my life, attitude is everything.
I'm happy by nature. And your post has given me positive reinforcement. And quotes!
I need to start every morning reading this post...
Absolutely and amen to all! There is NOTHING negative about being positive! Great quotes and reminder of the benefits. Off to sign up for Brain Pickings! Cheers!
So funny, we both of stress on our minds. I wonder if it's because of #NaBloPoMo, LOL! Love these affirmations, Cathy.
Wonderful post and reminder Cathy! I am participating in 100DaysofHappy and it makes me focus on the happy things in my life. At times life is very challenging, but we are the only ones who can choose which way we handle it. We need to choose happiness, it doesn't just happen.
Wonderful post. I am such a believer in positive thinking and the impact it can have on our overall health. Yes - things that are difficult to deal with happen (there is a four letter word that sums up what happens) but we have the choice on how we react. I appreciate the quotes and the mind set your blog produces.
I know I will always be uplifted by reading your posts, Cathy, and this one was no exception. You inspire me to look for the positive and not dwell on the negative. Thank you! xo
Fabulous quotes! Quotes are one of the tools I use to stay positive. I have them posted around my house to help lift me up on the tough days and to remind me to stay the course on the good days.
I love this! I too have always chosen to be positive and live a happy life! I love reading what the Mayo Clinic had to say about this. Good for you!