“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
Sometimes we look at something one day and appreciate its beauty. But when we look at it another day, we might barely noticing it. Perhaps we do notice it, but we only see its flaws. Meanwhile, the thing we’re looking at is still the same. Whether it’s something physically around us like nature and people or something intangible like life changes or a difficult situation, changing our perspective on things can be very powerful. As this quote by self-improvement author and speaker Wayne Dyer suggests, changing the way we look at something can almost change that thing itself.
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”
Most of us are familiar with the saying about looking at the glass half full or half empty. This anonymous quote is similar in its underlying message. The point is that we can take any event or circumstance and either see the positive or negative. We can complain about everything that’s wrong or try to see the silver lining. If we search hard enough, we will find a silver lining.
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.”
There are different kinds of storms that vary in intensity. What you see following a day of thunder, lightning and rain is far better than what you see after a hurricane or tornado. Some storms leave destruction at their wake while some restore the earth. The same applies to life. When bad things happen, like a storm, it’s natural to assume the worst–That our life would turn upside down. But as this anonymous quote reminds us, not all storms come to disrupt our life. Some leave things better than before, like a rain storm replenishing the soil for new things to growth. So when you’re going through a challenge or…
“The only way to see a rainbow is to look through the rain.”
Sometimes we forget that whenever we’re looking at a rainbow, we’re also looking past rain. In fact, the only way to see a rainbow is to look past rain. While this is true literally, it’s also true figuratively. In life, there may be raindrops spread out before us–those challenges, setbacks, heartaches, and disappointments. This anonymous quote reminds us that beyond the bad, we may be able to find something good. We’re reminded to do the best we can to either look beyond or push forward to see the rainbow at the end of whatever storms we’re going through.
“To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.”
This quote, by Ken Keyes Jr., reminds us to count our blessings. Moreover, it reminds us that the more time and energy we spend being upset about the things we don’t have, the less time and energy we have left to appreciate what’s already right in front of us. Therefore, those things almost feel wasted. When they’re not noticed in the first place, we fail to tap into the joy of having them.
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“I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.”
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me.
Seven Things We Forget to Be Thankful for Each Day
Going From “Have to” to “Get to”
There are quite a few things we feel we have to do in life—various responsibilities, commitments, and goals we set for ourselves. You might say “I have to” do this or that, or at least think it consciously or subconsciously. “I have to exercise”, “I have to eat healthy”, “I have to go to work”, “I have to volunteer”, “I have to do chores”, “I have to run errands”. The list goes on. But what if we replace the words “have to” with “get to” for all these things? What if we reimagine them with all the opportunities and possibilities they possess? What if we’re grateful to even have the…
PositLive Music: “Better Days”
“Better Days” Written by: Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, and John Nathaniel Released: March 25, 2020 The writers of this song, including lead singer Ryan Tedder, were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic (Source). The promise of “better days” is in the context of a global pandemic. However, the lyrics to the song can be applied to any situation in which we might feel helpless. This song is about having hope that better days will come whenever we’re faced with such situations. Select PositLive Music: Lyrical Playlist to view all playlist songs as they’re being added.Select Exploring New Ways to PositLive to read about the inspiration for PositLive Music. “Better Days” Sung…
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“Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life.”
Is There Such a Thing as Being Motivated for the Wrong Reasons?
“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”
“It’s not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the most power.”
If you were to transcribe all the words that come out of your mouth and also all the thoughts that run through your head and compare both documents, would they be similar or divergent? Would someone reading it think they are words spoken by two completely different people? Which of the two transcripts would be more positive? The words said out loud or the words said to yourself? This quote, by Robert T. Kiyosaki, reminds us that the words we say internally are just as powerful–if not more powerful–than the words we say out loud. Moreover, it reminds us how important it is to make sure both narratives are aligned.
“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.”
Having motivation isn’t always easy. It’s even harder when it comes to doing difficult tasks. Not to mention, difficult tasks in which we’re unsure what the outcome will be or we don’t believe the outcome will be positive. Simply put, it’s hard to be motivated to do something we ourselves don’t think will work out. This quote, by William James, hints at the fact that we need to start out believing things will work out in the end. Otherwise, the difficult tasks before us are made even more difficult, if not impossible. With the wrong, negative attitude, we’ll think: What’s the point of trying if this isn’t going to go…
“An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere.”
There’s nothing worse than feeling completely hopeless. Maybe it has to do with your career, finances, relationships, happiness–whatever the case may be. This quote, by Harvey Mackay, reminds us that life is a bumpy road. Nevertheless, the road leads us somewhere. An optimist knows that there will be hills and valleys on the road to various destinations. So those low points aren’t going to last forever. Not only that, it’s only by experiencing the valleys (the low points) that we can appreciate the view from the hills; and we better appreciate the journey we took to get there.
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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“Change your opinions, keep to your principles. Change your leaves, keep your roots intact.”
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
