“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.”
This quote is from the children’s book, The Secret of Saying Thanks, by Douglas Wood. In reading this book and quote, we are reminded that it’s impossible to be thankful and unhappy at the same time. That’s because gratitude has a way of bending our attitude toward happiness. And this is something we can begin to recognize at a young age. If it’s difficult to have gratitude, you can practice it by simply writing something you’re thankful for each day. Perhaps you challenge yourself to write something different each day. By the end of the year, you may surprise yourself with 365 different things to be thankful for and 365…
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“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.”
“A tiny change today brings a dramatically different tomorrow.”
Ancient Literature in the Age of Modern Technology
“Don’t worry about the challenges. Get excited about the rewards of crushing them.”
This quote, by Hiral Nagda, forces us to think differently about challenges. Instead of resenting them, we can try to imagine what overcoming them would look and feel like. What if just getting to that feeling of accomplishment is what we focus on? Simple put, by thinking only about the challenges, we’re more likely to worry about and resent them. However, with a bit of imagination, we can envision ourselves crushing them–including our future sense of accomplishment. In so doing, we’re able to face our challenges with more excitement and motivation.
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that, I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
In math, adding positive numbers results in an even bigger number. However, the moment we begin to introduce negative numbers, the sum total decreases. This is a basic mathematical concept. And this quote, by Maya Angelou, reminds us that a similar principle applies to life. Who we are is the sum of everything around us. What we see, hear, eat, smell, know, remember–it all adds up to make us think, act, and do things a certain way. Continuing on with imagining life as an equation, consider how you can make all the things that influence your life more positive. Remember, you don’t necessarily have to do something big (ie. add…
“Every day may not be a good day but there is good in every day.”
This quote, by Alice Morse Earle, reminds us that it’s important to first understand that every day may not be a good day. Some days bring bad news, disappointment, frustration, physical pain, or emotional distress. There is a host of life challenges out there. But while we understand every day may not be good, we should also understand that there is still good in every day. The two are not mutually exclusive. It is, in fact, possible to find good in not so good days. This realization can be somewhat liberating. We become less focussed on making life “perfect”–feeling constantly unhappy and disappointed. Instead, we’re more inclined to do our…
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“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”
Seven Things We Forget to Be Thankful for Each Day
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
This quote, from Paradise Lost by John Milton, gives us a different perspective of the mind–as its own place. We’re forced to think of our mind as a vast, infinite land that’s sort of under construction. And we have the ability to build whatever we want on it. For instance, we can develop it into a beautiful oasis or plant thorns. But in addition to the mind being its own place that we can develop, this quote also reminds us that it’s within our power and mind to either find or create the good in bad situations. It’s also within our power and mind to appreciate the good that’s already…
“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.
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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.”
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.”
“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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“Someday soon, we’ll all be together. If the fates allow. Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.”
“When you finally learn your self–worth, you stop giving others discounts.”
“When thinking about life, remember this: no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future.”
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: “Keep Your Head Up”
“Keep Your Head Up” Written by: Andy Grammer Released: February 24, 2011 Andrew Grammer wrote this song at the beginning of his professional music career. It was written after a long day in the streets, trying to sell his album with little success. It was meant to be a pep talk to himself to not give up–to keep his head up. Ironically, the song he wrote in this low point in his career would end up launching his career. The song was a personal note to himself. However, the message applies to all of us. In those moments when we’re downtrodden, feeling hopeless, or struggling to make ends meet, let…
“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”
Getting what you want all the time seems like the most ideal way to live. There’s nothing that will ever disappoint you. However, according to this quote by Dalai Lama, sometimes not getting what we want is luck. Sometimes, that helps make the moments we do get what we want much sweeter. We appreciate the blessings we do have a bit more. Perhaps what we wanted could have led us down the wrong path. Or maybe, what we wanted is not best for us now but better at another point in time. So next time we don’t get what we want, let’s consider these possibilities. We just don’t know what…
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“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.”
“Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not.”
“If you don’t have time for the small things, you won’t have time for the big things”
