A positive attitude can make all the difference in your life

The Power of Attitude - Choose Gratitude

What if, instead of getting wrapped up in negativity, you focused on the positive? What if you could find silver linings in every situation? It might seem like a daunting task, but it's definitely possible. And it's worth it, too - because a positive attitude can make all the difference in your life.

Embracing Differences.

Making the choice to be happy, healthy and prosperous in the midst of adversity will change your entire perspectives on life! We've all been dealt a bad hand at some point in our lives. Maybe we lost our job, got dumped by our significant other, or dealing with loss. Lump those 3 up, and it's a great start for me! I've definitely been through my ups and downs in life! I've categorized myself as a "salmon" type of person. Being different and feeling different never sat well with me as a young adult. What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I content?

Deciding to Break the Chains

The term "salmon" has always struck me as being particularly apt when it comes to describing my own personal journey. Like a salmon, I have always been determined to lead my own path, even when it goes against the grain. I swim upstream, so to speak, defying convention and expectation. And just like a salmon, I return to my roots time and again, no matter how far I may stray. For me, there is something immensely powerful and inspiring about this comparison. It reminds me that I am not alone in swimming against the current - that we all have the potential to break free from the chains and the mold to forge our own path in life.

Keep Your Head Up

Growing up I was always testing and going against the flows of the majority. My mother planted flowers around her stressful moments with her children. To this day she's got a special "Dana Garden." When I grew to be a young adult, I will never forget being told by strangers and by some "friends" that I wanted too much in life. I use to replay those words of doubt over and over in my head, often wondering if I would fail and if so, when? These words were hurtful and made me have self-doubt throughout the years, but I still kept pushing forward! I knew that I had to keep going or I would never know what was possible on the other side!

Growth Takes Time

I had big dreams! I had great ambitions! I'd like to keep telling you how everything was on the up and up! But I had so many failures in my path! Working towards my bachelors degree will always be remembered as my "growth years" because they were my toughest memorable years. I didn't realize there would be so many questions within these "growth years"!

Passion Will Help Guide You

We start to ask tough questions like "who am I?" and "what is my purpose in life?" And while these years can be full of self-doubt and confusion, they can also be some of the most transformative and enriching years of our lives. This is when we begin to explore our interests, discover our talents and figure out what makes us happy. We make mistakes and learn from them, we have incredible experiences and meet remarkable people. In short, these are the years that we begin to learn who we are and why we are. And for that reason, they just might be some of the most important years of our lives.

Making it Through Those Darkest of Hours

Who remembers that time I was sleeping in my car between jobs, sleeping in University parking lots in questionable neighborhoods at odd hours or studying all night in coffee shops and libraries! Me! I did that! I haven't even mentioned working 3 jobs with insane hours as I juggled though my undergrad years! The list goes on and on...let me just tell you the end of the tunnel was extremely foggy, dusty, barely lit! Who can relate? We all have those times in our lives in which the struggle was very real! And now we can look back on that time in our life and say " I did that! I made it through and I'm stronger for it!"

Is the Glass 1/2 Full or 1/2 Empty?

It can be tempting to wallow in self-pity and think that the world is against us. However, how we handle adversity says a lot about our character. Instead of succumbing to despair, we should try to see the silver lining and look for opportunities to grow and learn from our mistakes. Is the glass1/2 full or 1/2 empty? You have the power to choose your "lens!" By remaining positive, we can show ourselves and others that we are strong and capable of overcoming any challenge. So the next time life deals you a bad hand, remember that it's not the end of the world. With a little positivity and perseverance, you'll be back on top in no time. Believe me when I tell you this...I have not perfected this skill my therapist tells me. BUT I am indeed a work in progress, but I digress!

Are You Drawn To Negativity?

Let's bring this topic in again and say it a different way for the people in the back! We all know the saying "misery loves company." It's human nature to be drawn to negativity and to find comfort in sharing our negative experiences with others. But what we often fail to realize is that all this negativity breeds more negativity. And if we're not careful, it can take us down a dark path that is hard to come back from. So how do we avoid this? Positivity is key. It's important to find the bright side of things in every situation and to focus on the good instead of the bad. When we do this, we create a positive feedback loop that helps to ward off negativity and keep us on a more positive path. Whether we're faced with personal challenges or global problems, positivity is always the best approach. Choose your "lens."

You're Not the Same Person

Without struggle, we would never know our inner strength. It is only by going through tough times that we learn how to persevere and overcome obstacles. Our struggles make us stronger and wiser, and they help us to appreciate the good times even more. Lets be thankful for our struggles because they have made us the person we are today. It is our struggles that have taught us to be resilient and to always keep going, no matter what. Whatever life throws at us, we are now able to handle it. So bring on the challenges, we're ready!

Don't Lose Sight of Goals

It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget about the larger picture. We can become so focused on our current circumstances that we lose sight of our goals and aspirations. It's important to remember that just because things are tough right now, it doesn't mean that you aren't headed in the right direction. Every storm clouds has a silver lining, and eventually the sun will come out again. So don't give up, and don't lose faith in yourself. You have the inner strength to weather any storm. Just hold on a little while longer, and soon you'll be standing in the sunshine once again.

It can be easy to get bogged down by the details of any given situation and forget what your goals are. That's why it's important to always focus on what you want to achieve, and be willing to take that first step regardless of how small it may seem. After all, you're never going to achieve anything if you don't start somewhere! And while it's true that you'll probably make some mistakes along the way, remember that you're also going to learn from those experiences. Sooner or later, all of your hard work will pay off and good things will come your way.

Brush It Off and Start Again

We've all heard the saying "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." And it's true- some of the most important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Just think about some of history's greatest achievements- they were all accomplished by people who refused to give up in the face of adversity. So next time you're feeling down and out, remember that keep trying and never giving up is the key to success. Who knows? You might just end up accomplishing something great.

We See You Judging...Stop It

How often have you caught yourself judging someone, only to realize afterwards that you really don't know anything about them? Can we really determine everything about that book by its cover without actually reading the book? We're all guilty of it at one time or another - making assumptions and judgments about people based on their appearance, their actions, or even just a feeling we get about them. But the truth is, these judgments say more about us than they do about the person we're judging. They reveal our own biases and prejudices, our own insecurities and fears. When you take the time to get to know someone, you may find that they're not at all what you initially thought. They may be kinder, funnier, and more interesting than you ever could have imagined. So next time you find yourself judging someone, ask yourself what it is about them that you don't like. What is it about this person that bothers you? Is it their race, their religion, their style of clothing? By taking a step back and examining your own motivations, you might just realize that the person you're judging isn't so different from you after all. Chances are, it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with you.

Leave the Past and Reset Your Mind

It's easy to allow your past to dictate your present. We all have a past that we would rather forget. Some may have experienced something traumatic, so now you're afraid to leave your house or have anxiety to drive your car? Or maybe you were betrayed by a close friend, so now you can't trust anyone. While it's understandable to let your past shape your present, it's not healthy. It is important to make peace with your past so it doesn't screw up your present. Hang on a second...can I shout this message just one more time for the ladies who had those jerk boyfriends and husbands! Excuse me, let me rephrase this to say EX-boyfriends/girlfriends and Ex-husbands/wives to be fair, because ratchet shows up in both sexes.

Make Peace With It

Regroup and let it go! Or you're essentially giving the power to control your life to someone else - or something else. If you want to live a peaceful life, you need to make peace with your past. Forgive the people who have hurt you. Allow the light into your peaceful world. Don't allow your past to screw up your present.

However, After all, you can't change what has already happened. It is important to allow the light into your peaceful world and let go of the pain that is holding you back. If you don't make peace with your past, it will continue to haunt you and prevent you from moving forward. So make the decision to let go of the past and live in the present. Peace of mind is just around the corner. You deserve this life ahead of you. Set yourself free!

Change Your Thinking

Life is full of choices. What to wear, what to eat, what to do with your time. And often, we find ourselves feeling pressure to explain our choices to others. "Why are you wearing that?" "Why do you want to do that?" "Why don't you just do it this way?" But here's the thing: at the end of the day, you're the only one who has to live with the consequences of your choices. So why not just do what works for you? If something feels right, go for it. If it doesn't, then don't. It's really that simple. And when you stop worrying about what other people think and just focus on yourself, life gets a whole lot simpler. Life is too short to spend time worrying about what other people think. If you're happy with the way you're living your life, why should you care what anyone else has to say?

Stop Explaining Yourself

I used to spend a lot of time trying to explain myself to people. I would try to justify my choices, or defend my actions, even when I knew that I was in the right. But I've come to realize that life is so much simpler when you stop explaining yourself to people and just do what works for you. After all, you're the only one who has to live with the consequences of your choices. So why bother wasting your time trying to convince someone else that they should see things your way? Just do what works for you and let the haters do their own thing. Trust me, it's a lot more peaceful that way.

There's no need to justify your choices or try to conform to someone else's standards. If you live your life constantly asking others on what decisions you should make in your life, ultimately you have granted them an extra life to lead! Are you really that impressed with the decisions and choices they've made in their lives? I hope so! Because your life will soon become a mirror image of there's. When you ask for an opinion, choose wisely! In most cases aren't you going to make the ultimate decision? Do you research, get your answers and make a decision! You get one shot at this thing called life! Live your life the way you want to. After all, it's your life - so why not make it as simple and enjoyable as possible? Dream it and go after it!

Do It Now

As the famous saying goes, "Pride comes before a fall." But what if you could avoid the fall altogether? That's where walking proud comes in. By definition, walking proud means to guide your own path and never look back. And while that may sound like a tall order, it's actually quite simple. All you need to do is have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Trust that you know what's best for you, and don't let anyone or anything get in your way. Of course, walking proud isn't always easy. There will be times when you'll falter and doubt yourself. But as long as you keep getting back up and moving forward, you'll eventually reach your destination. So go ahead and walk proud. It's the only way to get where you're going.

Dig Deeper

I used a few resources when bringing this blog together. And...let me tell you I'm a work in progress! There's a lot of resources out there but here's a few that I used to get my brain flowing.